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Having to de-ice car windows early in the morning is one of the less popular things to do in winter. If you don’t have a garage, however, you will hardly be able to avoid de-icing. However, there are a few tricks that can make the job easier for you.
Defrosting car windows: These are your options
It’s very tempting, but you should still refrain from de-icing just a small peephole quickly in winter before you drive off.
- If you get caught, you could be fined.
- You are obliged to de-ice both the windscreen and the side windows before you drive off.
- You could be in even more trouble if you are involved in an accident with your windows frozen.
Quickly and easily de-ice your car windows
If you pay attention to a few things in advance, it will make de-icing easier for you later.
- If you park your car in a reasonably safe area or on your own property, it is worth investing a few euros in a good thermal windscreen protector. The windscreen protector usually effectively prevents the car windows from icing up. All you have to do is take the windscreen protector off in the evening and remove it quickly in the morning.
- If you also put a so-called half-garage on top of it, you minimise the risk of standing in front of icy windows in the morning and may not have to clear your car of snow at great expense.
- With the help of a so-called de-icer spray, you can remove the layer of ice from your car windows relatively quickly. Simply spray it on, wait a short moment and then quickly remove the thawed ice. This method of de-icing is quite convenient, but relatively expensive in the long run, because only good de-icer sprays are actually effective.
- It is cheaper to mix an effective de-icer spray yourself. All you need is antifreeze for the windscreen washer system. Mix the antifreeze with water in a ratio of 2:1. Pour the mixture into a spray bottle and your de-icer spray is ready.
- An old trick to de-ice the car window more easily is to use a hot water bottle, or better two hot water bottles. Put on hot water before breakfast. Fill the hot water into the hot water bottles and place the hot water bottles on the dashboard of your car. Make sure that the hot water bottles do not touch the car windows. After breakfast, about 30 minutes later, the car windows will have thawed at least enough to make scraping off the ice less of a chore.
- The modern version of the hot water bottle is called a parking heater. However, you don’t necessarily have to retrofit a parking heater. There are also much cheaper mobile interior heaters for the car. However, you should not go for the cheapest model, as these usually do not work very efficiently and the risk of fire cannot be completely ruled out. Make sure that the parking heater has automatic overheating protection and the right power for the size of your car. You will have to pay around eighty euros for this luxury, but it is also a much more comfortable option and you will love the parking heater during a long, very cold winter. In addition, such a parking heater usually lasts several winters and then the purchase price is quickly amortised.
- Tip: It is also important, and not only in winter, to do something about the moisture in the car.
