Love it or hate it, snow and ice is an inevitability that many of us deal with during winter. Along with prepping your home for the cold, your car also requires special attention. Winter is tough on your vehicle, which is why it’s essential to winterize your car in late fall and follow a few best practices to protect your car.
For those of us who don’t have a garage or carport, clearing the snow and ice off your car before you set off can be a real hassle—but it doesn’t have to be. As someone who grew up in Austin, Texas (where it practically never snows), this extra work took some getting used to after moving to Pennsylvania.
It didn’t take long for me to learn that the internet is full of shoddy advice and shortcuts that claim to rid your car of snow and ice in record time. The truth is that there’s no substitute for the right tools and some elbow grease.
With years of experience writing about cars and caring for them year-round, here’s how to deal with an ice-covered car and get it ready to drive.
Your first investment should be a scrape and broom.
Spending more on a burly scraper (with a broom attachment) saves you time and effort on those frigid mornings when your car is full of snow and ice. Ask me how I know.
You’ve probably heard that a bad workman blames his tools. Throw that advice out the window. I struggled through my first few winters here in Pennsylvania, clearing my windshield with the cheapest scraper I could find on Amazon. I finally gave in and bought a fancy telescoping unit with a broom; I’m not exaggerating when I say using it was a game-changer.
If you have a leaf blower, bust it out.
If you’re lucky enough to have a leaf blower lying dormant in the garage, it can be invaluable in snowy situations.
We’re always fans of working smarter, not harder, and the leaf blower is a great hack for getting snow off your car before tackling the ice. A leaf blower works faster than a brush, plus it’s much kinder to your car’s paint. We can almost guarantee that using a brush will likely scratch the car’s clear coat, even if you’re careful. The only stipulation with the leaf blower trick is that it struggles with wet and heavy snow, so you may have no other choice than using a broom.
How to de-ice your windshield the right way.
If you’re running late, it’s all too easy to try and click on your wipers to clear away the ice. Don’t. Not only does this accelerate the wear on your wipers—and other components like the wiper motor and linkages—it also just isn’t productive.
The best thing you can do is make sure your exhaust pipes and radiator grille are clear, start your car, and crank up the heat on the front and rear windshield defrosters. This speeds up the melting process and gives you a toasty car as a reward when you’re ready to drive.
Many newer vehicles like the Ford F-150 have an app for pre-warming the car before you hop in. If you live in an especially cold climate, consider getting a remote car starter. Once the snow and ice are mostly thawed, use your scraper and clear the remnants with your wiper blades. Of course, it goes without saying to have a car emergency kit with you plus a portable jump starter.
Turn on your headlights if they’re covered with ice. The heat from the headlamps will help melt the ice.
Don’t experiment with car-clearing methods.
Stick to what’s recommended and use common sense. Most of the tricks you see on social media don’t work and can damage your vehicle. Don’t pour boiling water on your frozen windshield. It will break. We especially don’t recommend using a shovel or a hammer to clear your car; you’ll either scratch the paint, dent the body panels, or break a window—glass becomes much easier to break when it’s cold.
Let’s not forget that using common sense still applies when your car is clear and it’s time to drive. If you’re already late to work, be late. Rushing to make up the difference is nothing more than a one-way ticket to the scene of an accident. Be safe out there.
These are the best tools for the job.
Best overall tool
Snow Joe Telescoping Snow Broom & Ice Scraper
Now 22% Off
An expert-approved hack
Ryobi 40V Cordless Jet Fan Blower
Now 13% Off
Heavy-duty wipers
Rain-X Latitude 2-In-1 Wiper Blades (26 Inch)
Now 12% Off
A fast-acting spray
Melt it! Windshield De-Icer
A worthwhile investment
Compustar CS7900-AS All-in-One 2-Way Remote Start and Alarm Bundle
Matt Crisara is a native Austinite who has an unbridled passion for cars and motorsports, both foreign and domestic. He was previously a contributing writer for Motor1 following internships at Circuit Of The Americas F1 Track and Speed City, an Austin radio broadcaster focused on the world of motor racing. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Arizona School of Journalism, where he raced mountain bikes with the University Club Team. When he isn’t working, he enjoys sim-racing, FPV drones, and the great outdoors.
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