Winter Tips and Tricks

If you live in a snowy climate where frozen car door locks and snowed-in tires are the norm, you’ve got good reason to dread icy winter mornings. (It’s hard enough getting out bed, much less mustering the courage to go out and start your car.) Here are 19 ways to make sure you spend less time scraping away at your car windows and more time enjoying your hot coffee during your wintry morning commute.

9 Tricks for Clearing Snow and Ice from Windows and Mirrors:
1. Leave your windshield wipers up overnight so they won’t become stuck to your windshield. Prevent snow and ice buildup on the wiper blades by covering them with a sock.

2. Create a mixture of three parts vinegar to one part water and spray it on your car windows to prevent ice from building up. You still might have to brush off any snow that falls, but this will save you the time of scraping away at icy windows.

3. If ice has formed on your windows, use a dry cloth and rubbing alcohol to melt it faster.

4. Use an old area rug to cover your windshield completely. Tuck it under your wiper blades overnight and remove in the morning. Throw it in the trunk when not in use.

5. Misplaced your ice scraper? Try using a hard spatula or credit card instead. Just avoid anything metal, as it can damage the finish of your window.

6. Cover your side mirrors with freezer-sized ziplock bags sealed up as far as they’ll go. In the morning, remove them and relish your already-clear mirrors!

7. Park your car facing east overnight. When the sun rises in the morning, it can help clear away some of the snow and ice, making your morning routine less stressful and rushed.

8. Spray your shovel with nonstick cooking spray so the snow will slide off easier.

9. Grab your broom to sweep away light snow, instead of wasting energy with that useless little brush on the other end of your windshield scraper.

4 Ways to Keep Locks and Car Doors from Freezing
1. Apply hand sanitizer to your lock or key to unfreeze locks or car doors.

2. Use a lighter to heat your key and gently push it into your car lock.

3. Spray your keys with WD-40 and use it in your locks to keep ice from forming.

4. Coat the rubber strip of your car doors with cooking spray. This will keep ice from forming and make it easy to pry open doors.

2 Tricks for Keeping the Inside of Your Windshield Clear:

1. Fill a sock with kitty litter and leave it in your car. This will help absorb moisture and prevent fog from clouding your windows. Bonus: It can help absorb odors, too!

2. Use shaving cream to clean the inside of your windows and prevent fog moisture from building up. Simply spray and wipe away with a clean, dry cloth.

4 Ways to Keep Car Tires Moving in Winter

1. Test your tires before braving snowy roads by sticking a penny in several grooves of your tire tread. If you can see still see the top of Lincoln’s head, your tires are worn and should be replaced.

2. If your tires get stuck in the snow, a few sprinkles of kitty litter can help them gain traction.

3. You can also clear a path for your tires and get them out of slush by using flattened cardboard boxes (keep a few stashed in your trunk).

4. Store a few old socks in your glove compartment. Slip them over your shoes to give yourself better traction if you have to push your car out of the snow. Bonus: They’re great to have on hand if you need to wipe away frost from your windows.