While winter can be a beautiful season, it also brings its fair share of challenges. One of the worst things about winter is having to constantly remove ice and snow from your car. This is especially annoying when you’re already running late for work.
At Blain’s Farm & Fleet, we understand how frustrating this can be. That’s why we’ve created this list of tips to help ensure you have a safe and hassle-free winter driving experience.
Before you begin removing the snow and ice off your vehicle manually, always make sure you start your car. And turn on the defrosters. You’ll want to run both your front and rear defrosters. They will help to melt the frost, snow, or ice on your car’s front and rear windshields.
Make sure you brush off your driver’s side door to avoid snow falling inside before entering your car.
While your car runs, you can work on clearing off any snow and ice. You can also use this as an opportunity to run the heat. So it’ll be nice and warm for you once you’re ready to go.
If your car is covered in snow, always start at the roof and work your way down when clearing it off. Do not just clear your windows off. If you leave snow on your roof or other large areas of your car, it can blow at other drivers and potentially cause an accident.
Once you’ve cleared the roof, move onto your windows. Then, brush off your hood, trunk, and all lights.
When brushing off the snow, make sure you’re pulling it off rather than pushing it.
When removing snow, make sure you’re using a snow brush, especially if it’s light or fluffy snow. Never use a shovel or anything that’s not meant for car snow removal. It could scratch up your vehicle. However, if the snow is extra heavy, it’s okay to use a push broom, if necessary.
When removing ice, only use an ice scraper designed for cars. Don’t use anything metal or sharp that you have around the house, such as a screwdriver or knife. They can scratch or crack your windshield.
And never pour hot water onto your car to melt the ice! This can cause your glass windows to crack or shatter.
Oftentimes, drivers clear off the windows of their vehicle and think they’re good to go, but this is not true. Even though you may be able to see while driving, you’re completely safe to do so.
You’ll want to make sure your tailpipe isn’t clogged. If there is snow or ice blocking it, carbon monoxide can build up inside your vehicle.
Also make sure all your front and rear lights are cleared off. Even if it’s not dark outside, you need to make sure you’re visible to other drivers at all times.
And don’t forget to brush any snow off your license plates. In many states, it’s a requirement that your plates be visible.
When freezing temperatures or snowy weather is expected, don’t plan on leaving your house at the same time you normally would for work. Instead, plan ahead and be ready to go at least 10 minutes earlier that usual.
Having this extra time in the morning will ensure that you are able to fully clear off your vehicle. And you won’t feel rushed doing it.
If your car has remote start, take advantage of it during the winter season. By utilizing this feature, you can start defrosting your windshield before you even step out the door for the day. It will help speed up the snow and ice removal process greatly, and it requires less work from you.
If your car doesn’t have this feature, consider getting a remote starter installed.
While clearing off your car, make sure your windshield wipers are free of any snow or ice. To avoid them getting frozen to your windshield, you can stand them upright when you know cold weather is expected.
If your wipers are old or not working properly, it’s time to replace them.
It’s common for snow and ice to get packed in your car’s wheel wells. Make sure to get them cleaned out before driving.
To do so, you can use the back of your ice scraper. Otherwise, you can carefully kick the ice out. Just make sure you don’t accidentally kick your car.
If you leave snow or ice in the wheel wells, your tires may rub against it while driving, which can cause a number of issues.
If you’re sick of scraping ice off your windshield, try out a de-icing spray. These sprays help melt the ice on your windows, so you can quickly and easily remove it.
To make things even easier, you can swap out your regular windshield wiper fluid for one that’s made with deicers.
Another good solution to clearing snow and ice off your windshield is a snow and ice cover. By covering your window, you’re protecting it from the elements.
It helps prevent your windshield from icing, and it makes it super easy to remove the snow. All you have to do after a snowfall is take off the cover!
For more tips like these, visit our Automotive Blog.
