Watching the snow fall down outside your window is a lovely way to wake up. However, a winter wonderland can also turn into a real chore.
Not only does the cold outside make it hard to get out of bed, so does the knowledge that you're going to have to clean your car off from the blanket of snow and ice that has accumulated there over night.
De-icing your car may sound pretty self explanatory, but there are a number of ways people do this that put them, their cars, and other drivers in danger.
Since it's already hazardous enough driving in the snow as it is, it's even more important to know the best way to take care of yourself and your vehicle.
And of course, it's also nice to make the job as easy as possible. After all, it's cold!
To ensure all of the above, take a look at the best way to de-ice your car.
So, you've woken up to a landscape transformed. Again, it's pretty, but it's going to be a lot of work.
But, never fear! It's going to be a lot less work if you follow these tips.
You've probably already done this, but it's important to turn on your car.
Not only will it be warmer when you get in to drive, it will also help warm up the engine and make the frozen matter easier to remove.
The next step is to turn on your heat to the defroster setting.
The warm air will begin to melt the snow and ice outside from the inside, which means a lot less manual labor for you.
When your engine and heat are all squared away on the inside of your car, now it's time to brush off all of the snow.
A tool with a brush on the end is usually best for this step. It covers a lot of ground without having to put in very much effort at all.
While brushing off your car, make sure that you do the whole thing.
You want to avoid getting ice into your engine, so don't forget to give your grill some TLC.
Also make sure to remove the snow from the roof of your car. Driving with a layer of snow can impair the visibility of the vehicles behind you, and yours too if it falls forward.
The next step is to use your scraper to begin the de-icing portion. Since your defroster has been on, the ice shouldn't be too difficult to scrape off.
The longer the strokes the better in this case. If you start at the top of the windows shield, you'll also make less work for yourself by letting gravity work in your favor.
This is a good example of how not to de-ice your window shield (as tempting as it may be).
Limiting your vision to this small angle will only make it so you can't see the whole road or oncoming traffic. In other words, this is a recipe for disaster.
Another popular option used by people is to pour boiling water over your windshield.
In theory, this makes sense. Boiling water will melt the snow and ice, right?
Unfortunately, the boiling water solution is often too good to be true.
Hot water can make glass crack or, in extreme cases, shatter. This is a sure way to get that ice seeping inside your car the next time it snows, which will make your de-icing process all the more difficult.
So, the next time it snows, make sure to follow these tips to keep you warm and safe!
Be sure to SHARE this information with someone who lives somewhere it snows.
