With further cold temperatures expected throughout this week, experts are calling on drivers to take action against the build-up of frost and ice on their car windscreens this winter. The de-frosting process can take a while and add time on to the morning commute, potentially making people late for the school run or work.
Much of the UK is seeing consistently cold nights, with single-digit temperatures being seen across England, Scotland and Wales. To help drivers save on their time and effort, experts have compiled a list of frost hacks.
A spokesperson for Lotus Car Rental said: “With temperatures set to drop in the UK, Brits will once again be faced with the challenge of de-icing their car windscreens.
“Scraping your windscreen in the freezing cold is an unwanted and time consuming job – especially for those rushing out the door ready for work or the school run.
“Having endured the harshest of temperatures throughout winter for many years, we at Lotus Car Rental in Iceland have shared some top hacks for not only getting rid of the ice on your car, but preventing it too.”
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Ice scraper
If drivers are in a rush, they can start to scrape the ice as the car warms up. They should always try to use a proper windscreen scraper, which should also be in any good winter kit.
Drivers should not be tempted to cut corners and grab the nearest flat object, like a bank card. This could result in damage to the card, potentially even snapping it.
Attempting to scrape bits of ice off with anything other than a car ice scraper could just result in a scratched windscreen.
Heating
If a motorist has forgotten to do any steps to prevent ice from setting, then heating up their car should be the first step.
Although they might be tempted to use their windscreen wipers on their icy windscreen, this will not de-ice the car in any way and is more likely to cause damage.
Instead, they should turn their front and rear demister on max and the ice will start to melt from the heat. They can then wipe away any excess water with their wipers, and return the fan to normal.
