Ice on the car when you’re already late for work is a pain for anyone, but here’s how you can get the job done quickly…
Prep well
- It may sound obvious but prep the night before can be a game-changer. Park your car as close to your house so the heat omitted from it helps to keep your car as warm as possible. If you have space in the garage then even better.
- If you have the ability to do so it’s recommended that you leave your car facing east so when the sun hits in the morning it gets to work on the ice straight away.
- You can also put an old blanket or cardboard onto the windscreen as this will be effective in helping to prevent ice from forming.
- Spray de-icer before you go to bed, this is also great at helping prevent ice from forming in the first place.
- And make sure you have a good de-icer. Don’t use a credit card or old CD case like some of these ‘hackers’ suggest. You’ll be there all day.
When the ice has hit
- If you can sit in your car for 5 minutes or so and let the heaters get to work then the ice should quickly begin to melt. This will also make it easy to remove ice with your scraper. It goes without saying – don’t leave your car unattended with the engine running, there are always stories of thieves exploiting this every year.
- If you own a Ford, you can use the patented 'Quickclear' heated windscreen system to clear ice quickly.
- Don’t be tempted to put even warm water on the windscreen, never mind boiling. Glass expands quickly when heated and the contrast between the cold and hot water can easily result in a cracked window – especially if it’s already weakened by a chip.
- And what about the recent craze of smearing a potato across the inside of your windscreen? I haven’t tried this myself but many people say it works. However, the 'hack' will likely lead to a reduction in visibility and your car might start to smell like a chippy.
