How To Protect Your Vehicle During Winters
De-ice Your Car Windows
On icy mornings there’s always some misguided person who chips away at the ice on their car windows with metal instruments or throws hot water on their windshield. Both methods can damage or even shatter car windows. Still, you must clean your car windows before hitting the road.
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What you can do now.
Ensure you have a piece of cardboard to place on your windshield before a storm hits. Lift the windshield wipers and place them on top of the cardboard to secure them to the windshield. Then when you’re ready to drive, just lift the cardboard up and drop the ice on the ground.
Tip:
Do not raise your windshield wipers straight up. If ice or heavy snow falls on the wipers and forces them onto your windshield, they can crack the glass.
Keep reading for more tips specific to windshield wipers.
What to do if a storm is imminent or recently passed.
Mix two parts of 70 percent isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol with one part tap water and place in a spray bottle. Spray it on the icy windshield and the ice will start melting. Let it set one minute and the scrap the ice off.
Protect Car Paint
Don’t ever use a snow scraper on the body of your car! That can scrape and scratch the paint.
What you can do now.
Have your car thoroughly washed, waxed, and sealed before snow and ice arrive. That protects your car from the elements and snow removal brushes and scrapers.
What to do if a storm is imminent or recently passed.
Warm-up your car before trying to remove ice. Make sure you have the doors unlocked and that the tailpipe is not obstructed.
Protect Your Windshield Wipers
Windshield wipers may seem like a minor consideration when an ice storm hits, but if they break or malfunction when you’re driving, causing poor visibility, you risk causing a serious accident. Never keep your wipers raised. As noted, if snow or ice hits a raised wiper it can end up breaking either or both the wiper and windshield.
What you can do now.
Inspect your wiper blades to make sure the rubber is not split, chipped, or peeling. Replace damaged blades, advices.
What to do if a storm is imminent or recently passed.
Put socks over the wipers. That will keep the blades ice free.
Ice due to winter weather conditions has the potential to ruin your home, car and other valuables. With a bit of planning and preparation, you can prevent most damage freezing temperatures can bring.
With winter upon us, we hope you find these tips helpful and see amazing results. We’re so thankful that our wonderful readers provided tried and true tips in comments below.
Let’s keep the conversation going: Share your tips for fighting back against winter woes!
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