How To Easily Get Ice Off Your Windshield

The last thing any car owner would want to deal with is frost formed on the car windshield.

This is usually the case on those cold nights during the winter season and you wake up and you see the nightmare of the frost covering your windshields.

This make it difficult to see through the car windshield and hence impossible to drive your car.

Here’s how to get ice off your windshield using this procedure below:

Step1. Turn on your car defroster

You will need to turn the defroster in the car own and let it heat up the windshield. This will help with the de-icing process.

Step2. Get your ice scrapper and start scrapping off the ice formed on your car windshield from the bottom up

You can then get your ice scrapper and start working to scrap off the ice from the windshield.

You should work from the bottom up as the defroster will start heating the windshield from the bottom.

Step3. Getting a clean towel and wiping of the remaining ice

A clean towel will help to remove particles of ice that are stubborn on the surface of the windshield. If you notice any ice left you can work on them with the scrapper once more.

Step4. Switching off the defroster in your car

As you will have completed the task, you should switch off the defroster and enjoy using your car with a once again clear windshield.

You can get rid of the frost formed on your car windshield using numerous approaches.

Therefore, you are covered if you can’t get a specific item for the defrosting process.

What Is The Fastest And Best Way To Get Ice Off Your Windshield?

At times you realize too late that a significant amount of ice has formed on your windshield yet you need to use your car.

As the ice would impair your vision through the windshield, you should get it off before you start using your car.

Otherwise, you will collide with obstacles and other motorists on your driving course.

While a scrapper would be an excellent tool to go for when de-icing your windshield, using it can be rather tiresome.

You will realize that not only will it take too much of your time, but it will also need you to put in too much effort.

The whole process is frustrating, and you can opt for the following fast and more efficient ways of de-icing your windshield.

1. Using A Credit Card

When you want to use a credit card in place of the rather tiresome and time-consuming scrapper, you should start by warming up your car’s interior.

This can be done by simply starting the car engine. You can then place your credit card at a suitable angle and start scraping off the ice from the windshield.

When using the credit card to de-ice your car windshield, you should work it from the bottom up.

This is because you want to loosen the frost that is at the bottom part of the windshield first.

You will realize that using a credit card is a better option when you want to get rid of ice on your windshield’s surface and it also does not leave unwanted streaks on the surface.

2. Using De-Icer Spray

The de-icer spray is a more technical way of de-icing your car windshield than either going for a scraper or a credit card.

It is also quite more efficient as it produces results faster and with less effort applied.

There are commercial de-icer spray products that you can go for which are stocked in store shelves.

However, if you are working on a limited budget or you simply can’t access one, you can make your own de-icer spray.

A homemade de-icer spray can be made from either mixing water and rubbing alcohol or mixing water and vinegar in certain proportions.

Making Your Own De-Icer

1. Fill a container at just about more than half its capacity with clean water.
2. Add three cups of vinegar or two cups of rubbing alcohol.
3. You can then fill a spray bottle with the mixture.

When you want to use the de-icer spray, you will have to turn on the car defroster and let it warm the inside of your car.

Spray the surface of the windshield with the mixture and the ice will be able to melt in less than a minute.

You can then get a snow brush to get rid of any ice particles that remain on the surface of the windshield.

I also found this helpful video; check it out!

3. Pouring Warm Water

Using warm water to get rid of ice that forms on the surface of your car windshield is a casual but also effective approach.

You should ensure that the water is just warm and not boiling hot as the rather sudden change in temperature can damage your car windshield.

When you pour the warm water from the top part of your windshield and let it flow downwards the ice melts almost immediately. You can, therefore, use your vehicle safely.

5 Methods Of Removing Ice On Your Windshield Without A Scraper

If you are a car owner, then you should know that you can get rid of the ice on your car windshield with almost anything.

You should just ensure that using the equipment will not damage the structure of your car windshield in any way.

The various objects you can use in place of a scrapper are discussed below:

1. Spatula

A spatula is not only useful in the kitchen alone but can also come in handy for getting rid of frost formed on your car windshield surface.

It might just be the tool that does the trick when you have nothing else to work with.

It is also a perfect tool when you want to cover more surface, as it is much broader than either the credit card or scrapper.

2. CD Cases

In an emergency, there is no better tool to go for other than CD cases. This are probably not used at your home and you just have a bunch of them lying somewhere in your home.

You can go for this option as it is much easier to hold than a credit card and you are also less likely to damage the glass on the car windshield.

3. Ruler

This is a simple tool to go for when you have nothing else to work with. It may not be the best, but if you have a hard one it will get rid of the ice formed on your car windshield almost immediately.

It would be a good idea to let someone use this, say your child, while you use something else to scrap of the ice.

