It’s clear that the chemicals used to keep the winter’s ice at bay which we have grown to love over the last few decades do not benefit the environment. While keeping ice off of your driveways and sidewalks is one thing, it’s another thing to keep it off of your car without damaging your paint job.
Try these simple, non-toxic methods for both preventing ice and deicing your vehicle:
- Pour lukewarm (NOT HOT) water over your windshield before you scrape (only good if the temperature is not too much below 32 degrees F.)
- Plan ahead – if you know an ice storm is pending, place a rug or towel over your windshield to keep the ice off.
- Use 1part vinegar to 2parts water on your windshield to help repel the ice. It may help make it easier to scrape as well.
While it may not be fun or what you really wanted to hear, the most environmentally friendly and effective method of removing ice from your car actually is simply and carefully scraping it off.
To Warm or Not to Warm
Many of you may have grown up hearing that if the weather is cold, you should start your car and let it idle for a few minutes before you drive away. This used to be fairly truthful years ago, before cars evolved to have fuel injected engines.
Everyone should take the time to read what their owner’s manual says about warming up your car, especially if you drive a hybrid vehicle. Today’s cars generally do not need time to idle before driving when the weather is cold because they have computers and fuel injected systems which carefully monitor the amount of fuel needed. Small tweaks are made by the system to accommodate for the temperature.
When cars idle, they operate at their most inefficient levels, increasing the amount of emissions (pollution) they emit. The engine, because it is most inefficient when not moving, wastes more fuel than if you were driving.
So, moral of the story is that you should never leave your car idling both for your health and the car’s.
Have another natural deicing method you think works? Share it with us below in the comments!
