The AA has laid out their guidelines on how to de-ice your car safely this winter – and it comes with a strict warning. Brits are currently in the midst of the first snow and ice of the winter as yellow and amber weather alerts have been issued across the UK.
Plummeting temperatures are dropping into the minus figures, as overnight we faced lows of -6.1°C in Cumbria, -5.8°C in Wales and -4.8°C across parts of Scotland. The cold blast sees weather warnings in place for 47 areas, including a rare amber alert for snow. With the harsh conditions also comes waking up to icy car windscreens.
When in a rush to get to work or to do the school run on these frosty mornings, many drivers may be making a very crucial mistake. Some methods of getting ice off the car can actually cause more harm than good.
Many have turned to using water as a quick fix to get the ice off as fast as possible. It has become common knowledge not to use hot water on the car as you can run the risk of damaging the windscreen.
However, the AA have urged motorists to avoid even lukewarm water. In their official guidance, it said: “Glass expands quickly when hot or even warm water touches it.
“But it’ll contract quickly too as it cools down in the cold air. That flexing can make the glass crack even if you’re using lukewarm water – especially if it had small chips or cracks already.”
When it is very cold, using water can actually create more ice. Warm water freezes fasted than cold water and if it does, it will create a layer of ice on the windscreen or even the floor if spilled.
To make things worse, the water can build up on the wipers and get frozen to the glass. This can risk damage to the wiper motor or even rip off the rubber if they are turned on.
When it comes to using cold water to defrost the car, there are also warnings. The AA added: “We wouldn’t recommend using cold water as it can freeze on the windscreen and cause damage.”
How to safely defrost a car
It also shared their top tips for defrosting the car as fast as possible in a safe way. The first step is to check the wipers to ensure they aren’t on.
Before turning the engine on, you must check the wipers are off as if they are frozen to the glass it could result in damage if they tried to move. The next step is to start the engine and turn on the warm air directed at the windscreen.
Then, turn on the rear window heated and heated mirrors. Aircon can also help speed up the process as it can stop the car from misting up.
Stay in the car while the engine is running and the frozen windscreen will start to melt. You should then get out the car to brush off the snow.
A soft brush can be used to clear the front grille and you need to make sure the headlights are also clear and working. Use a scraper and de-icer on the outside of the car, including all the other windows.
The key advice is to not drive off until all the glass is clear. Summing up the advice, the AA said: “Turn on the car heaters and the air-con, and use a proper brush or de-icer to scrape the frost of your frozen windscreen while you wait for the car to warm up.”
