Car Maintenance Hacks for Winter
Car Maintenance Hacks for Winter
Posted on February 25, 2020
Winter driving is often a dangerous task with ice and snow covering the road and storms reducing visibility. There are also minor nuisances that come with cold weather and can affect your visibility while driving and even your ability to get into your car (frozen locks!). There are several simple tips and hacks that you can employ to make it through the winter without frustration.
Windshield Fog - How to prevent it & reduce it?
The wet moisture that covers the inside of your windshield can be a big pain. It takes a long time to go away and provide visibility to ensure safe driving. Sure, you can wipe it away with your hand, but that will leave streaks and smudges. The first tip to reduce this fog is to turn on the air conditioning, not the heat, which will sometimes just cause more fog. The compressor will take the humidity out of the air and clear the windshield. To clean the fog up quicker, use a chalkboard eraser to wipe it away without smudging up the windshield. In order to prevent windshield fog from happening in the first place, cover the inside of your windows with shaving cream and then wipe it off. Shaving cream contains many of the same ingredients that are found in commercial defoggers, so it acts in a similar fashion. Even after wiping the shaving cream away, it will leave a layer on the window to keep the fog off--plus, it will make your car smell nice.
Another tip is to remove all drinks from your car, because the water will add moisture to your car's interior as it evaporates, causing windshield fog. You can also take a stocking, fill it with kitty litter, and keep it in your car overnight. It will absorb water and moisture to prevent your windows from fogging.
Frozen Windshield Wiper Blades
The simplest way to prevent frozen windshield wiper blades is to raise the wipers off of the windshield and point them toward the air when your car is parked. This prevents them from freezing to the windshield. If your blades won't stay up, you can wrap a pair of socks around them to keep off the snow. You can also wipe each blade with full-strength rubbing alcohol to prevent them from sticking to the window.
Ice-Covered Windshields and Mirrors
The easiest way to prevent ice-covered windshields and mirrors is to cover them overnight and before storms. You don't need special equipment for this--you can wrap plastic bags around side mirrors and secure them with clothespins or rubber bands to prevent ice. For windshields, you can use old blankets, towels, or rugs to cover the large area. This covering, along with the snow and ice, is easily pulled off to reveal a clean windshield.
One simple way to improve your morning car winter clean-off routine, if you don't have a garage, is to park your car facing east overnight. The sun rises in the east, so it will melt some of the snow and ice off your car and make it easier to clean as the sun rises. All of these tips will help you save precious seconds and minutes where you don't have to be outside in freezing temperatures.