Drivers urgently warned not to try popular tricks to defrost car windscreens this winter

Once you’ve managed to gather the strength to leave the warmth of your bed this morning, you might have a peek outside to find your car’s all frosty.

After the Met Office put a number of weather warnings in place for snow and ice around the UK this weekend, we’re in for a cold one. A really flippin cold one.

Maybe you’ve psyched yourself up to zoom out the house and zip over for a Maccies breakfast this morning.

And if so, you’ll probably be hoping to get in your car and on the roads in the quickest way possible.

But don’t be tempted to use some popular tricks and hacks to defrost your car windscreen – experts have warned against them.

In fact, there’s all kinds of things we might try to get the defrosting process sped up as we stand by the side shivering. But a lot of them really aren’t safe for your car.

First off, perhaps you simply take to pouring a load of boiling water across the glass. Or maybe you take to the TikTok trick of filling a sandwich bag with water and rubbing it over.

Well, don’t do either of them.

Head of Marketing at Autoglass, Ed Colley, told The Sun: “With temperatures dropping across the UK, lots of drivers will be frustrated to find they are waking up to ice across their car windscreen this week.”

Don’t we know it, Ed.

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"In a rush to clear the frost as quickly as possible some drivers may be tempted to pour boiling water over the glass,” he continued.

"However, this tactic should be avoided as the sudden change in temperature can cause the glass to expand and result in small chips expanding into much more damaging cracks."

And that's not all.

“Using a credit card to clear away any unwanted frost also runs the risk of scratching the windscreen and creating more headaches for drivers keen to get on with their day,” Ed added.

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“Turning on the car engine and leaving it may seem like the safe option, but it is hardly the most environmentally friendly approach and leaving your car on and unattended also increases the risk of car theft."

OK, I know he seems like he’s putting a downer on us getting on the roads as soon as possible, but he’s got some advice of how to get it done.

Ed said: “To ensure a stress-free winter morning we would recommend having a proper windscreen scraper in your car which you can use to clear the frost quickly and safely.

"For those who are really prepared, applying a rain repellent to your windscreen before a wintery snap can make de-icing much easier and quicker.”

Topics: Cars, Weather

Jess Battison

Jess is an Entertainment Journalist with a love of all things pop culture. Her main interests include keeping up with the Twitter girlies, waiting for a new series of The Traitors and losing her voice at a Beyoncé concert. She graduated with a first in Journalism from City, University of London in 2021 and has previously worked at MyLondon.

@jessbattison_