How to remove ice from the windscreen properly in winter

Winter brings many problems when it comes to driving. The presence of ice on the road, the possibility of snowfall, rain, wind and many other things that can spoil a good drive. And one of those dangerous things that can happen when driving in winter is that a sheet of ice forms on the windscreen. Ice blocks visibility and, if it is not removed properly, it can be very dangerous. We are going to give you some tips on how to remove ice from the windscreen and drive safely.

The best approach, always, is prevention. To prevent the windscreen from freezing on a very cold night, while the car is parked it is important to cover the windscreen with a thick blanket placed over the glass and held in place by the closed doors. This is not something people usually do, and it may only be possible in an outdoor, private car park. A piece of cardboard or newspaper can also work, although it is harder to keep in place.

But if you cannot protect the windscreen, you need to think about how to remove the ice from the glass and restore proper visibility. One thing you should always keep in mind when winter arrives is to empty the washer fluid reservoir and refill it with antifreeze washer fluid, so that the water does not freeze as it comes out and form a layer of ice while you are driving. Seriously, if you live somewhere where temperatures do not usually drop, this can be very dangerous.

One of the methods for doing this is to start the car, switch on the rear window demister and the heating, directing the airflow towards the windscreen. But with this system you have to be careful, since the difference in temperature can end up cracking the windscreen. It is better to do it with time and avoid sudden temperature changes.

If the layer of ice is thin, you can opt to scrape it off with a plastic card. The idea may be to use a credit card, although it is much better to use any other card. A club membership card or something similar, since a credit card can get damaged and, besides, it does not remove the ice layer properly. Scraping can also be done with a plastic ice scraper, which is much more practical and effective for this. If you combine it with antifreeze, you have the most suitable option for removing ice from the windscreen.

What not to do

Using hot water, although it is an idea that occurs to us immediately, is completely forbidden. The change in temperature is much more abrupt than with the heating, which can cause a thermal shock that cracks the windscreen. So it is best to forget about water. Moreover, even if the water is lukewarm, once it cools it can freeze again, so it is not recommended at all.

Salt is not effective either for defrosting the windscreen. Although it prevents ice layers from forming, which is why roads are covered with it, it does not de-ice the car’s glass and, besides, rubbing it against the glass can scratch it. These two options should be ruled out and always avoided to keep the windscreen intact.

The headlights

The headlights are cleaned much more easily than the windscreen. If they are traditional bulbs, simply switching on the headlights is enough for the heat produced to melt the ice. In the case of xenon headlights, the light is much cooler, and if they are LED, they produce practically no heat, so it is also advisable to clear the ice before moving off. The best option, as we have seen, is to use a plastic scraper and antifreeze liquid.