Clearing Windscreens
- Thread starter dick
- Start date
yorkshire puddin
Well-Known Member
I often use the kettle to defrost the car windows...but never use hot water..i always use very lukewarm water.Using hot water would crack the glass for sure. :-\
Concur that.
Problem with de-icer spay - to melt ice it has to get heat from somewhere even if it lowers the temperature at which the water/ice freezes. So, it melts the ice on the outside but to get the heat it needs to do it, it transfers that heat from the inside and so the inside surface of the window freezes. Simples.
dick
LOTSW Fanatic
"Hot" water was probably the wrong description, thinking about the way it was steaming it may have been tepid and just steaming in the cold air :-\
Living in an area where it gets very cold in the winter, I concur with the above that the best route to go is a good old fashioned ice scraper. Also, letting the interior of the car warm a bit with the heater blasting helps, too. I've also seen people put a plastic garbage bag over the window and shut the doors on it to keep it in place. I've never done it but supposedly it keeps the condensation off the window and so you have no ice in the morning.
toodlepip
Dedicated Member
Yes, it gets very cold here sometimes too in winter, below -10 °C in the last few winters (okay, that´s really unusually cold), so I scrape it off, but the best thing is to just cover the car with a plastic "hood" when it´s still ice-free and remove the hood right before you want to go anywhere.
We use cardboard every night. Then scrape the side windows, I would never use hot water.
Going off topic a bit last year I was defrosting my car early one morning and this idiot drove by with just a little port hole scraped for him to see though the rest of the windscreen was thick with frost !
C
Compo
Guest
Couldn't it be a better idea to turn in the heat in the car a few minutes before going on your way?? I found these helpfull hints:
1) The first task in de-icing your car's windscreen is to prepare a solution of 250ml of water and 250 ml of ethanol and pour into a spraying bottle. If you can't get your hands on ethanol you can replace it win vinegar.
2) The second thing to do in cleaning ice from a windscreen is to dig out something to scrape the ice off. Something made from hard plastic should do the job.
3) The third item on the to do list is to turn on your cars engine. (Ensure that you don't leave it unattended).
) 3) Now you need to turn your car's system onto the highest setting and the defroster fan to a low one.
4) Remember the solution of water and ethanol / vinegar you concocted? Well it is time to put it to some use. Spray the mixture all over the iced windscreen.
5) When you have applied a liberal amount of de-icer to the windshield use the scraper you set aside in step 2 and scrape downwards in short shallow motion, working your way into the middle of the screen - ensure that you are not too rough in your actions as you don't want to scratch the glass.
6) Your windscreen should now be free of ice.
1) The first task in de-icing your car's windscreen is to prepare a solution of 250ml of water and 250 ml of ethanol and pour into a spraying bottle. If you can't get your hands on ethanol you can replace it win vinegar.
2) The second thing to do in cleaning ice from a windscreen is to dig out something to scrape the ice off. Something made from hard plastic should do the job.
3) The third item on the to do list is to turn on your cars engine. (Ensure that you don't leave it unattended).
) 3) Now you need to turn your car's system onto the highest setting and the defroster fan to a low one.
4) Remember the solution of water and ethanol / vinegar you concocted? Well it is time to put it to some use. Spray the mixture all over the iced windscreen.
5) When you have applied a liberal amount of de-icer to the windshield use the scraper you set aside in step 2 and scrape downwards in short shallow motion, working your way into the middle of the screen - ensure that you are not too rough in your actions as you don't want to scratch the glass.
6) Your windscreen should now be free of ice.
Sorry, Compo, have to ask. Could you explain that one, particularly "defroster fan".
C
Compo
Guest
I just looked up the problem on Google and copy and pasted. I thought it might help out. I don't drive so I am no expert. My son drives and has to park streets away as we have a major parking problem. We have a bus stop at the corner and you would be stupid not to use it.
barmpot
LOTSW Fanatic
I start the engine, and set the air flow to the windscreen (demist setting) and turn the fan on full, heated rear window switched on, then clear the windows manually: usually the heated rear window does the job at the back and I have to concern myself with the windscreen: shorter arms mean that The very middle of the screen can be problematic (or should I get a smaller car!)
All done in under five minutes: I stopped using de-icer generally as I found that in very cold temperatures it still reformed and needs physical removal.
This also ensures that the inside of the windscreen is clear which can also be a problem if you sue de-icer, works outside but creates, as already noted, internal problems.
All done in under five minutes: I stopped using de-icer generally as I found that in very cold temperatures it still reformed and needs physical removal.
This also ensures that the inside of the windscreen is clear which can also be a problem if you sue de-icer, works outside but creates, as already noted, internal problems.
Foggy Dewhurst
Dedicated Member
The best way is to use an old bed sheet or similar sized cloth stretched across the full screen, each end secured in the driver and passenger doors. Keeps the frost off so no need to de-ice anything.