Not all methods of removing such an ungrateful layer that is completely incompatible with driving are the right ones.
Parking your car outside in the winter can be a hassle. The vast majority of days it is unavoidable that the windshield is at least completely frozen. But not all methods of removing such a thankless layer from any point incompatible with driving are correct.
One of the most classic images is to remove the ice with a credit card, but
it can get you in big trouble. And it is that if you are going to scratch the ice, the credit card is not the best option. The card is likely to break, and given the number of cards most people carry, it makes little sense to choose exactly one of the most expensive ones to replace.
Other
recklessness tries to melt it with hot water. Those who come up with this brilliant idea will probably end up with a broken windshield. This is because it consists of a very thin (and fragile) sheet of glass glued to a plastic film (which prevents the glass from sticking out in case of breakage) and another thin layer of glass. If the glass is very cold (that’s why it contains ice) and we pour hot water on it, the thermal shock will shatter it just like a hammer blow.
Finally, it can be almost as catastrophic to throw salt on it. It may sound odd, but more than one has thought of it thanks to the times they’ve seen it lying on the road dodging the ice. But they won’t have fallen for the fact that salt doesn’t remove the ice, but rather prevents the water from freezing. Therefore, if the water is already frozen, the process will be very slow. To this we must add the chance of scratching the glass, and the chance of the highly corrosive salt damaging the car’s sheet metal.
The first trick is not exactly ecological, but it is effective. So it would consist of starting the car and turning on the heated rear window and heating to maximum. The air takes time to warm up and you will need to aim the airflow directly at the windshield. But after a while, the ice will soften, making it easier to remove. Just a few nuances to this tactic: the first is that you don’t forget the keys in the car when you go out to clear the ice; you can get locked out. And on the other hand, if the windshield is frozen despite the car being parked, it is better not to follow this advice: you can get poisoned by carbon monoxide.
Second, if the ice layer is not very thick, we can use a key element in any first aid kit. It is about alcohol, because its freezing point is lower than that of water. If, as we say, the layer is finite, it could be very useful to us. If it’s a thicker one, it gets more complicated, because you need large amounts of alcohol. Be careful if the windshield is frozen despite the car being in a parking lot, you could get carbon monoxide poisoning.
Finally, the best method of all requires just a little foresight and minimal investment. It concerns the scraper and the antifreeze. For less than 10 euros you have the ultimate weapons to get off the ice in no time. The squeegee should be plastic so as not to damage the glass or windshield frames, and we should start from the edges towards the center. First we spray the antifreeze liquid on the glass and then we pass the scraper: done in two minutes
Source: La Verdad
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
