These hacks will save your day
Getting your car ready for the daily commute might be a piece of cake in the summer, but winter throws all stuff at you as it tries to ruin your plans. And a frosty windshield is one of the cold season's many ridicules.
So here are five ways that will keep you on schedule on those chilly mornings when the weather decides to perform its tricks.
1. The MacGyver procedure – Credit card
We get it, nothing ruins a day more effectively than being late and therefore in a hurry. Remember, this is the last resort solution, but it works when time is breathing in the back of your neck.
What you have to do is start the car, turn its defroster on and while it warms up, look for a suitable credit card. Out advice: go for an expired one and avoid laminated cards; solid plastic is what you're after.
Once you've produced the tools, start scraping and remember that the key word is persistence. You can even stack two or three cards together for extra strength.
2. The "better to prevent than cure" approach – Use a car cover or a windshield tarp
Don't own or afford a garage? No problem, there are other ways to protect your windshield's integrity when the elements go berserk.
The second best choice is a car cover. A quick Google search will reveal there's a broad array of car covers out there, advertised as either waterproof, sunproof, snow/dust resistant and whatnot. So that's the less costly alternative.
Or, you can simply make do with what you have. Grab a towel, a cardboard sheet or a larger sheet of cloth and tightly cover the windows during nighttime.
But since this is not a bullet-proof method, come morning, there might be thin icy spots on the windshield so make sure you get rid of those with a regular plastic scraper.
3. The lazy way – Lukewarm water FTW
This one is for the slackers or for those mornings when you can't be bothered. What you need is a bucket/bottle/large cup, depending on how large your car's windshield is, filled with lukewarm water at a temperature between 20 and 30 degrees Celsius, but not warmer.
Avoid hot or boiling water at all costs, as the shift in temperature can cause the glass to crack.
All you need to do now is pour the water on the frozen windshield and follow that up with either scraping or wiping to remove the slushy mass off the window.
You can also use the car's wipers to get rid of the excess melted ice, but make sure you've freed them from the ice in advance.
4. The widely-accepted method – De-icer and + scraper
Go to any supermarket/gas station/convenience store and buy a commercial de-icer and a scraper or a rubber blade.
This one's pretty straightforward, you must spray the de-icing liquid on the windshield, leave it for a couple of seconds to work its making then start scraping. Repeat if necessary.
As a caution, don't use metal objects or edges for scraping duties, for obvious reasons.