Ammonia spray removes ice and frost instantly, if I remember correctly. Doesn't prevent it; you just spray it on when you need to remove the cold stuff.
Apologies if that's not what you mean/need.
Has anyone here used successfully a spray that can be put on a car windsreen to prevent / lessen ice/frost - do they work or just leave horrible smears/films. Any suggestions or recommendations?
Ammonia spray removes ice and frost instantly, if I remember correctly. Doesn't prevent it; you just spray it on when you need to remove the cold stuff.
Apologies if that's not what you mean/need.
Cling film prevents ice. I do not know of a spray.
RainX also works well.
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
Those spays are easily available here in Holland. The stuff has been around for ages and ages. Only last week, a consumer test site wrote that this stuff is not harmful for the window rubbers or paint. The smell is like the window washer's fluid. There's even a 'biological version' for sale here... (I suppose for environmentalists with an electric car?)
Only last week, my youngest found a receipy for de-icing fluid in a chemistry book. 2/3 household vinegar and 1/3 distilled water. Add 5 - 10% isopropyl alcohol (the 70% alc. version, or higher when it's really cold) to prevent that the solution will freeze up in the bottle when left outside.
Menno
Last edited by thieuster; 1st December 2017 at 07:26.
10 seconds with a scraper works well.
Scrapers work well but it takes more than 10s
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
Well trained. We have a winner!
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
Alternatively just pour a bit of the left over hot water from your morning cuppa over the windscreen..
We tried the sprays that you put in the night before but to be honest they are a bit of a con, you spray it every night just in case there is a frost, on the one night you don’t use there’ll be a frost.
Ended up using full bottle and no frost.
Procedure:
Start car first of all
Blowers and heat on full blast also rear screen
Angle sun visors so they point down - this keeps the air circulating on the front screen
Give screens a scrape... tbh I find with the blower/sun-visor procedure it doesn't take long
Done
Alternative method.
Park car in garage overnight ;-)
I've heard of these preventive sprays but not heard how good they.
Personally, either way I never use any sprays and just rely on blowers and a small amount of elbow grease.
They're advertising a product on Talksport currently that's meant to do exactly that called Demon Ice - http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/s...5225&langId=-1
All the reviews in the link above say it’s rubbish and doesn’t work though
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
Old bed sheet.......done,better than wasting money and for the environment.
Why do we always try and find an easier way when tried n tested "simple" ways of old work fine!.
Imagine cling film would take ages (or would next morning unpicking the mess on the roll).
Something like RainX will certainly help and only has to be applied occasionally.
Not very different to windscreen washer fluid - use that diluted (or not) as appropriate.
... or one of these style of windscreen covers?
Halfords: http://www.halfords.com/motoring/car...gaAnOaEALw_wcB
Lakeland: http://www.lakeland.co.uk/23572/Wint...171201083627:s
I apply Angelwax H2Go glass sealant which lasts 2-3 months. This usually results in a fine mist on windscreen or if particularly cold, ice/frost but which does not adhere to the glass and almost slides off.
I applied it in August and it has now worn off (due to use of wipers) but side windows are relatively frost free. I do not have use of a garage to re-apply but it is very easy.
At the moment I leave a two litre bottle of room temperature water in the kitchen at night which I then pick up in the morning and slosh it about and I am away in two minutes. I also wind down all windows for a minute or two as I park up the night before, this leaves hardly any condensation in the morning.
Rain-x works well IF applied precisely as per the instructions and in my experience doesn't last as long as it says on the bottle
Quite good though
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
Check the wipers arent stuck then saucepan of water, from the cold tap, thrown on the windscreen. Jump in,shut the door and turn on wipers before it refreezes.
Too much haste with the last step and you may get wet.
Attempt to sneak the bosses best large saucepan back into the kitchen without her noticing when you get back home.
Alternatively park the front as close as you can to some shelter such as a building or tree/busy if you can.
- - - Updated - - -
Check the wipers arent stuck then saucepan of water, from the cold tap, thrown on the windscreen. Jump in,shut the door and turn on wipers before it refreezes.
Too much haste with the last step and you may get wet.
Attempt to sneak the bosses best large saucepan back into the kitchen without her noticing when you get back home.
Alternatively park the front as close as you can to some shelter such as a building or tree/busy if you can.
Build a wooden trough the width and curvature of your windscreen, attach with HGV straps right over and under the car lengthwise, adjust to secure. Then fill the trough with warm cannonballs, that will defrost your windscreen, voila!
That's what I've been doing wrong!!
I have just been putting the HGV straps over the car, not under as well.
Explains why the cannonballs keep rolling off down my steep hill and I have to call into the blacksmiths on the way to work each morning to order a new batch. Therefore negating anytime saved by not sparing 50p for a plastic scraper and less than a minute of my time in the first place.
I have NEVER scraped a windscreen... all you need is a 2litre bottle of luke warm water to pour over the windscreen. Takes seconds.
Added benefit is that it clears the inside of the windscreen too.
You said it.
A modern laminated windscreen is made up layers of dissimilar materials (plastic and glass) that expand at different rates, if you heat a layer up to quickly the result is inevitable. I would be amazed if the windscreen manufacturers and the AA RAC etc. don't publish warnings against doing this.
I'm just a lukewarm water user too. Tried most sprays and potions over the years but nothing is as effective and quick as pouring a 2l bottle of water were it is needed.
My bugbear is with frameless windows sticking so need some silicon or some such to stop it. I heard of some stuff called Gummi pflege? that does the trick but not tried it yet.
I’ve done this for years (with hot water from hot tap), and never had a cracked windscreen. A mate uses water from a boiled kettle (and never had any trouble) - I’m a bit too cautious.
Clears it up great! You have to put enough on to stop it refreezing and sticking your wipers to the windscreen, mind.
Warm water from the tap is fine I've done this dozens of times, just obviously not boiling water. I've never had a problem using warm water.
The de-icer sprays are reputed to damage the seals on your windscreen
My wife’s Z4 is a right pain to get into, the windows tuck under the top of the roof and if the base rubber is frozen it’s almost impossible to get into the car.
Trying every option but gummi and clingfilm are the best so far
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Or this: https://www.rimmerbros.co.uk/Item--i-RX1361
It will thaw the frozen windscreen from the inside
Sheet of cardboard cut to the windscreen size and held in place with the wiper blades, and just do the rest with a scraper.
One just has ones driver take care of the stuff on the thing.
I've never understood putting sheets and stuff over it. There's a bloke near me who ties down a hideous blue tarpaulin over his windscreen and has a fight with a messy, wet bit of tarp every winter morning! I just (as mentioned above) spend 5 seconds pouring a bit of luke warm water over and it's sorted. Why on earth you'd take messing about with some cover in the morning over that is an interesting one.
I think people are imagining windscreens are going to explode, even relatively cold water works. Obviously don't throw boiling water over but it's not like the glass of old these days.