Never use kettle on car windscreens, 1 item works better

There’s nothing worse than getting to your car in the morning when you’re in a rush, only to find it’s covered in frost. It’s freezing, you’ve probably woken up on the wrong side of the bed, and you just want to be at work so you can be at home faster. But whatever you do, don’t reach for the kettle to cure your frosty woes, as this will damage your vehicle, even if you can’t see it immediately. 

Green Flag warns: “It may seem logical that hot water will melt the ice, but if the water’s too hot, it could cause your windscreen to crack. Also, the water may spill on the ground and freeze, forming a dangerous patch of ice.”

It also puts the windscreen into thermal shock, which is the stress caused by a sudden change in temperature. The sudden temperature difference can weaken the glass and lead to costly damage, meaning it’s really not a good idea to try this.

One method Green Flag do recommend is using de-icer. They shared: “The best method is to invest in a can of de-icer and a scraper. Spray the de-icer all over the windscreen and then scrape off the melting ice with the ice scraper.  “Don’t be tempted to use a credit card or a CD case, as you could end up scratching your windscreen”.

Even better, a lot of time when you use de-icer, the ice just melts away, so you don’t even have to risk scraping your windscreen with anything, which is a win-win. TikToker @mjckitchensandbathrooms said that he tried the hack and was blown away by how well it worked.

It can be bought from as little as £2 from some retailers, and it promises to “melt ice fast” up to minus 15 degrees. In the comments of one person’s video, however, they warned that there are ingredients in de-icer that can be fatal for cats, so they urged caution if you’re using it and you or your neighbours have cats.

“Why are people acting like de-icer is a new invention?” one woman fumed in the comments of a man’s video. TikToker @shanefewster replied: “It is to a huge amount of new, inexperienced drivers… think of it as spreading awareness and hopefully we see less of those half-defrosted screens driving around.”

If caught with an unclear windscreen, you could face a fine of up to £100 and three penalty points on your license for driving with an obscured view. Ice and snow must be completely cleared from the windscreen, rear windows, side windows, lights, mirrors, and number plates.