There’s nothing worse than being in a tremendous hurry in the morning, running out of the house, and jumping into your car, only to realize you can’t see out of it. Winter weather poses a host of threats to your safety and your schedule, and frozen windshield wipers and windows are one of the most common.
Fortunately, you don’t have to let old man winter get the best of you. Here are a few “dos” and “don’ts” for handling frozen windshield wipers and windows ahead of and during winter.
DO Check Your Windshield Wipers As Winter Approaches
Get ahead of the threat the season poses by examining your windshield wipers. They wear down over time and have an especially tough go of it during the winter season, so it’s best to replace them if there are signs of wear and tear. Old, damaged wipers will do a poor job of keeping your visibility high on the road.
DO Put Your Wipers in an Upright Position
Preventative action is always wise, so if the weather report calls for an overnight freeze, move your wipers to the up position once you park. This may help prevent them from freezing on the windshield.
DO Cover Your Car
If you’re not storing your vehicle overnight in a covered garage, it’s wise to consider a trip to the store for a tarp to cover your noble steed. This is an inexpensive investment that will pay dividends.
DO Be Patient With Your Defroster
Iced-over windshield? You’ll want to immediately turn on your window defroster to its highest setting. But don’t be in such a rush that you peel off down the road before the view out of your windshield is clear. Give your defroster time to do its thing.
DO Remove Excess Snow
If you’re in a rush, you can aid your defroster in its quest to thaw out your vehicle. Gently remove any excess snow from the windshield. Getting rid of the powdery stuff right off the bat keeps your defroster from working overtime.
DO Use a De-Icer
Want to speed the defrosting process? Stock a windshield de-icer spray before the season begins, and apply it directly to your windshield and wipers after a freeze to combat pesky snow and ice. Follow the instructions on the bottle carefully.
DO Wipe Your Windshield Wipers’ Arms
Gently move your wipers to the upright position and use a cloth to remove any excess ice and snow from each blade.
DO Scrape the Windshield
Use a car ice scraper to remove the remaining ice from your windshield. If your defroster has been doing its job, it should make this task far more manageable. Once your windshield is clear of ice, put the windshield wipers back in their normal position.
DON’T Use Your Wipers Prematurely
It might seem like a slick idea, but don’t activate your wipers before your windshield is completely free of ice. They aren’t strong enough to scrape ice off, and using them in this manner may damage the rubber of your blades. Even worse, if you try to activate the wipers while they are frozen to the windshield, you risk damaging the motor driving them.
DON’T Use Hot Water
Dumping some hot water on your frozen windshield is an easy, fast, obvious solution, right? Wrong. Never do this. Hot water on a freezing-cold windshield may crack your glass!
Have more questions about preventative car maintenance during the winter? The Sears Imported Autos team is here for you. Schedule a visit with one of our skilled professionals today.
