Unless your car has a heated windscreen, using an ice scraper is a familiar – if rather unpleasant – routine on cold winter mornings. But what if you find ice on the inside of the windscreen?
Ice forms because moisture has condensed on the glass, then frozen when the temperature inside the car drops below zero. The easiest way to remove the moisture may simply be to open the doors and ventilate the car.
If you need a quicker result, start the engine, grab your ice scraper and use the heater blowers to direct heat onto the windscreen.
Laying a cloth or towel over the top of the dashboard will soak up the water from the melting ice. Do not use de-icing fluid on the inside of the car, as the vapours can be harmful to your health.
Watch out for your wipers
If you buy a new Skoda, you’ll find an ice scraper inside the filler flap (pictured above). Otherwise, it’s best to carry one in the car.
Don’t attempt to free frozen windscreen wipers by switching them on, as you could burn out the motor. Make sure the wipers are loosened before you start the car – and not left in automatic, rain-sensing mode.
Many modern cars have an integrated moisture sensor that helps the air conditioning system assess the dew effect on the windscreen. This should prevent the screen from fogging up.
Using air recirculation or having the air conditioning switched off may also cause to windscreen to fog up. To prevent this, we suggest using the air-con in ‘auto’ mode, so it maintains a constant temperature inside the car.
‘I can see clearly now…’
Keeping the inside of the windscreen dry will prevent ice from forming overnight. Knock snow from your shoes before getting in and remove wet coats from the car when you park it.
You could even take out the carpet mats to dry them in your home overnight, or use rubber mats during the winter months. The latter will also be much easier to clean.
Finally, when it comes to clearing snow and ice from the outside of your windscreen, do not use a credit card or anything that wasn’t designed for the purpose.
An ice scraper and de-icing fluid are the best solutions if ice has formed, while using a windscreen cover overnight is the best means of ice prevention.
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