ICE ICE BABY
Free way to stop your windscreen freezing up using clothing EVERYONE already owns as snow hits in Scandinavian chill
Keep scrolling for five more cheap ways to defrost your windscreen WITHOUT wasting petrol
A FREE way to stop your windscreen freezing up using an item of clothing everyone already owns has been revealed.
As Brits brace for the Scandinavian chill persisting this week to bring snow tomorrow, they may want to prepare their motors.
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The best way to tackle a frozen windshield is really through preventative hacks.
People driving with a dirty or muddy windscreen could be slapped with a £1,000 fine.
Road users who break this Highway Code driving law will also be liable for three penalty points on a driving licence and a discretionary ban.
As shared by , and KGW News, you want to protect the car rather than deal with snow and ice one it's already settled.
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One super easy, and free, trick involves using only a pair of socks.
An old blanket, towel or rug may also come in useful.
A KGW News anchor : "You don't want your windshield wipers to freeze to the window so you're gonna pull them up and take a sock and put it on the wiper.
"This keeps ice from building up on them."
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Then, take an old rug and throw it on your windshield underneath to prevent any snow and ice building up.
MentalFloss experts suggested keeping a pair of old socks in your glove compartment box just in case.
I'm a busy mum who doesn't have time to spend hours defrosting car - so I use TikTok's 5p trick & it works INSTANTLY
The clothing item can also be used to help if your car gets stuck in the snow.
If your shoes aren't giving you enough grip for a big push, pull the pair of socks over them for more traction.
But there are other ways to get rid of the annoying ice effectively.
Another common household item can help them de-ice a frozen windscreen - saving time on frosty mornings.
According to , a mixture of rubbing alcohol mixed with washing-up liquid can help thin out a thick layer of ice.
Five cheap ways to defrost your windscreen WITHOUT wasting petrol
By Jacob Jaffa
Bottled up
An easy way to solve the issue is by mixing the water with another substance to lower its freezing point.
Unlike water, pure alcohol has a freezing point of -114C, which is why summer delights like frozen margaritas aren't just a block of ice.
All you need to do is decant a bit of methylated spirit or rubbing alcohol into a spray bottle and spritz it onto the frozen windscreen.
This will drop the freezing point below the air temperature and cause the ice to melt within a few minutes.
In the bag
In a similar vein to the first tip, if you can't lower the freezing point, you have to raise the temperature.
A neat way to do this is to run some water from a warm (but not hot) tap into a sealable plastic bag.
You can then rub this gently across the frozen glass, heating the ice and causing it to melt.
Help is at Halfords
Halfords is selling a super-affordable gadget that is the Ferrari Enzo to the average ice scraper's VW Beetle.
The 3-in-1 squeegee and scraper includes a plastic head to clear ice, a rubber blade to wipe away excess water and a foam strip to dry the glass and prevent re-freezing.
You can get all that for just £1.79.
And if that doesn't feel worth it, a similar tool is on sale at B&M right now for just £1.
Take cover
All those tricks for de-icing your car are great, but why de-ice if you can prevent it from even forming in the first place?
One great way to do this is to cover the windscreen overnight.
This prevents water from condensing on the glass so it won't freeze up.
Halfords sells a specially-designed, weighted cover for just £5.
Kitchen essentials
Another preventative measure is to use any number of kitchen essentials to coat the glass.
You can use anything from a potato to an onion to a lemon, as well as white vinegar.
Simply slice up your chosen vegetable and rub it on the windscreen (or spray it if using vinegar).
Rubbing on the night before will form a protective layer across the windscreen and reduce the amount of frost that forms overnight.
Can't take the heat
There is, however, one popular de-icing hack which you definitely shouldn't use, despite its prevalence on social media.
Some drivers have been advising pouring boiling water from your kettle over the windscreen to bust the ice in seconds.
But if you try this, it might not just be the ice your busting.
When glass, like most solid items, gets very cold it contracts slightly before expanding again when its warm.
If you heat it too rapidly, by hitting it with boiling water for instance, this expansion happens too fast and can lead to chips and cracks or, in worst case scenarios, the whole pane shattering.
Not only is this expensive to repair, it's also very dangerous so definitely steer clear of this one.
This comes as the Met Office warned of snow hitting the UK this weekend as Brits face more bone-chilling Scandinavian air.
Persistent high pressure across the north and east of the UK continues to bring with it freezing rain and icy winds.
Met Office meteorologists forecast the white stuff could be on the cards in the early hours of Friday and Saturday.
Rain is predicted to move further east, where cooler air will see it fall as snow over higher ground in Scotland and Northern England.
As the weekend wraps up, those in Manchester and Cumbria could wake up to 4cm of snow.
These blankets could be setting in February 16 at 6am, particularly in high areas, just in time for next week.
Northern areas of the UK, including Newcastle and Edinburgh, might see 0.5cm of snow fall per hour on the Sunday which is likely to settle with a depth of up to 2.5cm.
A few centimetres could also settle in the Grampians and North Pennines.
Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist, Mike Silverstone, said: “The high pressure has brought a period of cloudy and dull conditions across much of the UK.
"We do see some change in our weather through the weekend, with rain in the west and the chance of snow further east over higher ground on Saturday.”
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Snow and icy conditions could lead to school closures, reduced public transport, and road closures.
The Met Office recommends planning all journeys ahead of time to avoid disruptions and delays.
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