How to Remove Snow From Your Driveway and Car
Safety is always our utmost priority, regardless of the season or location. Even a tiny amount of snow or ice can affect your car’s condition and visibility on the road. Therefore, cleaning your entire vehicle from snow and ice is crucial before jetting off. We rounded up excellent handy tips for you, just scroll through to find out more.
I. Removing the ice from your car
You’ll need:
- Anti-freeze
- Lock defroster
- Silicone grease
- A soft rag
- A plastic zip-bag
- A scraper
- A brush
- Vinegar, water, and socks (optional)
How you do it:
1️⃣ Clear the exhaust pipe and grill from the snow. Do it before you start the engine. The snow in the pipe (line) can lead to a buildup of carbon monoxide, so don’t skip this step.
2️⃣ If the lock isn’t greased previously or is frozen due to the extreme cold, use a special defroster.
3️⃣ Start the engine and turn the heater up. It will take about 5 minutes for the car to heat up. Clean it while you’re waiting.
4️⃣ Turn the lights on. The headlights will melt the snow and ice. You will only have to rub them with a soft tissue.
5️⃣ Don’t turn on the windshield wipers before you remove the snow and ice. Otherwise, you might damage them and the brushes. Also, check to see whether they are intact. If they are broken, replace them.
6️⃣Take a brush and clean the snow from the car. Start from the windshield and move up to the roof. Then remove the leftover snow, and don’t forget to clean the hood, the trunk, the side mirrors, the windows, the doors, and all the lights. Don’t clean the hood with a scraper, even if it has ice. It will scratch the car. Use a soft rag.
7️⃣ Use a scraper to remove the ice from the windows — you can use a plastic card if you don’t have one. Carefully remove the ice from the windows.
8️⃣Use special antifreeze to melt the ice. Place it on the window and rub it with a soft rag.
❗️ Never use boiling water to remove the snow and ice. Hot water on the glass might make the glass crack. Besides, if it’s freezing outside, the water will turn into ice too.
II. Preventing the car from freezing
1️⃣Lift the windshield wipers overnight. You can rub the brushes with alcohol so they don’t stick to the window. You can also wrap them with socks.
2️⃣Use antifreeze to prevent the windows from freezing. If you don’t have this, you can use vinegar with water at a ratio of 1:2.
3️⃣ Cut an onion in half and rub the windows before the weather gets too cold. It will prevent frost from forming on the windows.
4️⃣ Wrap the side mirrors with a plastic zip-bag, or you can use a regular bag with tape. It will help to protect the mirrors from getting covered with ice. It’s convenient because using a scraper on the mirrors is not a very good idea.
5️⃣ Use silicone grease. Spray it into the lock and on the rubber part inside the door. The silicone will replace the water and won’t stick. You can also use it on the hood locks.
Bonus: some more tips to properly shovel snow off a driveway
A Reddit user shared a lifesaver hack we’re grateful for, stating, “It’s almost that time of year again! Let’s try not to shovel onto the sidewalks and streets this winter.” © hellarios852 / Reddit
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