Bizarre methods used to clear ice from cars

Snow and freezing conditions are predicted in many parts of the country this week, so InsuretheGap.com, a provider of Guaranteed Asset Protection (GAP) insurance, carried out a survey of over 800 UK drivers to find out the most common, as well as more bizarre, ways people de-ice their car.

The top ten methods to de-ice cars

The top ten methods to de-ice/scrape their car (when no scraper is to hand) are:

1. Credit cards (34 per cent)
2. Hands with gloves (28 per cent)
3. Car heater and heating windows (23 per cent)
4. Hot water (23 per cent)
5. Bare hands (11 per cent)
6. Spatula (9 per cent)
7. Broom (7 per cent)
8. CD (5 per cent)
9. Alcohol (2 per cent)
10. Dustpan (2 per cent)

The predictable credit card (34 per cent) is in first place, however a lot of people also said they broke their credit card doing this. This was closely followed by hands in gloves (28 per cent) and using the car heater and heated windows (23 per cent).

Nearly a quarter (23 per cent) say hot water, but be warned this can shatter the glass. More than one in ten (11 per cent) use bare hands, followed by a spatula, a broom, a CD, alcohol and a dustpan.

A good tip is putting warm water into a ziplock bag to melt the ice on the windscreen, however this could get messy if the bag bursts, which it did for some drivers. One driver’s method is throwing cold water over the windscreen, but they did get drenched in the process. Also, the perils of using water had led to some drivers’ key locks freezing up.

Other items drivers use include “The Husband”, “The Wife”, a plank of wood, breathing on it, a hairdryer on extension cable, a fan heater on an extension cable, an umbrella, screen wash and even urine.

However, the scraper remains by far the most popular way to defrost a car’s windscreen with two fifth (39 per cent) of people saying this. One driver still has their ‘Woolworths’ scraper from 40 years ago.

The survey also asked drivers what they carry in their car during the winter months. The majority take sensible precautions and have the following kit in their cars:

1. Scraper -75 per cent
2. Torch – 55 per cent
3. First Aid Kit – 54 per cent
4. De-Icer – 47 per cent
5. Winter clothing (gloves, jackets, scarfs) – 43 per cent
6. Blankets – 29 per cent
7. Shovel – 20 per cent
8. Emergency food and water (breakfast bars, tinned food) – 8 per cent
9. None of the above – 5 per cent
10. Bag of sand/salt – 3 per cent

Other things that people kept in the car during the winter included chocolate, battery pack for their mobile, sleeping bag, spare medication, winter boots, antifreeze and screen wash, tow rope, warning triangles and hi-viz jackets, jump leads and water. Only one in twenty (5 per cent) don’t take any extra supplies in their car in wintery conditions.

Ben Wooltorton, chief operating office of InsuretheGap.com, said, “It is always worth having a scraper with you, but if you do happen to forget, we hope that our research will prevent you from shattering your windscreen by using hot water, or scratching your paint work by using a broom, CD, or umbrella!”