How to Clear Frost off Your Car Windows Faster

Tired of running late for work only to find that this Rochester weather has AGAIN frosted up your car windows? Don't take the risk of hoping your heater will warm up in time for you to hit the main roads; otherwise, you may end up needing collision repair. To help you avoid an accident and get to work on time, here are...

4 Ways to Clear Car Window Frost

1. Prevent Window Frost with an Overnight Covering

Before we get into tips on HOW to quickly defrost, we'll give you a way to prevent frost in the first place. The key is to COVER YOUR WINDOWS overnight. Take a large TOWEL or CARDBOARD and tightly press it over your windshield and use your wiper blades to hold it in place (you'll need weights or a clamp for the other windows). 

2. Remove Window Frost Using Deicer Spray

Purchase or mix your own deicer spray and keep it in your car (unless it's below -20 degrees F). To create your own, mix together rubbing alcohol and a little bit of dish soap inside an empty spray bottle. Spray and soak your frosted windows and scrub off the ice with ease. 

3. Remove Window Frost Using Lukewarm Water

While showering in the morning, fill up a BUCKET with lukewarm water. Splash the water over the frosted windows – this will quickly soften and melt the ice away. If any is left, brush away the slush with your glove or scraper. *WARNING* do not use boiling hot water; opposite temps colliding may cause your windows to crack. 

4. Remove Window Frost Using Credit Card

If you're all out of resources, a credit card or some sort of strong plastic with a long narrow edge could give you some help. This method is probably going to be the least quick of the four, but if you have no access to water or a deicer, it may be faster than waiting for the car defroster to warm up. While using your card to scrape away the frost, go ahead and turn on your car's defrost and spray some of the windshield fluid to soften up the ice. This should help scraping with your card to be as quick and easy as possible. 

On behalf of Brothers Collision & Mechanical, thanks for reading! Share these tips with your friends and fellow drivers to keep road-vision as clear as possible during this Rochester winter! 

How To Jump Start a Car’s Dead Battery

Step 1: LOCATE JUMPER

If you heeded the advice in our last article about items to keep in your car for winter, then you probably already stored a set of JUMPER CABLES in your vehicle. To any of the stragglers, you will have to find someone who has a set of jumper cables and is willing to spend the time giving your car’s battery a jump.

Step 2: PREPARE VEHICLES

After you locate jumper cables and another car with a charged battery, align the vehicles close enough together for the cables to reach each battery. Next, SHUT OFF the ignition to both vehicles and make sure they’re both in PARK. Then, pop both hoods and LOCATE the positive (+/POS) sign on the batteries (usually under a red rectangular covering).

Step 3: ATTACH JUMPER CABLES

After attaching the first jumper cable, BE CAREFUL to NOT touch any of the clamps to each other (to prevent electric shock).

1. Attach RED cable clip to the POSITIVE (+) terminal of the CHARGED battery
2. Attach BLACK cable clip to the NEGATIVE (-) terminal of the CHARGED battery
3. Attach other end of RED cable clip to the POSITIVE (+) terminal of the DEAD battery
4. Attach BLACK cable clip to a motionless, unpainted METAL SURFACE away from the battery

Step 4: IGNITION  

After securing the jumper cables, START the ignition of the CHARGED battery’s car. Rev the engine slightly by gently tapping the gas pedal to SPEED UP the charge. After a few minutes, START the ignition of the DEAD battery’s car and, with luck, the battery will be live.

Step 5: DRIVE

After jumping the dead battery, DRIVE around for at least 15 minutes before shutting off the engine. This will help ensure it’s holding the charge. Enjoy and be safe this winter! If you have any troubles, contact Brothers Collisions & Mechanical for all of your auto mechanic needs in Rochester!