How to prevent a frozen windscreen

Jack Frost is certainly making himself more and more apparent now it's got to this time of year! Nobody likes having to get up before the crack of dawn to scrape their car, so save yourself some time by using some of these handy tricks instead!

How to stop a windscreen from freezing

• Store it in a garage – Unfortunately not everyone has the luxury of owning their own garage, but if you do have some sort of storage space available, this will really help prevent your car from freezing over! Alternatively a car cover will work just as well!
• Cover your windscreen – It’s best to use fabric material if you can such as an old blanket, but even cardboard would be just as effective providing it's tightly fitted and doesn’t allow the morning dew to seep in. Some say dunking a towel in salt water or alcohol works the best as salt and alcohol both have a low freezing point.
• Make up a spray – This is a cheap and cost effective way to defrost your car if you don’t want to invest in expensive de-icers! Simply mix 1/3 water with 2/3 or Isopropyl alcohol and you have yourself a homemade solution!  You can pick up a bottle of Isopropyl for about £2 from most DIY stores and it will last a lot longer! If your door locks are frozen you can even spray a bit on them and it will have the same effect.
• Invest in some de-icer – Although you may still be required to scrape your car, de-icer speeds up the process a lot and you can get some designed for you to spray on your windscreen the night before – which prevents freezing and adds convenience!
• Get pickled! – As unusual as it sounds, some people say rubbing white vinegar over your windscreen the night before works really well, but also rubbing half an onion over your windows has been known to be an effective method too! We’ve never tried it… but let us know if it works for you!

NOTE: You should never pour boiling hot water onto your windscreen as this can cause it to crack. It’s not advisable to use a CD, metal scraper or credit card as these can all scratch the glass!

We wouldn’t advise leaving your engine running to defrost your car either; last year in the UK, 6 cars were stolen within 30 minutes on one particular day according to the Central Motorway Police Group. Don’t give thieves an invitation to steal your wheels!

Do you suffer from steamy windows?

If you notice your windscreen starts to steam up or become foggy after using any of these methods, simply roll you window down and let a bit of fresh air in, as this really helps with de-steaming your windows. Another great way of keeping a clear windscreen is to put some cat litter in a sock (poo free of course!) and place it on your dashboard. This will keep your windows clean and transparent as the cat litter absorbs the moisture - you're welcome ;-)

Our final piece of advice is for your wing mirrors. An effective way of stopping them from becoming iced up is to simply place a plastic bag over each and secure them in place with rubber bands.

What are your top tips for your car over the winter? Drop us a line by email, or on Facebook or Twitter - if we use your tips in any blogs or social media posts then we'll send you a thank you gift!