What are the best ways to clear ice from your windshield?

It’s that time of year again, when you have to scrape a layer of ice off your windshield every morning before you can drive. But, do you know the most effective way to clear ice from your windshield?

Defrosting your car can be tedious and cold work, especially if you have to drive before the sun is up. Before you get started, we recommend wrapping up warm, donning a pair of gloves and, if necessary, bringing a torch outside with you to help in the dark.

Here are the best ways to defrost your car:

Start your engine

The first step to de-icing is to turn on your engine so that it has time to warm up before you drive. Most cars now have a defrost button on the dashboard. Press this to get started, but check that your windscreen wipers are turned off as frozen wipers can damage the blades or the motors.

Warning: Do not leave your car unattended while your engine is turned on as this leaves you vulnerable to your car being stolen while you wait for it to defrost – also known as “frostjacking”. There were an estimated 2.7 million incidents of car theft in 2024; so always be vigilant. Leaving your engine on and your car unattended may also void your insurance and you therefore will not be protected if your car is stolen.

De-icing by hand

You can de-ice your car by physically scraping it off your windshield, but take care to use the right tools so that you don’t do any damage to your car, or your bank card if you opt for the ‘old fashioned way’. A plastic scraper or a rubber squeegee will work best to get the ice off, and as they aren’t metal, they won’t damage the glass. You can pick these up from your local garage or most supermarkets. Additionally, you can use a soft-bristled brush (like from your dustpan and brush) to sweep off all the lifted ice before it melts.

Using a de-icer

You can use a de-icer spray by simply spraying it on all affected areas and waiting for the ice to melt, or you can use it to give your car once-over after scraping off the ice so that it doesn’t refreeze. You can pick up a quality de-icing spray from most petrol stations, just make sure to read the instructions first.

In the absence of a de-icing spray, you can use a solution of alcohol, water and soap, but please be aware that home-made remedies may strip your car’s paint over time so it’s always best to buy products designed specifically to defrost cars.

Be thorough

When de-icing your car, make sure you clear ice off the entire windscreen; clearing just the part of the windscreen in front of your seat is called ‘portholing’ and can land you with a £60 fine and even penalty points on your license for driving in an unsafe condition.

The areas you should be de-icing are:

• The entire windscreen
• Rear and side windows
• Both wingmirrors
• Headlights, brake lights and indicators
• License plate

Where there has been heavy snowfall, we also recommend brushing off as much snow from your roof and bonnet as possible so that this doesn’t fall off whilst driving and block your windscreen, or land on another vehicle.

Be careful of ‘quick hacks’ and dangerous advice offering ways to clear ice off your car windshield

The internet is full of ‘quick hack’ videos telling of fast and easy methods of de-icing your car, but these are often unsafe or ineffective. Here are some defrosting methods you need to avoid:

Pouring the kettle over your car

This is the oldest trick in the book. Pouring the recently-boiled kettle water over your car is a guaranteed way to get the ice to melt off instantly, but it’s also a fantastic way to shatter your windscreen. Where there is a massive temperature difference between the glass and the water, the risk of your glass spontaneously shattering is very high, so please don’t try this hack.

Using a bag of water

A more recent ‘hack’ is to fill a bag with warm water and rub it over your windscreen in order to melt the ice more gently than with boiling water. Even when the water isn’t boiling, there is still a chance that hot or warm water could crack your windscreen if the temperature outside is below freezing.

Wiping the inside of the windscreen with a cloth

Using a cloth or handkerchief to wipe away some of the condensation seems like a great quick-fix, but it will leave smears on the inside of your windscreen and make it harder to see out of. It’s better to let the defrost button and your engine warm up your car and take care of the condensation.

Using an onion or a potato

Supposedly, if you cut an onion or potato in half, you can rub them over the windscreen and the oils in them will stop ice from forming overnight. We categorically do not recommend this trick, as it is unlikely to work (especially in extreme temperatures or where there is snow) and it will leave residue all over your windscreen which will make it harder to see out of and therefore unsafe to drive.

The best ‘hack’ is prevention, by putting a windscreen cover or tarp over your car the night before to prevent ice from forming. Just make sure it is attached securely so that it doesn’t blow away in the night.

If you’re concerned about driving safely in icy conditions, we recommend coming in for an interim service so that we can check your engine is running smoothly, your wipers are full-functioning, and that your tyres are equipped for driving on slippery roads.

Book in for a check-up here or give us a call on 0161 4776266.