There are a million reasons I prefer summer to winter, but one of the biggest is the pain of ice and snow. Not only do you have to shovel your walkway to get to your car, but then you actually have to shovel off your car, and get the ice off the windows. For someone who running late is a daily occurrence, this really puts a damper on getting anywhere on time. Yesterday it took me TWENTY MINUTES to get my car cleared off (slightly thanks to someone stealing the snow brush out of my car) but seriously – getting ice off your windshield can be a lot of work. So I have done my research and wanted to share with you, the fastest ways to get ice off your windshield (you know so you’re kids aren’t late to school, and you aren’t late to work!)
This post is sponsored by Reedman Toll Chevy of Langhorne.
So, the best thing to do is of course, be prepared if you know snow is coming. Granted, sometimes its a ‘surprise’ storm, but if the weather starts to get colder make sure you have all the supplies you need so you can get it cleared off faster and get going!
So first step, always start your car and get it warmed up. Turn the defroster on, the heat on, and run it full blast.
Use a soft bristle brush to brush the snow off your windshield, windows, mirrors, hood, headlights and taillights, and even the top of your car (in some states its illegal to drive with snow on the hood/top of your car, so don’t get a ticket)
The next step is the ice, which is the biggest pain so here’s what you can do:
So after you start your car, spray the windows and mirrors with a saltwater solution. This will dissolve the ice via a chemical reaction rather than just melting it with the heat from your defroster. The ions in salt lower the freezing point of water, so it makes it difficult for the water to refreeze. So make a salt water mixture (make sure its pretty well diluted, b because too much heavy salt exposure can damage your glass). Though you can use good ol regular table salt, if you have road salt, it will work a bit better for you. It has a different chemical composition so it makes it more effective during freezing temperatures.
You can also use an alcohol and water solution. Use two parts rubbing alcohol and one part water to create a safer solution that will break down the ice that is on your windshield or mirrors.
Once the ice starts to break down, use a squeegee, a soft-bristled brush, or an ice scraper and the ice will just brush away! If you don’t have one, you should be able to just turn your windshield wipers on to brush away the ice.
