With the winter seasons, many motorists face the challenge of frozen car windows and snow-covered cars. There's nothing more annoying than being late for work because you had to chip away at a thick layer of ice on your car windows. Fortunately, there are some simple tips and tricks to de-ice your car windows efficiently, so you can get on the road quickly and safely. In this blog, we'll share these handy tips to get your car ice-free again.
How can a car windscreen freeze?
Your car window freezes when two conditions are met: there is enough moisture in the air and the car window is cool enough. Without moisture, ice cannot exist. A car window quickly reaches freezing temperature, because the metal and glass of the car cools down more quickly than the air around your car.
Do you need to scratch?
Clearing your car windscreen of ice is important, because otherwise you cannot see properly. This way, you won't have a view of other road users or the road. Without this, you cannot Safe driving during the winter season, where it is already more dangerous to get on your way due to slipperiness. That's why the Dutch government fines people who drive with frozen or partially defrosted car windows. Depending on how badly you have scraped, the fine can be hundreds of euros. For partially or not defrosted mirrors, an additional €180 or so will be added.
Tips for defrosting a car windscreen
How to easily and quickly defrost your car windows? Follow these tips and you'll be on your way in no time:
- With a good scraper, you can quickly de-ice your car.
- Use a de-icing spray, but be careful with your car's paintwork. You only need to let this de-icer work for a short while. You can buy car de-icer cheaply, but you can also make your own de-icer by mixing one third water with two thirds rubbing alcohol.
- Use a hairdryer and set it to medium heat. Make sure to keep the hairdryer moving over the ice.
- Only start your car after it has been de-iced.
- If your car windows are steaming up from the inside, turn on the blowers and switch to recirculation mode. Defrosting can also be done by setting the heating to the hottest setting.
Do not defrost a car windscreen with hot water!
You might say, why make it so difficult? A bit of warm water on that windscreen and Bob's your uncle. This actually has the opposite effect. Because of too great a difference in temperature, you risk your car windscreen cracking. If there's already a small chip in your windscreen, that risk is even greater.
Inside of your car frozen?
When there's a lot of moisture in your car, the inside can sometimes even freeze over. To defrost the inside of your car window, turn on the heating. You can also use an interior de-icer for your car. To prevent moisture in your car, we have the following tips:
- Remove damp clothes from your car quickly.
- When you've walked through snow, brush yourself off before you get in the car.
- Fix leaks promptly.
- Remove moisture from the air with your air conditioner.
- Ensure panes are clean: inside and out.
- Catch the ice you need to scrape and dispose of it outside the car.
Tips to prevent frozen car windows
Of course, you don't fancy de-icing your car windscreen every morning. But how can you prevent your car windows from freezing? Here are a few handy tips to prevent frozen car windows in the future:
- Remove dirt from your windows, as moisture clings to dirt.
- When frost is forecast, place an ice-prevention cover over your car's windscreen. Purchasing one is a key consideration during Getting your car ready for winter.
- Park indoors where possible or park under cover.
- It's a myth to spread toothpaste or potato on your windscreen; this does not work to prevent ice formation.
- Do not use cardboard or newspapers as an antifreeze blanket, as this is counterproductive.
- Do not use salt or vinegar solutions, as you will damage the paintwork and bodywork.
- Preventively de-ice the wing mirrors by tying a freezer bag around them.
- Put socks on your windscreen wipers to prevent them from freezing. Or put a cork between the windscreen wipers.
- Use a full car cover.
