‘Tis the season to be clearing a frozen car windscreen on a frosty morning. It’s a task that none of us enjoy, but is essential for good visibility while driving. So how best to defrost your windscreen and ensure the wipers can function properly?
Firstly, if you’re fortunate enough to own a car with a heated windscreen, you might never encounter this issue. Equally, if you own an electric car, you may be able to heat the cabin in advance using a connected phone app – a process called preconditioning – so your EV is defrosted and ready to go.
For the rest of us, though, prevention is better than cure – so the following tips may prove useful. Visit the Advice section on Motoring Research for more ways to make driving cheaper and easier.
Clearing ice from a car windscreen
One thing you absolutely must not do when attempting to clear ice from a frozen windscreen is pour on boiling water. The sudden temperature change may cause the glass to crack instantly. Modern car windscreens can be costly to replace, particularly if driver assistance sensors, such as forward-facing radar or cameras, need to be recalibrated as part of the process.
Using a proper ice scraper, rather than a bank card or similar, will protect the glass and stop your fingertips from going numb. If you own a Skoda, you will find a handy scraper inside the fuel filler flap. Otherwise, they are available from motoring accessory stores.
Don’t be tempted to use one of the ‘home made’ de-icers suggested on social media, such as washing up liquid, WD-40, vodka (!) or vinegar. These products are not designed for automotive use and can damage paintwork, rubber and plastics. Instead, invest in a can of de-icer, which you can keep in the glovebox during the winter months.
Your car’s wipers may well be stuck solid to the frozen windscreen, too. Prising them free risks permanent damage to the blades, leaving you out of luck – and out of pocket. A new wiper blade for a Ford Focus, for example, can cost between £10 and £25.
You’re also unlikely to have one to hand on a cold, frosty morning. So you can add being late for work or school to your list of problems…
The simplest fix is to lift the wipers away from the windscreen when you park up. This is easy in most cars, although in some vehicles it may not be possible without opening the bonnet. With the wipers clear of the glass, there’s no chance of them becoming stuck to the screen.
While you’re there, rub some full-strength alcohol along the entire length of the wiper blades. This will prevent the wipers from sticking to the screen if the temperature drops.
If your car has a windscreen wiper de-icer, you’re in luck. Marques such as Subaru and (US-market) Lincoln offer wiper de-icers that clear the lower part of the windscreen. The systems work automatically – as shown in the video above – so owners may not realise they are operating.
Covering your car’s windscreen
To protect the wipers and the windscreen, you should consider investing in a cover. These cost from £10 – although the pricier options tend to be more robust and offer better protection – and they sit between the wipers and the screen to prevent ice from forming.
Some windscreen covers use magnets, others use tags to tie them to the A-pillars, while the Delk Frostblocker even comes with door mirror covers. At around £25, it isn’t cheap, but it could save you money on de-icer and wiper blades. And just think of the precious minutes it will save you on a frosty winter morning.
One further piece of advice: if your car has automatic wipers, be sure to turn them off before defrosting the windscreen. As the ice thaws, the wipers will sweep across the screen, and any residual ice will damage the rubber.
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