How to Prevent Your Windscreen Icing Up

Not only are frozen windscreens irritating, if ice cold rain actually freezes on your windscreen whilst you’re driving, they can be very dangerous. Another source of windscreen icing is snow that melts on the windscreen then quickly refreezes. In the UK, temperatures aren’t often suitable for this to occur although in the winter months it is not impossible for it to occur. To avoid potentially serious accidents, there are a number of steps you can take to prevent your windscreen icing up. One option is to treat your windscreen with a rain repellent. Make sure you apply this to your windscreen in dry, warm conditions and always clean the windscreen before application. Follow the instructions on the bottle carefully and you’ll find this eliminates most icing up problems whilst driving. The falling, freezing rain will no longer be able to stick the windscreen, even if it begins to freeze upon contact with windscreen. Secondly, always make sure the reservoir for your windscreen washer is full with a combination of water and de-icing fluid. In the colder, winter months increase the concentration of de-icing fluid and carry a spare bottle of de-icer with you at all times. Check your windscreen wiper blades regularly for effectiveness and make sure you have a good set of all weather blades installed. These are designed to drain any rain water away from the tip of the blade to prevent freezing. Heated wiper blades are also an option although can be expensive to buy if not already installed. Inside the car, make sure the heater fans are all clear and angled for best coverage of the entire windscreen and keep the heater on its highest setting. Should your efforts to prevent the windscreen from icing up fail, always play it safe. Pull over when possible and spray de-icer onto the affected areas of your windscreen. Whilst you’re waiting for the ice to melt, check your lights as these may also have frozen over. If your windscreen is freezing then it is likely other drivers are experiencing the same problem and they may not be as prepared as you. In this situation it is essential to make yourself as visible as possible to other drivers. If you find the inside of your windscreen is also icing up, then there must be moisture on the inside of your car. This may be from snow brought in on the boots of yourself or passengers or damaged window or door seals. To dry out moisture, on the last couple of minutes of a journey point the heaters towards your feet and wind the windows down a couple of inches to allow moisture to escape. In addition, be sure to use dry, clean cloths to demist the inside of your windscreen. To prevent your windscreen icing up overnight, while the car is stationary, there are also a few steps you can take. Special de-icer that you apply the night before can be found in most motoring shops although it is often expensive and not entirely effective. The simplest and most effective method is to cover your windscreen. You can actually purchase specifically designed sheets for this, which trap in the driver and passenger doors although an old rag or even newspaper may also do the trick!