It's 7:15 on a dark winter morning. You're already running late, and your windshield is covered in a thick layer of ice. Sound familiar? Scraping a frozen car in the cold is one of the most frustrating parts of winter, but with a little preparation the night before, you can skip it almost entirely.
Here are five simple ways to stop your windshield from freezing, and what to do when it already has.
1. Cover your windshield overnight
The easiest way to avoid ice is to keep it from forming in the first place. A windshield snow cover goes on in under a minute in the evening and protects the glass from frost, ice and snow overnight. In the morning, you simply pull it off, shake off the snow and drive away with a clear view.
Look for a cover that is large enough to reach the edges of the glass, and that stays put in the wind. Covers that tuck into the doors or attach with flaps around the mirrors stay in place even on stormy nights.
See our Windshield Snow & Frost Cover →
2. Park smart
Where you park makes a real difference. If you have the option, park in a garage or carport. If not, try parking with the windshield facing east, so the morning sun can start melting the frost before you get to the car. Parking close to a building or under a roof overhang also gives some protection from the open night sky, where most frost forms.
3. Keep moisture out of the car
Ice on the inside of the windows is often caused by moisture inside the car: wet boots, damp jackets and snow carried in on your shoes. A few habits help a lot:
- Knock snow off your shoes before you get in.
- Use rubber floor mats and empty them regularly.
- Run the air conditioning for a few minutes with the heater on. It dries the air.
- Don't leave wet clothes or umbrellas in the car overnight.
4. Never pour hot water on a frozen windshield
It's tempting, but hot water on cold glass can cause the windshield to crack because of the sudden temperature change. Lukewarm water can also refreeze quickly and make things worse. Use a scraper, a de-icing spray or let the car's defroster do the work instead.
5. Use the right tool when ice does form
Some mornings, ice is unavoidable. Then the right tool saves you both time and cold fingers. An old credit card or a cheap plastic scraper will scratch, break and leave streaks. A good scraper with a sharp, sturdy blade clears ice much faster.
If you want to make it even easier, a rechargeable electric ice scraper does most of the work for you and is easy to keep in the glove box all winter.
See our Rechargeable Electric Ice Scraper →
Bonus: prepare your car for winter
- Fill up with winter washer fluid that won't freeze.
- Check your wiper blades. Worn blades smear and scratch.
- Keep a small winter kit in the car: scraper, snow brush, gloves and a phone charger.
- Check your tire pressure. It drops when the temperature falls. A portable tire inflator makes it quick to top up at home.
Skip the scraping this winter
With a cover on the windshield at night and the right tool in the car, frozen mornings stop being a problem. Five minutes of preparation in the evening can save you fifteen minutes of scraping in the cold.
Want both? Our Winter Car Kit combines the snow cover and the electric ice scraper in one bundle, with free shipping.
