Defrosting your car on a cold and icy winter morning can quickly become the bane of your life, and of course, take up those much-needed extra minutes in the morning that could be spent in bed. As frost, ice and even snow accumulate on your windows and windscreens, there’s a simple step you can take to avoid all that elbow grease with scraping.
Many drivers opt for methods such as using a scraper, spraying down the car with harsh de-icing products, and others even choosing to boil a kettle and pour it over their windows. All of these methods can work, but they take time, and let’s face it, nobody wants to be putting in hard work that early, before work even begins. Motoring specialists at Driving Test Success have highlighted that motorists can defrost their windscreens by simply switching on their vehicle’s windscreen heating system.
Setting this to maximum will cause the ice to melt rapidly, sparing drivers from having to brave the freezing conditions this winter.
In a TikTok video shared on social media, Driving Test Success explained that motorists can then reduce the fan to regular settings once the windscreen has cleared. The video’s captions instructed: “Frozen windscreen? Put the temperature on high. “Put the front windscreen fan on max. The ice will start to melt from the heat. Wipe away excess water and return the fan to normal.”
The clip has garnered more than a thousand likes on TikTok, with numerous viewers applauding the straightforward advice. User ‘samer’ commented: “Wow magic the ice is gone.” Though another user, ‘MishMash82’, countered: “Wastes more fuel. Just get out and scrape it off you lazy so and so.”
Driving Test Success aren’t alone in encouraging motorists to make use of their vehicle’s heating system. In a separate video, Clear View Driving advised road users should activate their demister prior to setting off. They stated: “Now don’t use your windscreen wipers or washers as that won’t help. Turn on your front and rear demister.
“The rear demister also heats up your side mirrors in most new cars. But if the mirrors are not clear, make sure to clear them before you start driving.” The AA has also advised motorists to “turn on the warm air blower” and “heated mirrors” to swiftly remove frost.
They instructed: “Start the engine and turn on the warm air blower on the windscreen. Switch on the rear windscreen heater and heated mirrors, if you have them.
“Then, once it’s done you can use your wipers. Turn on the air-con. It’s not just for summer – it’ll remove moisture from the air to stop the car from misting up.
“Don’t use your hands to wipe misted-up windows – you’ll leave greasy smears, and a diamond ring could scratch the glass. Use a lint-free absorbent cloth if necessary. Stay with your car the whole time while the engine’s running.”
There are a few additional points the AA advise you to make note of when it comes to caring for your car this winter. They suggest that every drop of snow and ice be removed before driving to ensure the safest of drives with full visibility. From a safety perspective, their advice doesn’t quite stop there.
Always try to avoid using boiling water to remove ice from your windscreen, as the rapid temperature change can result in your glass cracking. Before using them, you should also check that your wipers aren’t frozen to the glass, as this could cause damage to the blades or even your wiper motor.