Few things are able to disturb your morning routine more than a frozen-over car. It could mean the difference between a stress-free commute or a stressful commute. Luckily, although the cold weather is inevitable, a frozen car isn’t. We’ve listed the Do’s and Don’t’s that will ensure your morning routine runs as smoothly as possible this winter...
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Do...
✅Pre-frost spray
Keep an eye on the forecast, if you can anticipate that it’s going to be a chilly night then get ahead and get the pre-frost spray out!
✅Windscreen cover
The oldest trick in the book. Windscreen covers are pretty cheap nowadays, under £10 for the non-tailored fit versions but they all work the same. Get one on your windscreen to help prevent moisture freezing over the outside of the glass.
✅De-icer
Next time you’re queuing at the supermarket you’ll likely see a big pile of de-ice spray by the counter. Grab one and stick it in the glovebox, it is an effective and quick way of getting ice out of your field of view and it will make sure it doesn’t freeze back over.
✅Scraper
Don’t use your credit card or keys… unless you want to absolutely ruin your glasswork. Buy a dedicated scraper with a stiff rubber fin to get as much off your screen as conveniently as possible.
✅Vaseline the seals
Petroleum jelly doesn’t freeze because it’s already frozen, it works as a lubricant separating the rubber seals and preventing moisture getting in and freezing the seals together.
✅Put it in the garage
This needs no explanation. If you’re lucky enough to have one, use it.
✅Leave it facing the house
This one is a cracker. If you leave your car with the windscreen close to your house (within a meter or two) then the heat emitted from the house will either prevent the water from freezing over in the first place or at least go some way toward melting it off the windscreen the morning after.
Don’t...
❌Hot water
Pouring hot water on your windscreen can cause a rapid change in the temperature of the glass, it doesn’t take a scientist to know that rapidly expanding and contracting glass is a bad idea, especially if you’ve got chips already in the screen. You also run the risk of the warm water freezing straight back over again, which is counterproductive.
❌Use your sleeve
This might work as a last-ditch effort, but nothing more than that. Using your sleeve will remove ice or snow from your screen with a bit of elbow grease, but when you get in the car your soggy sleeve is just going to steam up the windows, and you’ve opened up a whole new can of worms.
❌Leave it running to warm up
Paul Scholes famously left this Chevrolet Captiva running on his driveway to warm it up before training. An opportunist saw this and simply got in and drove off. We daren’t think how the conversation went down with his insurers, but we’re certain that Paul will testify that leaving your engine running to warm up the car is a bad idea. (It’s also illegal if you’re parked on a public road.)
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