What is the best (and quickest) way to remove ice from my car windows?

Answer 1

Carplan do a pre-icer spray, most motor parts stores will stock this and of course de-icer too. The pre-icer spray is put on at night and stops ice forming. Prevention is better than any cure.
De-icer spray is the safest way though to remove ice. Hot water will work but be very carefull not to crack the window. The extreme heat difference can and will break the glass.
Carplan is a Tetrosyl Product part number TPI500 (500ml) and TPI750 (750ml) trigger spray bottles.

Answer 2

The best way, - is to have a "tank heater" installed on your engine (if you have electricity available close by), - then you have instant heat, and defrost, - and can let the heat do the job! It also makes the engine start considerably better (because the engine & oil is warm). Especially if you are in a very cold climate!

Next, - a scraper (and a pair of gloves) works pretty good, - there are even sheepskin gloves with scraper built in, so that you can keep frost off your hands and arms! I always kept several in glovebox and under the seat! Nice to give out one to somebody trying to scrape snow and ice off with bare hands (they are fairly inexpensive)! Also you tend to "swipe" one form "other" car (if you have several cars), - unless you have a pretty good supply available-- (for some reason you don't want to spend 10 minutes hunting for one when the temp is -20 or worse)!

You can usually get by with "cold" tap water, - or no more than luke warm water, - begin at the edge of a window and work towards other side slowly,- as ice melts. Don't start in middle parts of a window, - the sudden expansion may stress glass and make it crack, -- and water doesn't work too well after you pass 10 below- and going down! It tends to freeze onto glass faster than it can run off, and when this cold it can crack glass also! The colder it gets - the more you will appreciate that "tank heater"!

There is also an "autostat" system available that will start and run car every time the engine block cools down to a certian point. Then it starts up the car, and runs the, heat and defrost as the engine heats up again - at a certian "high temp" it then shuts down and waits till it gets cool enough again! This can be made to operate 24 hours a day if you wish, - but we used it mostly on nights, - or real long days when it was parked out in open area (like a parking lot). Sitting on a parking lot at -30 or lower will cool down an engine a lot in 5 hours! We shut it off when we were going to be away for only an hour or two,( because it uses a little gas when it runs) My Wife was a dental assistent at a town 35 miles away, and it was a "worry stopper" as well as not having to go and get her started in dark after she got off work - if car didn't start!

Answer 3

The best way is to coat your windows when its warmer outside with Rain-X or equivalent glass coating. These coatings make the glass slipperier and prevent the ice from sticking, kind of like Teflon on a pan. When the glass is coated and ice forms, just tap it with your fist and it will "slide" off.

Answer 4

warm water... a temperature that you'd be happy washing your hands in

boiling water could crack the window

pour over the windows and then get your air blowers running on the interior asap

{edit} addressing some of the above answers:
WD-40 will smear your windows and put a film on them, which will render your windscreen wipers totally useless.
warm water (hand temp) will not crack the windows
putting salt on your car is not a good idea... it will not affect the windows, but it will get onto the body of the car, and salt eats away at metal

Answer 5

start car let it start to warm up get out the old fassion scraper with a brush on one side brush off all loose snow if you want to spend a little spray the windshield with ice remover

now first thing i do is scrape the windshild wipers loose so i dont forget later now scrape the windshield it helps a lot if you cover it with a tarp at nights they are cheep and you may never scrape agin

Answer 6

Never, ever pour warm or boiling water over your windscreen!!!!

The heat from the water can cause the glass to crack! Or, if it doesn't crack, it can weaken the glass.

It is the stupidest thing you could possibly do.

Use de-icer and a scaper. it really doesn't take that long to remove the ice.

Also, any car maintenance store will sell stuff that you can spray over the windows the night before and it stops the ice from forming in the first place.

I can't remember what it is called, but you will find it in the same place as the de-icers instore.

Answer 7

Start your car and put the defrost on high. Once the ice has started to melt start scraping it off. Do not put hot water on your wind shield! Good chance you will crack it because of the 2 extreme temperatures. Think about it.

Answer 8

Fastest way is to keep the ice off to begin with. A small blanket, towel, or something like that left on the windshield will keep the ice off.

Answer 9

NEVER, I repeat NEVER pour hot water onto cold windscreen as this may cause the glass to crack.

Just get yourself some de-icing spray, spray over windscreen and put your wipers on. Clears your windscreen like a dream.

Answer 10

if theres an electrical outlet near where you park use an extension cord & put a small electric heater in your car & plug it in 10 min. before you go out.
put the heater with the switch in the on position on something nonflamable (I use an old license plate)in a safe place inside the car when you park for the night. the rubber gasket around the car door will close on the cord alright so you can lock your car.
the next morning just plug the extension into the outlet 10 min. or so before you leave.