When you live in a region where winters are harsh, getting your car started on an icy morning can take just as long as it does to get the kids up and running. However, you can greatly reduce the time it takes to scrape the windows and dislodge the frozen windshield wipers by using a spray-on de-icer. Used in conjunction with the car's defrosting action and with just a bit of window scraping, the de-icer will make your morning departure a whole lot easier.
Start the car.
Turn on the windshield defroster to set in motion the ice melting process.
Use a window scraper to get rid of any large chunks of ice from on the windshield or from around the wipers. Some spray-on de-icers have a built in scraper on the cap.
Use the teeth along the blade edge of the window scraper to score any thick sheets of ice.
Hold the nozzle about eight inches from the surface of the windshield and spray on the icy areas. Always hold the can in an upright position. The de-icer will start to melt the ice on contact.
Spray along the top and bottom edges of the wiper blades.
Spray around the wiper mechanisms on the hood.
Allow the spray to melt the ice for up to 15 minutes.
Turn on the windshield wipers (which should now be working) to wipe away the water from the windshield.
