Club Benefits
Waking up to a frozen windshield is one of winter's most annoying problems. Most people either spend several minutes scraping ice or, worse, pour hot or boiling water directly on the glass. Scraping is time-consuming and exhausting, while the boiling water method can crack your windshield due to the sudden temperature change.
There's a much simpler solution that works faster than scraping. More importantly, it's safer than hot water, too. All you need is a ziplock sandwich bag filled with warm water.
1. De-ice with a ziplock bag
Fill a ziplock sandwich bag about halfway with warm tap water — not boiling, just comfortably warm from your faucet. Make sure the bag is securely sealed so it doesn't leak.
Take the bag outside to your car and gently slide it across your frozen windshield in smooth motions. The warmth from the water transfers through the bag and melts the ice on contact. You'll see the ice disappear almost immediately as you move the bag across the glass.
The method works because the bag creates a barrier between the warm water and cold glass, preventing thermal shock while still transferring enough heat to melt ice effectively.
As a bonus, the warm bag also functions as a hand warmer on freezing mornings, keeping your hands comfortable while you work.
2. Wipe away to prevent refreezing
After using the warm water bag to melt the ice, wipe away the remaining water from your windshield with a cloth or towel. This step is important because any water left on the glass can refreeze quickly in cold temperatures, creating a new layer of ice.
Once you've wiped the windshield dry, you're ready to drive safely with clear visibility. The entire process — from filling the bag to having a completely clear windshield — takes less than 2 minutes, making it significantly faster than scraping and much safer than using boiling water.
3. Make a DIY de-icer for prevention
You can also prevent ice from forming on your windshield in the first place by making a homemade de-icer spray. Mix equal parts water and rubbing alcohol (isopropyl alcohol) in a spray bottle — typically half a cup of each works well.
Spray this mixture on your windshield the night before temperatures are expected to drop below freezing. The alcohol lowers the freezing point of water, preventing ice from bonding to the glass. In the morning, any frost that forms will wipe away easily without scraping.
You can also use this spray to melt existing ice. Just spray it on and wait a few minutes for the ice to dissolve. Keep the spray bottle in your car so it's always available when you need it.
Why you should never use boiling water
Pouring boiling or very hot water directly onto a frozen windshield seems like it would work quickly, but it's actually dangerous for your car. The sudden and extreme temperature change causes thermal shock, which can crack or even shatter your windshield.
Even if the windshield doesn't crack immediately, the stress can create small fractures that worsen over time. Windshield replacement costs hundreds of dollars, making this shortcut an expensive mistake.
Follow Tom's Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!
More from Tom's Guide
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
