What can I use if I dont have ice scraper?

Let’s face it: while clearing our cars of snow and ice is not necessarily a fun job, it’s a necessary one. For the majority of us who do not have access to covered parking, it is just another task that we have to add to our commute time throughout the snowy season.

But is it really the way that we should be clearing our cars? While car ice scrapers certainly are the most common tool to be used to clear car windshields, it can be quite a tedious tool not to mention that if it is used incorrectly it can result in serious damages that will require professional repair at an auto body shop.

Additionally, it is a good idea to familiarize yourself with other ways to clean off a car in case you find yourself in a situation where you have an icy and snowy car without a scraper. Here are five safe alternatives to using an ice scraper:

Five Alternative Tools To Using An Ice Scraper

1. Defrost Setting

First, let’s start with the obvious option. Conveniently, our cars already have a kind of built-in de-icer that comes in the form of our defrost settings. Even if you are taking an ice scraper to your car’s windows, you can always make the process easier on yourself by turning on your vehicle and allowing the defrost settings to do their job. In some situations, your car’s defrost setting combined with your windshield wipers may be enough to take care of any windshield buildup.

2. Credit Card

If you are dealing with a thin layer of snow and ice and do not have a scraper on hand, you can always use a flat kind of card as a credit card to take the snow and ice off. It may not work with high precipitation volumes, but it is safe to do in a pinch. It is also handy because it is an item that you are almost always guaranteed to have on hand.

3. Diluted Rubbing Alcohol

If you are looking for another way to remove snow and ice from your vehicle, a 2:1 ratio of rubbing alcohol and water can do the trick. You can let it do its job by simply spraying the mixer on the snow and ice that is on your windshield, waiting a moment, and then using your windshield wipers to remove it. Magic!

4. Vinegar and Water

Vinegar is another liquid that can make magic happen when mixed with water. However, this is more of a preventative approach than it is a reactive one. If you mix 3:1 apple cider vinegar and water together and apply it to your windshield at night, it can help prevent the formation of ice and snow.

5. Salt Water

Saltwater is also another effective way to prevent the formation of snow and ice. However, it should only be used if you have no other options at hand, as it goes without saying that the glass on your car is a lot less hearty than the surface of sidewalks, the area that salt is most often used to prevent ice! It’s okay to use one tablespoon of salt with two cups of warm water on your windshield on occasion, though, though you should always remove excess levels of snow and ice before applying the solution.

Best Auto Body Shop Is Here For You

If your car has been damaged by snow and ice, Grandcity is here for you. As a Vancouver auto body shop focused on customer satisfaction, we pride ourselves on our wonderful reviews and recommendations. Give us a call today to see what we can do for you!

As if we weren't already exhausted from dealing with flu season and dry skin, there's now harsh, icy weather on the way for most of the United States. And if you commute to work in a car, you know what that means!

When the temps drop below freezing, it's pretty much guaranteed you'll have to trudge outside, start the car so it begins heating up, and fumble around for your ice scraper so you can start clearing off your windows and, you know, actually see the road when you're driving.

But what if you don't have an ice scraper on hand? Maybe you just moved up north and are dealing with ice for the first time, or maybe you just don't know where the dang thing went since last winter.

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Either way, don't panic—a brilliant mind over on Reddit came up with an alternative solution using a kitchen item most people have on hand: plastic food containers.

User castewar posted this video in r/lifehacks demonstrating his nifty trick for scraping ice off his car window using a plastic food container just big enough to fit in his hand. He suggests skipping purchasing that round ice-scraper advertising on Facebook, and just rifling through your plastic food container drawer instead. In literally five seconds, he scrapes off every bit of ice, making his window see-through again. Genius!

(Video courtesy of u/castewar)

One commenter makes a fair point: The ice he's working with in this video isn't the heaviest of layers, so who knows how this hack will hold up after a major blizzard or ice storm. But next time you're stranded without an ice scraper and need to get on the road ASAP, grab one of your plastic food containers and give this trick a shot—it could save your morning.

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Jenae is the editorial assistant for Prevention.com, where she regularly covers nutrition, beauty, celebrity workouts, and health trends. Previously, she was an intern at ELLE and CountryLiving.com and a web producer for O, the Oprah Magazine. When she’s not writing about health and wellness, Jenae is either playing video games or reading tweets about The Bachelor.

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