How to Melt Ice Fast and Naturally

As winter closes in and the temperature drops into the single digits for some people, it is time to start thinking about ice control. Ice can be dangerous when it is on the ground and also on your car windshield (windscreen).

While keeping your windshield clean may be easy if you have a garage to keep your car parked, it gets more complicated if you don’t have shelter available.

It takes time and energy to remember to start your car early, allow it to warm up and have to scrape and scrape to clean your windscreen for safe travel.

The good news is that there are options. There are many ways that you can melt ice fast and naturally on car windscreens. Here are just four such options.

Lukewarm Water

Instead of letting the water from your morning shower go down the drain, catch a bucketfull and use it to deice your windows. Pour the water on your windshield and the ice should immediately melt. Wipe slush and any remaining ice off with a sponge or soft cloth.

Homemade Deicers

Although you can purchase commercial deicer, you can also make your own and save money.

Water and Alcohol

Simply mix one part water and two parts rubbing alcohol and put it in a spray bottle. Spray liberally on the windscreen and scrape any remaining ice away.

Water and Vinegar

Mix 1 part water and 3 parts white vinegar and pour the solution into a  spray bottle. Shake the solution before use and spray evenly over the window surface.  If the ice is thick, it may take a couple of applications. Scrape away any remaining ice. This same solution sprayed on the windshield at night will also make deicing in the morning easier.

Other Common ( non chemical ) Deicers

• Besides making your own deicer solution, you can grab any of these in a pinch. They will all do the do the trick of removing ice from glass.
• Saltwater pickle juice
• Beet Juice
• Soft Drinks
• Kool Aid

Cover Your Windshield

One of the easiest ways to protect your windshield is to cover it up so that ice doesn’t have an opportunity to build up. You can place a lightweight tarp or even an old sheet over your windshield and keep it in place with some bungee straps or rope. This method works best in areas where snowfall is minimal.

Warm Hand and Warm Shoe

Sometimes it is the simplest of things that work best. In the case of ice removal from your windshield, a warm hand or even a warm shoe can start the deicing process. Ouch, you say… I don’t want to put my bare hand on ice. No worries, even though a bare hand, which will be much warmer than the ice will work, so will a warm shoe, book, or any dense object, for that matter that is warmer than the ice.

Good Ol’ Elbow Grease

In the end, a scraper or scraping device of some kind may be necessary to remove much of the ice on your car. You can always turn on your engine, warm up your car and partner with your defrost system to abolish the ice.

Summing it Up

To sum up, prevention is always best. If you can, keep your car in a shelter or secondary, cover your windshield with something that will keep the ice away. If this is not possible, try any of the natural deicing methods mentioned above. Ultimately, it comes down to finding the one that works best for you. This may be some combination of scraping while using a deicing solution. Of course, much depends on the temperature and the thickness of the ice and snow.

Happy Deicing!