What's the best de-icer?

Johnny Utah

What's the best de-icer for a windscreen?

I tried one from Lidl; it was a de-icer in a spray can, and it wasn't very effective. Didn't last long either. Can anyone else recommend a de-icer spray which worked well?





http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/SearchCmd?storeId=10001&catalogId=10151&langId=-1&categoryId=165470&action=listrefine&listCategories=165470&list0-type=list&list0-constraint=iphrase+WCSAttr_04d28366b9421d074b5b9b628872b5d4f2a529fc&list0-mappedType=value&list0-4=De-icers&list0-size=10&list1-type=list&list1-constraint=MFName&list1-mappedType=value&list1-size=7&list2-type=range&list2-constraint=Price&list2-min=&list2-max=&listSize=3&listSort=Price%7C%7C1

tdc

Turn on the engine, let it warm up for a minute then get your credit card and just scrape it all off

cjt156

2L plastic milk bottle filled with WARM water.

WARM: I said warm, not hot, warm - warm as you'd put your finger in and say "ooh, that's warm".
NOT HOT; so its NOT going to crack your windscreen. I've a degree in Physics and I've been doing this for twenty years. Warm.






Did I say warm?

S.I.R

cjt156 wrote: »

2L plastic milk bottle filled with WARM water.

WARM: I said warm, not hot, warm - warm as you'd put your finger in and say "ooh, that's warm".
NOT HOT; so its NOT going to crack your windscreen. I've a degree in Physics and I've been doing this for twenty years. Warm.






Did I say warm?

agreed, don t fix a method that isnt broken.

:cool:

Johnny Utah

tdc wrote: »

Turn on the engine, let it warm up for a minute then get your credit card and just scrape it all off

I've seen other people doing that, but I'd be afraid that you'd either scratch the windscreen, or else break the credit card. Plus it takes ther engine longer to warm up when it's just sitting there.

eringobragh

Johnny Utah wrote: »

I've seen other people doing that, but I'd be afraid that you'd either scratch the windscreen, or else break the credit card. Plus it takes ther engine longer to warm up when it's just sitting there.

Gat a Proper ice scraper I've one in the boot and it does the trick no scrapes yet wither but I'm not worried.:pac:

Alun

Muscle power and a good quality scraper.

Mr.David

cjt156 wrote: »

2L plastic milk bottle filled with WARM water.

WARM: I said warm, not hot, warm - warm as you'd put your finger in and say "ooh, that's warm".
NOT HOT; so its NOT going to crack your windscreen. I've a degree in Physics and I've been doing this for twenty years. Warm.






Did I say warm?

I disagree. Warm is more advisable but water at 90degrees on a frozen windscreeen of a non-cracked modern car will not break the windscreen....

3ps

this is what I do.....

- pour warm water on the windscreen
- turn on the intermittent wipers
- pour more warm water on until the ice is basically gone
- leave the wipers on for ages.

No more ice can form if there is no water, so keeping the wipers on really helps.

Goodluck2me

cjt156 wrote: »

2L plastic milk bottle filled with WARM water.

WARM: I said warm, not hot, warm - warm as you'd put your finger in and say "ooh, that's warm".
NOT HOT; so its NOT going to crack your windscreen. I've a degree in Physics and I've been doing this for twenty years. Warm.






Did I say warm?

I agree when you're at home its perfect, but what if your out somewhere? De-icer is emergnecy stuff imo.

Biro

Warm water is the best and quickest. 2 litre bottle out with you so you don't have to run back in with the kettle or jug or what ever else you may have used. I actually use very warm water, melts it quicker. Still not so hot that you couldn't hold the hand in it.
Apparently the de-icers leave a kind of grease on the windscreen when the weather is back to normal that's hard to wash off.

peasant

mumhaabu

I filled a thermos flask the last few evenings with hottish water which was warm when I needed it a few hours later. Got a few looks pouring water from the thermos onto the screen until the same people discovered theirs was frozen too, then I got asked for leftovers from my flask! It is cheap and cheerful plus I now actually use the thermos! I must pop into Halfords soon though to get something handier.

LightningBolt

I do the same when going to work at night. Fill up a 2 litre bottle of boiling hot water and chuck it in the car. When I finish work and come out to frozen windscreen the bottle is just warm!