This will speed up the whole process of getting rid of ice from the surface of your car windshield.

4. Battery Powered Hairdryer

A battery-powered hairdryer is a technical way of getting rid of the ice on your windshield.

It works through the principle of warming the ice and let it melt off the surface of your car windshield.

It may get the job done faster and hence it is recommended that you get one for this purpose during the winter season.

5. Potatoes

This is one rather surprising item that many did not expect to be on this list.

However, it is an effective item that gets rid of the frost formed on the surface of your car windshield.

Unlike the rest of the items on this list, it is a measure that is aimed at preventing the formation of ice on the surface of your car windshield.

You can get your potato, cut it in half and rub the exposed part over the surface of the windshield just before you go to sleep.

The glycerol contained in potatoes acts as an anti-freeze and thus when you wake up, you will not have frost formed on your car windshield.

How To Cope With An Icy Windshield While Driving

Ice is among the natural elements that make it difficult for drivers to see the road clearly during the winter season. The other elements are rain, fog and even snow.

While you are on the road, you can cope with ice forming on your windshield through the following steps:

1. When you realize that ice has formed on your windshield while driving, the first step is to turn on your defroster. You will need to set them at the highest temperatures and speed possible.
2. You should also close other vents in order to force more air to be directed towards the windshield so that the rate at which ice is cleared from the surface of the windshield is increased.
3. Turn on your car windshield wipers so that they get rid of any stubborn ice formed on the surface. This will use the force of the sweeping of the wipers to get rid of the remaining ice.
4. You can then pull over and scrap of the layer of ice using either a scraper or a credit card. This will only take less than half an hour and you will get back to driving safely for both you and other road users using the same road.

Frequently Asked Questions

Getting ice off your windshield can be done in several ways according to the methods I shared with you above.

You will now read below the questions that readers often ask who also have the same issue as you do. Keep reading!

Q1: Do I Have To Use Hot or Cold Water To Remove Ice From My Windshield?

Warm water will do the trick of de-icing your car windshield. It uses the principle of melting the ice and let it flow off the surface of the windshield.

You should avoid using cold water as it will not be effective at all.

Hot water also has some consequences as it will cause a sudden change in temperature that might cause the glass on the windshield to crack.

Q2: How Should I Get Ice Off My Windshield Without Heat?

If you do not want to use heat, either because your car heater is not working well or because of some other reason, you are covered.

The first step here is to turn on the windshield wipers, and this will get rid of frost that has a thin layer.

While at it does not spray windshield wiper fluid onto the windshield as it may freeze and increase the impaired vision through the car windshield.

You can also go for an ice scraper that would do the trick for either frost formed on the inside or outside surface of the car windshield.

You can also simply purchase a portable car defroster that would come in handy if the in-built defroster in your cart is not effective.

You can also get good quality and effective de-icer spray that can either be bought or be homemade.

Q3: Does Rubbing Alcohol Remove Ice From Windshield?

Yes, you can make a defroster using 1/3 of water and 2/3 of rubbing alcohol to make a homemade de-icer.

This would be able to get rid of the frost formed on the surface of your car windshield when you spray it onto the surface of the windshield.

Q4: Does Vinegar Remove Ice From Windshield?

Yes, vinegar can be used to remove ice that forms on the surface of the vehicle windshield.

This is done through mixing vinegar and water in certain proportions and then spraying the contents to the frost on the car windshield.

This will be able to get rid of the ice on the surface of the windshield almost immediately.

Its technicality makes it a better option to go for, especially when you want the ice to be removed fast so that you can use your car safely.

Q5: Does Epsom Salt Melt Ice?

Epsom will indeed melt the ice formed on the surface of your car windshield.

This is because when you sprinkle the Epsom salt on the surface of your car windshield it lowers both the freezing and melting points of the ice on the surface of the windshield.

Eventually the ice will melt even if it is quite cold outside, but it will take time for the whole ice to meltdown.

You can also sprinkle ordinary salt or even sugar and you will get similar results.

Conclusion

During the winter season, the nights are quite cold and it is not surprising when you wake up and see frost formed on the surface of your car windshield.

This might be quite stressful when you do not know how to get rid of the ice effectively.

The discussions above point some ways you can de-ice your car windshield; using either simple means or technical means.

For your own safety, you should ensure that the ice is removed from the windshield before you even start driving the car.

This is because ice impairs the vision through the car windshield and you might not see oncoming traffic well while you are on the road.

Sources:

1. Glass Doctor – https://glassdoctor.com/blog/the-fastest-way-to-de-ice-your-windshield
2. TODAY – https://www.today.com/home/defrost-windshield-solution-t106477