When it's freezing and the car windows are iced up, is it better to leave the car ticking over while you scrape them or just sit in the car and rev it?

I prefer the 1st option as I believe that revving the engine with no load and when cold serves no purpose other than causing more wear and wasting fuel.

The guy over the road has never scraped the windows in 10 years and prefers to sit there revving the nuts off his car. Usually very early in the morning when most of the street is still in bed, but that's a different issue.

So which is the most effective?

Night Before De-icer on the windows & door rubbers.

(Bought in Halfords when 3 for the price of 2.)

Open the door, turn on the engine, rear heated screen & heated mirrors,

use a gloved hand to wipe of the frost that has not stuck to the glass,

if all is clear, then drive off.

Or if not night before De-Icer applied, good quality Spray De-icer applied, windows clear, drive off.

Ok down to -10*C or so, hoar frost might be different.

Never ever used a scrapper in my life.

Seen plenty glass ruined by those that do.

VW's are bad for loosing Tint or scratching on the Windscreen, i imagine that some models of Skodas might be the same.

george

Well, my routine is as follows....

Open the door, turn on the engine, heater on full to the screen, rear heated screen & heated mirrors on then use the rubber part of a scraper to clear the outside.

I also use rain repellent once a month or every couple of months and find this dramatically helps to stop ice forming/makes it much easier to remove.

HTH

A Boots Advantage Card is the best solution: not only can you use it to de-ice your car nice and quietly without disturbing any neighbours going about their morning business, but you can also collect 4 points for every £1 you spend in store and online at boots.com!

start engine turn on heated/front screen heated rear screen and mirrors and seats wait two minutes drive off.i wish i still had a garage

bill

Large thick plastic bag on windscreen the night before.

Remove bag from windscreen, place in garage, start car, switch on heated seats, rear screen, aircon/blower to windscreen, scrap side windows (if necc), drive off.

When bum toasty switch heated seats off!

Coops, why not place car in garage?

Get in, start car, switch on heated front window and seat if a little frosty. Drive off.

Probably helps the car port keeps it out of the wind.

I have always been a fan of a little scraping if required, not spray on de-icer.

Start car, no blower etc and go get a kettle of look warm water

A couple were having breakfast & listening to the radio.

The Traffic announcement said,

'there is 8-10" of snow forecast, and so that the snow ploughs have a clear run please park your cars on the Even Number side of the street."

so she got dressed & out she went and did that.

The next week, the same thing, but this time.

'there is 8-10" of snow forecast, and so the snow ploughs have a clear run please park on the Odd Number side of the street.

Next week as they heard the announcement on the radio, and just then there was a power cut.

"how will i know what side of the street to park it on?"

she asked her husband.

"Why not just leave it where it is in the garage this week?"

was his answer.

george

Coops, why not place car in garage?

It doesn't fit - simples!

New build house - OH's Mini Clubman barely fits so the Superb has no chance.

Old fan heater on a long lead, pop it on the back seat, all windows clear in about 5 mins. Works for me, no scraper, no deicer.

Or the Greenhouse one set at just above 0*C and left in all night.

(wind deflectors are handy for the cable going in, or fit a Motorhome type Plug in.)

'Why take 2 bottles in the shower?, wash & go.

Out the door,

Start car, drop the window to get out the cable.

Unlpug ,

put safely away (under the Recycle bin)

& oft you pop all cozy. switch your lights on!!!

george

Look out of the window to see thick frost on car .Go back to warm bed and wait for summer to arrive.

It doesn't fit - simples!

New build house - OH's Mini Clubman barely fits so the Superb has no chance.

This was one of the reasons we got our first Yeti, my wife's original one.

An Octavia is too long for the garage, but a Yeti goes in with 10cm spare.

Just leave mine to idle.

Once I have turned on the heated rear window and mirrors the car usually revs itself up to about 1000rpm anyway.

Been thinking about sticking a heater in the car once I get the outside socket wired in then just flick it on in the morning and jobs a good-un'.

Phil

Deicer is nasty stuff on paintwork and rubber. Also IME freezes again after clearing.

And stinks too. My routine is open the door, turn on the engine, heater on full to the screen, rear heated screen & heated mirrors on then luke warm water to clear sides and screen. To stop refreezing I put intermittent wipers on when doing it.

gadgetman,

As a Car Sprayer, that is why we recommend it.

Actually, you must use the wrong de-icer or something,

or wrong ice, wrong snow, or wrong temp, or just fussy.

?? What type of damage to the paint & rubber, is it visible to the naked eye?

This week i am mostly using Home Bargains De-icer,

£1 a can because Tesco Bumped their Price when the Ice arrived.

Used about 5 cans since October

& no paint or rubber damage on any cars,

and a couple of them are 8 winters old, de-icer used on them each winter.

george

thick coat of rainx at night and flick wipers on in morning - gone!

gadgetman,

As a Car Sprayer, that is why we recommend it.

Actually, you must use the wrong de-icer or something,

or wrong ice, wrong snow, or wrong temp, or just fussy.

?? What type of damage to the paint & rubber, is it visible to the naked eye?

This week i am mostly using Home Bargains De-icer,

£1 a can because Tesco Bumped their Price when the Ice arrived.

Used about 5 cans since October

& no paint or rubber damage on any cars,

and a couple of them are 8 winters old, de-icer used on them each winter.

george

My comments are based on a valeter that was on the tv recently who strongly advised against it. Not the first time I've been told that either!

OK, thats good enough.

Must be a true enough then.

I will just go on as is tho.

I do not know the valeter or the cars he sees.

george

Open the door, start engine, switch on heated rear window, heater full on to windscreen, and then use vey lukewarm water to defrost, switch on wipers,......drive away.

I will never use a scraper as my mother took gauges out of the screen with an AA one she had. Drives me mad

Jug of warm water - job done......when it isn't in the garage.