Defrosting your car can be a tough job. Especially if you’re late for something! Sometimes there are big, thick sheets of ice on your windshield that seem almost impossible to crack. You try to chip away at the colossal brick of ice and you’re slowly making progress but you’re getting later and later. Your hands are frozen solid and your nose feels like it has frostbite by the time you’re done defrosting your car. There has got to be an easier way! Don’t worry, there is! Here are 10 do’s and don’ts when it comes to defrosting your car. These do’s and don’ts will help you defrost your car fast and keep you on time for your busy day.
Defrosting Your Car Do’s and Don’ts
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Do’s
Put on the Defrost Button
Click the defrost button when you turn on your car. This helps your car to absorb excess moisture within your vehicle that is causing that frost. This is a really effective way to make defrosting a lot quicker. Start your engine and let your car run for a while before you have to go. Doing this will make it easier to scrape off any ice. Make sure that the rear defrost button is on too so that your back windshield will start to thaw as well.
Open Your Windows
Open your windows just a crack to help the defrosting process go faster. Trust me, it actually works! Cold air is usually very dry. Cracking your windows will exchange the humid air inside your car with dry air from outside. This will make your car defrost a lot faster than if your windows weren’t cracked. You will definitely be able to tell a difference. Try to defrost your car with and without cracking your windows open and see how much quicker it can be.
Turn up the Heat
Crank the temperature in your car all the way up so that your car slowly starts to thaw. Of course, you’ll need to make sure that your defrost buttons are pressed on too. A cold defroster won’t do much good. It will also help to heat the inside of your car more quickly so that you can drive relatively comfortably without freezing to death.
Press the Air Conditioning Button
What? That can’t be right. Well, you read correctly. Turning on the A/C button will actually make your defrosting experience a lot faster. Make sure that your defrost buttons are pushed and that the heat is cranked all the way up for this to work. The air conditioning will actually help take out moisture in the air. That moisture in the air is the culprit to fogged and icy windows. Although it might seem counterproductive, turning on the A/C button will help you get on your way a lot quicker.
Turn off Air Recirculation
Your car needs air from the outside to defrost more quickly. This is because the air outside is dryer than the air inside. Your car will pull air from the outside and make your car defrost faster by drying out all the humid air inside your car. Defrosting your car doesn’t have to be hard, you just need to know which buttons to push and your car will do all the work for you.
Don’ts
Use Hot Water
Never, ever use hot water to defrost your car. Seriously, never! Your windshield could crack and cause all sorts of problems if you use hot water. You might think that using hot water will quickly melt all the ice and you’ll be off to work in no time. However, the rapid change in temperature will likely result in a shattered windshield which would not be a very good start to your day. Cars need to be defrosted gradually so things like that don’t happen.
Start Your Car in Your Garage
Earlier it was mentioned that it might be a good idea to start your car and let it run for a while to get it warmed up. This is not a good idea if your car is parked in a garage. Without proper ventilation, your garage may fill up with toxic fumes that could harm you and your family. Only let your car run if it is outside. Your city might have laws against letting your car idle if you live somewhere with high air pollution. Know the laws of where you live to make sure that you won’t get into any trouble.
Be too Aggressive
Although you might be frustrated that it’s taking so long to defrost your car, don’t get too aggressive with the process. You could damage your car. You might want to take something really heavy and break all the ice on your windshield but try to refrain from doing that. It might result in a broken windshield. Being too aggressive might also result in scratches or paint chips.
Do the Bare Minimum
Have you ever seen someone driving in the Winter with a tiny peephole on their windshield? This is dangerous! Don’t just scrape a little hole so you can see out. You might be late for school or work, but it’s better to be safe. Make sure that your entire windshield is defrosted so that you can see everything around you. It’s also really important that your windows are defrosted so that you can look left and right to see if there is any traffic coming. When it comes to defrosting your car, more is always better.
Forget About Your Wheel Wells
Your wheel wells should be free of ice or packed snow. Wheel wells that are packed with snow will not allow your tires to turn properly. It will also cause a lot of wear and tear on your tires. Make sure that your wheel wells are free and clear of snow or ice. Defrosting your car should include your wheel wells because it’s important that they remain clear. This will help you drive as safely as possible in the snow.
Summing Up
Defrosting your car can be annoying, but it doesn’t have to be a ton of work. Let your car do the majority of the work for you. That way all you’ll need to do is use your windshield wipers and the frost will come right off. These defrosting do’s and don’ts will help you quickly remove stubborn ice and snow so that you can be on your way.
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