As the temperature starts to drop, drivers will be stocking up on de-icer, ready to spray their cars in the morning before work.
This has prompted the AA to share the easiest way to de-ice your car this winter by revealing the “only trick that works,” and advising that all other methods should be avoided.
One driver asked on Reddit: “How do you defrost your car windows quickly and efficiently?
“I can never seem to do this right. I just end up pressing random buttons until it seems like my windows clear up.
“My partner said to match the internal temperature to the outside, but that doesn’t seem to work.
“Does it work differently when it’s hot or cold outside? Or when it’s raining as well? Should I crack my window? Should I turn the defrost button and the AC on at the same time?”
Before turning your car on, the AA says you should check that your wipers aren’t on because “if the wipers are frozen to the glass, the wiper motor could be damaged or the rubber could tear off if they start wiping.”
After this, you should switch on your engine and turn the warm air blowers towards the window. You can also switch on the rear window heater and heated mirrors, if you have them.
If your car has air conditioning, now is the right time to switch it on, as “it’ll remove moisture from the air to stop the car from misting up.”
However, the AA warns against wiping misted-up windows with your hands, as it can leave “greasy smears, and a diamond ring could scratch the glass. Use a lint-free, absorbent cloth if necessary.”
Adding a safety warning, they say you should stay with your vehicle while the engine is running — even if you’re parked on your driveway.
Issuing a further warning, the AA also explained what you shouldn’t do, saying: “If you use hot water to melt the ice on your car, you run the real risk of damaging your windscreen.
“Glass expands quickly when hot or even warm water touches it, but it’ll contract quickly too as it cools down in the cold air.
“That flexing can make the glass crack, even if you’re using lukewarm water — especially if it already has small chips or cracks.;
It added: “On very cold days, the water could turn to ice before you know it — and warm water freezes faster than cold water. If it refreezes, it’ll create a layer of ice on your windscreen (and on your driveway if you’ve spilt any).
“Worse still, it’ll build up on the wipers and freeze them to the glass, risking damage to the wiper motor or ripping off the rubber if you switch them on.
“We wouldn’t recommend using cold water either, as it can freeze on the windscreen and cause damage. The best thing to do is follow the steps above.
“Turn on the car heaters and the air-con, and use a proper brush or de-icer to scrape the frost off your frozen windscreen while you wait for the car to warm up.”
Alongside this, they urged people to avoid the ‘sandwich bag’ and ‘half a potato’ hacks — and instead recommended their own technique.
