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Winter ice and snow can wreak havoc on your morning routine, especially if you haven't worked extra time into your schedule. It can be quite a chore to remove ice from a car before heading out to your destination, but it is necessary for your driving safety. An ice scraper aided by a car's defroster makes removing ice much simpler, however, every once in awhile you may need to use a de-icer. Here are some suggestions for how to remove ice from a car.



  1. 1
    Start your car, and allow it to run for a couple of minutes. After it's warmed up slightly, turn on the heat and all defrosters. These should help thaw your car out, making it easier to remove the ice on it.
  2. 2
    Wait 10 to 15 minutes before attempting to remove any of the ice. You will want to let as much of the ice melt from the interior heat as possible. While waiting, it's a good idea to go back inside where it's warm.The exception to this would be in a high crime area. You have to be the judge. Hopefully, you own two sets of ignition keys and can allow the warm up while the vehicle is actually locked from the exterior. Then you can enter the vehicle with the other set of keys.
  3. 3
    Scrape the ice at the bottom of the windshield with an ice scraper. It may take quite a bit of elbow grease to get a thick layer of ice off of the windshield. If only a thin layer of ice exists, the defroster may take care of your problem. Continue scraping until your windshield is clear. If the ice is still too thick to scrape, allow the defroster to run longer and try again.
  4. 4
    Roll down the windows an inch or two, and roll them back up. This will help loosen any ice on the side windows so you can scrape it off. Your windows need to be clear in order to see out of them when driving.
  5. 5
    De-ice your locks and door handles. In some ice storms, these two items may get iced shut. Use de-icer spray to get into the lock and free your door handles. If the de-icer doesn't seem to work on the locks, spray your key with the de-icer and attempt to insert it into the lock. If the ice on the door handles is too thick, use the ice scraper to chip away at the ice. Do not hit your door handle too hard, because you don't want to damage it.
  6. 6
    Remove all ice from your rear window by scraping it with your ice scraper. After getting the majority of it off, use the wiper on your back glass if your vehicle has one.
  7. 7
    Knock snow and ice from the brake lights, headlights and turn signals. Chip it off with your ice scraper or brush it off with your hand.

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  • Prevent ice build-up by parking under cover or by putting a plastic tarp or large piece of cardboard over your windshield.


  • Do not start out to your destination with ice blocking your visibility.

Things You'll Need

  • Ice scraper
  • De-icer
  • Tarp or large piece of cardboard

Article Info

Categories: Cleaning Cars

Recent edits by: Kanhu

In other languages:

Español: Cómo quitar el hielo de un automóvil

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