If I get caught off guard an ice scraper and some elbow grease does the trick but the fingers do feel it afterwards:D

david

Squirty Tesco one for a quid or whatever. Water always seems to refreeze when I'm at home, (Wicklow Hills). The frost is so much milder here in Dublin though. I had nothing but a litre of screenwash last fri night and I poured the whole thing onto my windscreen undiluted. It hasn't frozen since and my warm air blower smells like vodka the whole time now :P

OldmanMondeo

Warm water with a bit of screen wash or washing up liquid to help it stop freezing again.

shakenbake

I just drive with my head stuck out the window, like Ace Ventura ... works for me!

Henry Ford III

Heated front screen is a wonderful invention.

dade

warm water but i don't pour it directly on teh glass incase it's a little to warm, normally pour it on teh roof and let it flow down

Johnny Utah

goodluck2me wrote: »

I agree when you're at home its perfect, but what if your out somewhere? De-icer is emergnecy stuff imo.

+1

I forgot to mention that. What if you're out at the shops one evening, and you come back to the car with the windscreen frozen up. De-icer is perfect for this scenario imo...

It's not really practical to carry around 2l of warm water in the car. What if it spills?



And as for the scrapers, is there not a danger that they will scratch the windscreen?

Bandara

Holts do a spray can one for about €4, I sell it and its very good apparently.

Personally I do the warm water thing. why waste 4 quid?

Biro

Henry Ford III wrote: »

Heated front screen is a wonderful invention.

I agree, a rare moment of innovation from Ford! Have they patented it though? I've seen no other manufacturer with it. I'd much prefer that to any other useless "extra" like xenon lights or front fog lights or any crap like that. (I have xenon's and they annoy me cause they cost a fortune when they go wrong).

pred racer

Johnny Utah wrote: »

+1

I forgot to mention that. What if you're out at the shops one evening, and you come back to the car with the windscreen frozen up. De-icer is perfect for this scenario imo...

It's not really practical to carry around 2l of warm water in the car. What if it spills?



And as for the scrapers, is there not a danger that they will scratch the windscreen?

it would be very difficult to scratch glass with a piece of plastic!!

I use the warm water meself, or if Im out just let the car warm up for 5 mins and your away. I dont use my credit card incase I damage it......but my work ID works fine:)

R.O.R

Henry Ford III wrote: »

Heated front screen is a wonderful invention.

God, I've missed my old Mondeo this past week.

Personally use the start and whack heat on full blast, leave for 5 mins and use windscreen wipers.

Alun

Johnny Utah wrote: »

And as for the scrapers, is there not a danger that they will scratch the windscreen?

Absolutely not.

Try living in Germany or somewhere where they have real cold weather and surviving the winter without an ice scraper (and a sweeping brush for sweeping the snow off the roof and bonnet too!) I survived several really severe winters there without having to resort to nasty chemical defroster sprays, so anyone here will surely be able to do the same.

Another way is to get a windscreen frost protector to put on your windscreen at night if it looks like it's going to be a cold one.

Alun

Henry Ford III wrote: »

Heated front screen is a wonderful invention.

Agreed .. had one on a Mondeo once.

The thing that puzzles me though is why it only seems to be Ford that offer them as an option? (At least i think so)

pred racer

Alun wrote: »

The thing that puzzles me though is why it only seems to be Ford that offer them as an option? (At least i think so)

always wondered about this too.

CrowdedHouse

Henry Ford III wrote: »

Heated front screen is a wonderful invention.

I don't like the way oncoming headlights(kind of) reflect off the wires,it's a weird effect.Suppose you'd get used to it.
Handy for this weather definitely.

the merchant

PI$$

GreeBo

R.O.R wrote: »

use windscreen wipers.

I think this is a pretty good way to knacker your wiper blades.....

ART6

the merchant wrote: »

PI$$

That's the answer. It doesn't cost anything, doesn't harm the bodywork, isn't so hot that it will damage the glass, and it can readily be topped up. The down side is that frostbite is not something to be taken lightly.:D

The tax man

the merchant wrote: »

PI$$

Similar question asked on another interweb forum had the following post:

Many years ago while working late nights, I saw a guy stand on the bonnet of his car (Triumph 2000) and urinate on the windscreen (it was in the car park of a Workingmens' Club). He had (obviously) been drinking heavily and indeed was well oiled - but the ice didn't stand a chance. He was off down the road while I was still spraying and scraping.

therewillbe

Yes , Warm water. never fails. Dont be tempted to go out and start your car and leave it running for a few minutes cause you know what will happen, VROOM VROOM BY AN OPPURTUNIST THIEF .

L1011

At home = warm water
On the go = I've got chemical deicer and a scraper in the boot. Heater in car and scraper if its light, chemical and scraper (and heater) if its heavy.

lightening

I use warm water and then the auto wipers come on and soak me.