How to Get Ice Off Your Car

As the trees dress themselves with the fiery colors of autumn, summer is already a distant memory in Seattle. While there is much to love about sweater weather in the Midwest, it signifies one thing: winter is upon us, and that means ice. A lot of it.

If you’re new to the Midwest or if this is your first winter as a car owner, you might be wondering how to get ice off a car window. It’s got to be pretty easy, right? Just dump some hot water, then you’re good to go! There’s more to it than you think to get rid of ice on the window of a car. Continue to read below to learn the ropes of de-icing car windows and how to even make your own homemade ice melt for the car windows of your new vehicle with Universal Auto Group.

Removing Ice on the Window of a Car: Steps to Take

In Tacoma winters, ice on your car is to be expected. When you wake up in the morning to find that your car is coated in ice, you’ll want to take the following steps before your South Hill commute:

1. First, defrost your car. Simply start up your vehicle, and crank up the heat. Depending on your car’s age and model, the time it takes to heat up your car varies.
2. Scrape off the ice. If you don’t have an ice scraper readily available in your car, you’ll probably want to get one ASAP. Take the scraper (should be plastic), and remove the now weakened ice.
3. Prevent ice from damaging your car. There are ways you can prevent ice from accumulating on your windshield. When you’re done using your car for the day, leave your windshield wipers up, so they don’t freeze to them. If you wish, you can cover your vehicle windshield with a tarp or cloth, but this should only be done when no snowfall is expected.

DIY: Homemade Ice Melt for Car Windows

As we touched upon early, never take steaming hot water and dump it on your car windows. This can cause your glass to crack, requiring you to schedule a service appointment to get them replaced. Instead, you can make a homemade ice melt for car windows:

1. Take a spray bottle.
2. Fill up the bottle with two parts of rubbing alcohol, one part of water, and a few drops of dish soap.
3. Shake well before use.
4. Spray it on your car windows, then wait for 5 minutes.
5. Bye bye ice.

Prepare for Winter With Universal Auto Group

Now that you know all about de-icing car windows, it’s time to take the next steps to prepare your car for the brutal winters in Tacoma. Learn more winter service tips and tricks from Universal Auto Group, and contact our service center with any other questions related to winter car care.