Mystified About How to Defrost Your Windows? We Can Help!
Tabatha Chovanetz
|
Do not neglect to defrost your windows properly!
It’s that time of year when you come out to your car in the morning and your drive to work (or school, or to the dentist) is going to be interrupted because your windows are frosted over.
When it comes to defrosting your windows, the best thing to do (and admittedly, sometimes hardest thing to do) is to remember that you’ll need some extra time to defrost your windows safely and effortlessly. But sometimes, just turning on the defroster doesn’t seem to get the job done, especially when there’s a layer of ice under that frost or snow. So, here are some things you to do to drive safely
Related: Winter Is Coming: Be Ready With These 10 Winter Car Tips
Take a look at your windows in the morning and plan accordingly. Photo: ruthiecapella on Instagram
These are our Five Simple Steps to rid Your Windows of Jack Frost:
- Turn your heater on
- Use the defroster setting, crank the heater all the way up to absorb the excess moisture in your vehicle
- Press the A/C button
- Make sure air recirculation is off
- Slightly crack your windows.
Voilá!
Related: Be Safe, Smart and Prepared On the Road: Winter Driving Tips
An ice scraper is the fastest way to remove ice from your windshield. Photo: Canva
But What if you Need to Defrost Your Windows Really Fast?
You’re in a hurry to get to work and you realize you need to defrost your windows. How do you clear your windows quickly so that you can be safe and on your way?
If you are in a big hurry, you can help yourself out by having an ice scraper handy. Having the defrost on will help as you begin to scrape the windshield.
You can also use a de-icer. These can be store bought or made at home. The make at home version is 1 part water to 2 parts of rubbing alcohol. These help to lessen the time to defrost your windshield immensely.
A huge ‘no-no” is hot water on a cold windshield. Do not try this, as you can crack your windshield with the two temperatures varying so greatly.
Don’t forget, turning off the air circulation while having the defrost heater on AND keeping it on while you drive will allow the heat to flow to all of your windshields, according to some studies.
Related: When The Snow Is About to Fall, Should I Leave My Windshield Wipers Up?
Don’t find yourself unprepared for winter. Photo: Canva
So, is it that simple? Or is there a science behind defrosting a vehicle?
The fog on the windshield is actually small water droplets from water vapor that is in the air. When the air is saturated with humidity (meaning the humidity level is at 100%), condensation forms, and your windows become foggy.
It isn’t a matter of if, but when. we all will have to deal with the elements. The obvious bad news is, the colder the temps, the more likely you are to see frost. The good news is, now you have steps 1-5 to follow above. Good luck and stay warm!
Don’t let Jack Frost catch you slippin. Photo: Canva