It can be difficult enough getting everyone out the door on time for work or school on a cold & dark January morning but add a frosted-up car into the equation and it will delay you even further! Follow our simple hacks below to ensure your car is good to go on an icy morning:
Prevention is better than cure
To prevent ice from forming on side mirrors, cover them the night before with plastic bags secured with rubber bands or hair elastics. When you remove the bags in the morning, the mirrors will be ice-free.
Save some of that cardboard from all of the excess Christmas packaging, keep it in the boot and if frost is forecast put cardboard over the windscreen the night before and gently secure with the wipers, simply remove the next morning for a frost-free windscreen.
You can make your own de-icing spray by mixing three parts white vinegar to one-part water and spraying on your windscreen. This works well to prevent your windows icing up. Just spray on at night before the temperature drops.
Put shaving cream on the inside of your windows and then wipe it off. Shaving cream has a lot of the same ingredients that commercial defoggers have, and it leaves a layer on the glass to help prevent it fogging up.
Prevent the inside of your car fogging/icing up by opening the windows and letting a blast of cold air in before you turn your car off each night. The moisture from you breathing in your car will be replaced with dryer air. Also, don’t leave water bottles or other drinks in your car because moisture will evaporate and turn into fog or frost.
Raise your wipers at night and cover them with an old pair of socks to prevent them from freezing to your window.
In harsh winter road conditions especially snow, headlights are really important. Cover each light with toothpaste and rinse off with warm water. This will drastically improve the clarity of your lights and is cheaper than the kits they sell in the shops. For added clarity, apply a layer of wax after you’ve removed the toothpaste. It will keep snow and sleet from sticking to them for weeks.
If you have any questions about looking after your car in the winter months pop in to see us at Nolan Motors and one of our experts will be happy to answer your query.