Ice removal

[Paynewright]

Bit of an odd question from someone that has been driving for nearly 40 years - how do you remove ice from the windows before driving off in the morning?

Recently, I noticed on SWMBOs car, in low autumn/winter sun, it has several deep scratches in the glass I assume from scraping ice that has frozen on dirty glass. The scraper has dragged the dirt across the glass and scratched it.

I’m going to buy a couple of new scrapers in case ours have grit embedded in the plastic and am trying to wash the glass regularly even if I don’t wash the whole car.

Is there anything I’m missing? I’ve seen people with kettle de-icing but also read of cracked glass! I’ve also heard about cold tap water thawing windows?

As we approach an icy end to the week just wondered what everyone does?

 

[Chippie1]

Turn on the heated windscreen and sit back and relax

 

[mmi]

Clearing a frosty windscreen.

I should have got a heated windscreen. Live and learn. Anyway, the problem is this: when I stay at my girlfriend's, it is a terraced street scenario, so lots of houses and vehicles parked up the street. I often wake very early and leave early. In summer it is easy, I just compose myself in the...

www.t6forum.com

 

[dubber36]

Heated windscreen. But for the cars that don't have them, an old curtain to cover the screen and front side windows. Trap it in the doors so it doesn't blow about and you'll be ready to go straight away. I know it's old school, but old school still works.

 

[Ayjay]

IMHO, driving the car when the windscreen is obscured by ice or frost takes a special kind of stupid and the morons that choose to scrape a football size area of the windscreen to allow them to see out are just as bad. Personally, I hate scraping windscreens so when a frost / ice is likely in the morning when I need the car, the night before, I plug a small fan heater into an extension lead, sit it on the rear parcel shelf and turn it on for 15 minutes before I go out - windscreen clear and car toasty and ready to drive off. Of course, you need outside power to do that and in my case, it's a twin outdoor socket linked to an RCD in the kitchen so I don't even have to go outside to turn it on. The van has a heated screen though.

 

[DXX]

it has several deep scratches in the glass I assume from scraping ice that has frozen on dirty glass

Probably from a diamond ring?

 

[Pete C]

Bit of an odd question from someone that has been driving for nearly 40 years - how do you remove ice from the windows before driving off in the morning?

Recently, I noticed on SWMBOs car, in low autumn/winter sun, it has several deep scratches in the glass I assume from scraping ice that has frozen on dirty glass. The scraper has dragged the dirt across the glass and scratched it.

I have always just scraped the windscreen with the usual plastic scraper, and I have never seen this in many years of scraping mine and the wife’s various cars.

As suggested above, something else must be happening.

Pete

 

[Paynewright]

When I say deep, they are visible when the sun is low but normally they are not immediately obvious. They are too deep to polish out.

Glass is made from sand (plus some other bits and pieces) so it could be a particle in the winter traffic film thats been trapped under the scraper.

 

[ChrisBell]

I swear by a watering can with Luke warm water. Works a treat (from home anyway). I've even seen myself filling coffee cup or litre water bottle with warm water at work to deice. Other thing I do is leave vehicle running to defrost (need to be mindful where located). Do all lights as well... Saves damaging lenses! New van has heated windscreen which works great tho!

I personally have seen one very bad case of scratched windscreen on a VW golf I owned. At time I worked on a site with lots of stockpiles of aggregate and grit. Tunneling job so lots of spoil in dump trucks as well. Every evening and morning I scraped windscreen. Also drove 4 hours back to Glasgow through Glencoe and back up each week.... By end of Winter which seemed to go on for months and over 2 years the windscreen was def not great! Scratches were very noticeable!

 

[Broadside]

I swear by a watering can with Luke warm water. Works a treat (from home anyway). I've even seen myself filling coffee cup or litre water bottle with warm water at work to deice. Other thing I do is leave vehicle running to defrost (need to be mindful where located). Do all lights as well... Saves damaging lenses! New van has heated windscreen which works great tho!

I personally have seen one very bad case of scratched windscreen on a VW golf I owned. At time I worked on a site with lots of stockpiles of aggregate and grit. Tunneling job so lots of spoil in dump trucks as well. Every evening and morning I scraped windscreen. Also drove 4 hours back to Glasgow through Glencoe and back up each week.... By end of Winter which seemed to go on for months and over 2 years the windscreen was def not great! Scratches were very noticeable!

Tepid or Luke warm water makes a doddle out clearing the windows and it also heats the inside of the window so it demists too. When staying away from home a bottle of room temperature water will also do the trick. Scraping ice is really tedious and I don’t like using de-icer spray as it’s pointless chemicals that can easily be done without.

 

[DaveCrampton]

I agree with room temperature water. It just has to be above freezing to melt the ice. You have to then clear the window of water before it freezes again!

 

[Mixersmate]

If i am in a hurry I've got a plastic scraper which I've used across multiple cars over the years without any noticeable issues, but as soon as the weather turns I just get my fat arse out of bed 10 minutes earlier and let the van warm up and defrost itself.

 

[dubber36]

Skodas come with a ice scraper in the fuel filler flap, so they must think it's OK to use one.

To avoid steaming up, I have a 1kg silica gel bag on the dash in the Polo, as that suffers. It sucks gallons of moisture up. 10 minutes in the microwave and it's ready to use again.

 

[dubber36]

https://www.amazon.co.uk/KEPLIN-Dehumidifier-Reusable-Automotive-Condensation/dp/B08NWBWSZF/ref=asc_df_B08NWBWSZF/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=491626774977&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=671724425404388153&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9045415&hvtargid=pla-1138025722991&psc=1

 

[Carlwaynie]

I use a zipper plastic freezer bag with hot water in and rub that over the screen.. might take a couple of re-fills but works without damaging your screen or pouring water over your screen that could potentially re-freeze

 

[oldiebut goodie]

I just turn the heater on 1/2 hr before I go out to the van. No messing about then and you have a warm van.

 

[Oceanis]

Press the bottom button until the green LED comes on. Then have a coffee/breakfast - van will be toasty and free from ice in about 30 mins.

 

[oldiebut goodie]

Or, have full control of your heating.

 

[Chippie1]

Nothing according to someone in my village this morning! I’m not kidding he was swaying all down the rd stopping and starting pulled up next to him and not exaggerating he scraped a tennis ball size hole in windscreen to say we had words was an understatement!

 

[Alan Watts]

Probably too late now, but a good windscreen coating with prevent frost. Rain-X, original, not the diluted stuff. Alternatively, Autoglym fast glass but requires weekly maintenance. Can also be diluted and used to defrost the screen