The UK has been grappling with snow and freezing temperatures recently, leading to school closures, cancelled public transport services, and residents having to clear mounds of snow from their doorsteps. As we trudge through a bleak start to 2025, people are cranking up their car heaters and seeking quick ways to de-ice their vehicles.
A particular trick has gained viral attention, but an expert has issued a warning about its potential risks. One person claimed they had spent a considerable amount of time trying to remove ice from their car until they discovered that filling a carrier bag with hot water could help.
A viral video on their @ronidoggies5 page showed them rubbing a Tesco carrier bag filled with hot water across their windscreen, causing the ice to vanish instantly. “The dog is even impressed,” she quipped, assuring viewers that the trick genuinely works.
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However, experts at Windscreen Wipers have outlined the dos and don’ts of de-icing your windscreen this winter. While the viral trick seemed to work for @ronidoggies5, the experts pointed out some potential hazards.
They warned: “Using water of any temperature to de-ice windscreens is not advised. Hot water will cause the glass to expand, which can result in it cracking or even shattering, and cold water can freeze on top of existing ice and frost. Both methods can damage your windscreen, sometimes beyond repair.”
Motorists beware, as chilly weather approaches, a frost-covered windscreen can often be an unwelcome morning hurdle. Car experts are now warning drivers about a widely-shared hack suggesting the use of hot water in a sandwich bag to de-ice their screens.
They’ve cautioned: “A hack instructs drivers to rub hot water in a sandwich bag on the windscreen to quickly remove frost. Hot water, even in a bag, can cause damage and small cracks in the glass which may not be noticeable until it’s too late.”
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Instead, they recommend utilising windscreen washer fluid precisely formulated for freezing temperatures, which also depresses the freezing point so you can safely clean your windscreen without damaging the wipers or glass.
Furthermore, the motor whizzes stress the importance of ensuring that windscreen wipers are off before starting the car in cold weather. Failure to do so could result in tears in the rubber if they’ve frozen to the glass overnight—potentially ruining the wipers.
“If the wipers are turned on before they have defrosted, the frozen rubber will tear from the wiper blade and therefore break the wipers,” they elaborated.
For de-icing, the pros suggest turning on the car heating at a low level to let the warmth gradually build up. Meanwhile, get cracking on removing any snow and ice with proper tools—an ice scraper paired with some good old de-icer.
They added a pro-tip: “Ice scrapers are designed so they won’t scratch your windscreen so don’t be tempted to use CDs or credit cards as these can scrape the glass. A can of de-icer can be bought for around £2-£4 and will avoid the potential further freezing that may occur when using water.”
‘I’ve only put heating on three times this winter – clever hack saves me a fortune’