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Hack for de-icing your car.

(97 Posts)
shysal Tue 16-Jan-24 16:23:53

I read this tip on line a while ago and tried it today with great success:
Fill a zip-seal plastic bag with hot (not boiling) water from the tap, and seal. Holding the sealed top, drag the bag over the car windows. The ice melts instantly!
Anyone else tried this? Any other general hacks we might find useful?

Mamie Tue 16-Jan-24 16:31:08

Get an electric car and turn the pre-heating on from inside a warm house. 😂

rosie1959 Tue 16-Jan-24 16:36:26

Tend to start mine leave the heating and blowers on go and do something else usually clear within a few mins.

Germanshepherdsmum Tue 16-Jan-24 16:38:44

My car lives in a garage.

Chardy Tue 16-Jan-24 16:38:48

I had frozen locks this morning. A squirt of WD40 opened one, but the other only opened after a few hours. I don't remember this ever happening before in 40+ years of car ownership!

kittylester Tue 16-Jan-24 16:50:36

Possess a kind husband.

Farmor15 Tue 16-Jan-24 16:52:38

Good idea shysal

Mollygo Tue 16-Jan-24 16:54:08

Good idea Shysal. I usually put a cover over my windscreen at night, but I don’t have a cover for the background and that sounds quicker than using the heated rear windscreen.

Visgir1 Tue 16-Jan-24 17:04:01

Chardy

I had frozen locks this morning. A squirt of WD40 opened one, but the other only opened after a few hours. I don't remember this ever happening before in 40+ years of car ownership!

I remember about 40 years ago out on the Town, using someone's lighter to warm up my Car key so I could open the door to my Mini parked outside of a Pub.. Happy days!

Oldnproud Tue 16-Jan-24 17:20:33

I don't have problems removing the frost or ice from the outside of the car (all windows, mirrors, lights, indicators etc.), as a watering-can-filled with tepid water does that in seconds, but dealing with the steam on the inside is another matter. I will definitely try your tip, shysal to see if it reduces the steam too.

Susiewong65 Tue 16-Jan-24 17:26:05

My car lives in the garage and has never experienced ice but I’ve seen my neighbour using a plastic bag with a hot, wet cloth inside which easily cleared some very stubborn ice from the windscreen.

CanadianGran Tue 16-Jan-24 17:26:35

If your doors or window seals routinely get stuck, get a bit of vegetable oil on a cloth and go over the seals.

We can buy lock de-ice that comes in a little squirt bottle and keep it in the front closet just in case.

Callistemon21 Tue 16-Jan-24 17:27:32

Germanshepherdsmum

My car lives in a garage.

😲 I don't know anyone who puts their car in the garage any more, except for some with classic cars!

Oldnproud Tue 16-Jan-24 17:32:09

Back in 2010/2011, when the car was new, I remember driving a few miles in it one freezing cold morning then going unable to get out because the locks had frozen up again.
I also remember another morning that winter when I cleared the car, set off for work, then accidentally squirted water onto the windscreen (how that water was still liquid until that point remains a mystery), resulting in an instant white-out as it instantly froze all over the windscreen . That was as scary as it was dangerous.

rosie1959 Tue 16-Jan-24 17:32:19

Turned our garage into living space. Totally useless for our car if you actually wanted to open the doors lol

RosiesMaw Tue 16-Jan-24 17:34:36

May I with respect take exception to this Americanism “hack” ?
Whatever happened to “tip “ or “hint” ?

However I like this

Windows frozen, won't open.

Wife texts husband on a cold winter morning: "Windows frozen, won't open ."

Husband texts back: "Gently pour some lukewarm water over it and then gently tap edges with hammer ."
Wife texts back 10 minutes later: "Computer really messed up now

Germanshepherdsmum Tue 16-Jan-24 17:36:27

Love it! 😁

PestyOne Tue 16-Jan-24 17:37:11

The warm cloth / water in a zip lock bag tip sounds great - I'll definitely try this 👍.

Years ago I had an old car with a locking fuel cap - went to the petrol garage one very cold and frosty morning and the lock had frozen!
I couldn't get the key into the lock and couldn't put petrol in.
I didn't have enough fuel to complete my journey, so had to call the AA from the petrol station.

GrannyGravy13 Tue 16-Jan-24 18:07:25

kittylester

Possess a kind husband.

Absolutely 👍 works every time.

GrannyGravy13 Tue 16-Jan-24 18:08:23

Brilliant Maw 🤣🤣🤣

Freya5 Tue 16-Jan-24 18:10:05

Chardy

I had frozen locks this morning. A squirt of WD40 opened one, but the other only opened after a few hours. I don't remember this ever happening before in 40+ years of car ownership!

I do remember this happening a few years ago, out of the house for an early shift. Could only open the passenger door, so had to climb across.

Callistemon21 Tue 16-Jan-24 18:12:52

Maw 😂😂😂

When I saw the heading I thought hack meant some kind of sharp device for hacking the ice off the windscreen!

SeaWoozle Tue 16-Jan-24 18:16:21

Too much cr4p in my garage for a car as well.
@shysal I've seen this tip too and it seems to work well.

Though I have the luxurious advantage of a heated windscreen 🥰

Grannynannywanny Tue 16-Jan-24 18:21:35

I remember many years ago laboriously scraping the ice from the car windows at 5.30am every morning and my neighbour would stride out and pour a jug of warm water on his and drive off while I was still hard at it.

I was almost tempted but didn’t give in. Then one morning while scraping away I heard a loud crack. It was my neighbour’s windscreen. He stood there in horror holding the jug.

He told me later that while his windscreen was being replaced he was advised that even lukewarm water was a high risk of cracking the glass.

Witzend Tue 16-Jan-24 18:22:01

We have a fleece-lined glove thing, with a handle inside and a scraper on the end. Works beautifully.