Water and Alcohol mixed in a spray bottle (equal parts), helps to melt the ice away safely from your vehicle. I can't wait to try this one! Apparently, 1 part water and 3 parts white vinegar does the trick too. Depending how thick the ice is, you may have to spray a few times to get the job done.
Start the vehicle's engine and set the heater to defrost and adjust the airflow to recirculate, AAA suggests. Make sure the temperature control is set to full heat. As the air warms and starts to thaw the ice use your scraper, a squeegee or soft brush to start cleaning.
3. Tepid Water. (hot water will crack the glass) while running the windscreen wipers - no scraper needed - ice turns to slush and windscreen wiper wipes it away.
Switch On The Car Heater
Leave the defroster on for around 15 mins or so to allow the windscreen to start defrosting. After a while, you can scrape off the remaining snow quickly from the windshield. The heat inside will also help melt the icy layers on the rear screen and the car's body.
The American Automobile Association (AAA) and the Automobile Association (AA) both recommend against using hot water on a windshield, which can crack or shatter glass due to the sudden change in temperature ( here , here ).
Never pour hot or warm water on your windshield to defrost it, as this can also cause the glass to crack. Pouring cold water is also a bad idea, as it can freeze on the glass and make matters worse. Once the ice has started to melt you can begin removing it with a scraper and brush.
Isopropyl alcohol and water windshield de-ice spray: Combine two parts 70% isopropyl alcohol and one part water in a spray bottle. Since this liquid has a freezing point of 5 degrees—as opposed to 32 degrees for water—applying this solution to your icy windshield has a fast effect.
Make or buy a spray
Saltwater de-icer spray for the car: Pour water into a spray bottle and add a scoop or two of salt. Since salt water has a lower freezing point than fresh water, it starts to melt the ice on contact. Road salt is even more effective than table salt in this recipe.
The first step to properly defrosting your windshield is getting into your vehicle and turning it on. Then, turning on your heating to the “defrost” setting, and waiting 5 minutes to 15 minutes for your windshield to warm up and begin to defrost.
The acetic acid in vinegar is a chemical compound that lowers ice's melting point, but it doesn't melt ice quite as well as rock salt and some of the above alternatives. Like isopropyl alcohol, vinegar can technically be used on its own, but it provides better results in a mixture of equal parts vinegar and hot water.
For a quick fix: According to Road and Track, this is the fastest way to defog your windshield: First, turn the heat on its maximum setting because hot air can hold more moisture. Then, turn the AC on, which will pull the moisture from the air as it passes over the cooling coils.
Hot and dry air can hold much more water than cold and wet air, so the fastest way to defrost your windshield is to make the air around it as hot and dry as possible. Heat is self-evident; the other three steps—air conditioning, turning off air recirculation, and cracking the windows—helps keep the air dry.
Most hand sanitisers will contain small amounts of alcohol, which you can use to de-ice your windscreen in a pinch and also clear door locks which have become frozen over. If the gel is too thick, you can dilute it with water to stop it smudging up your windows.
Calcium chloride is a less-harsh alternative to salt, and actually works better when temperatures are low (between 0 degrees and 30 degrees Fahrenheit).
Modern de-icers have no negative effects on the paintwork of modern vehicles. It is not recommended to use ice melter for roofs or de-icer in any other part of the vehicle, including the interior and around the engines, because the chemicals do not mix well and may cause irreversible damage.
Mix one part room temperature water and two parts 70% isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol in a spray bottle, writes Wisebread. Spray the outside of every car window before going to bed. In the morning, you'll have an easier time scraping off the frost. If you forgot to do it the night before, don't worry.
Mix one part water to two parts rubbing alcohol, apply to your windows and watch the ice peel right off! Use a bottle of 70% isopropyl alcohol (50% works too, but not as well) with a few drops of dish soap, then apply liberally to the glass with a spray bottle.
We don't recommend using WD-40 on your windows or windshields but you can apply WD-40 Multi-Use to your number plate to not only provide a protective layer to stop it from rusting but to also prevent ice from sticking to it. The unique WD-40 formula repels water and can be used as a rust prevention spray.
Despite the claims made by Youtubers, pouring hot water on your vehicle will only do two things. First, it's going to get your shoes wet. Second, it's going to discolor the paint on your vehicle and diminish your clear coats' ability to resist UV rays.
Not only does using hot water to de-ice a vehicle result in cracks on the windshield, but it can also damage paintwork when the boiling water melts off protective wax and leaves a white watermark stain, according to Prestone.
Rubbing Alcohol DeIcer
Starting off with the most popular, we have the rubbing alcohol and water method. By mixing 1/3 room temperature water with 2/3 rubbing alcohol (or anything with isopropyl in it), together into a spray bottle, these liquids combine to make an effective DIY de-icer.