Auto Repair - Other

How to Remove Ice from your Windshield

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"How to Remove Ice from your Windshield"
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During winter months the job of removing ice from your car's windshield can range from a simple and quick task to one that can absorb a good deal of time and effort in cases of thick ice. Those of us living in cold winter climates have all witnessed the occasional knucklehead that scrapes a two-inch square in their windshield ice and then attempts to drive, unaffected by the safety considerations of themselves or of others. While removing ice from your windshield is never a fun chore it is a necessity for safe travel, but luckily there are a few tips for windshield ice removal that can make the circumstance go more quickly and with less time spent outside in the cold.

One of the best ways to remove ice from your windshield is to enlist the use of a commercial de-icer can often melt the ice almost immediately making further efforts unnecessary. Even when the ice is thick on a car windshield using a de-icer can save a ton of work when used in conjunction with a car's defroster.

Another good way to remove ice from your windshield is to fill your car's windshield washer reservoir with a solution of half vinegar and half windshield washer fluid in the cold months. Start you vehicle and turn on the defroster and then spray the windshield with the vinegar solution every minute or so for about 5 minutes. As the ice begins to melt you may be able to turn on the car's windshield wipers to remove the ice without any scrapping whatsoever.

Finally, you can always remove ice from your car's windshield the old fashioned way - by scrapping it. While this is the least attractive option, in cases of a heavy ice presence on your car's windshield it may be the fastest way to get on the road safely. Start your car's engine and turn on the defroster and wait two or three minutes. Get out of the car and look for the spot on the windshield where the ice shows signs of melting and begin scrapping there, working your way outward toward the edges of the windshield until all of the ice has been removed. When finished, don't forget to bang your windshield wiper blades a few times against the windshield to remove any ice that may have clung to them and turn the wipers on to remove any excess water.

More about this author: Thom W. Conroy

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