This morning, I woke up to something I was not too prepared for. The snowfall in Sierra Vista and Bisbee had completely coated my car in ice, making my commute to work impossible, as I couldn't see a thing out of any of the windows.

A frozen over car windshield
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Luckily, it snowed enough in North Georgia, where I was raised, to know just enough on how to prepare my car after a freeze, and I'd like to impart this wisdom on to any Arizona drivers that have never had to worry about this.

How to Easily Defrost Your Car's Windows

You can defrost your windows in a matter of minutes, with nothing more than household items. All you'll need is a cup of room temperature water and you're set. Please remember that this must be ROOM TEMPERATRE, as hotter water runs the risk of cracking the windows.

A defrost button for front and back windows
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Step 1: Turn your car on

Step 2: Set your heater to defrost (a slightly curved rectangle with three squiggly pointing upwards)

Step 3: Turn on A/C while defrost is running

Step 4: Turn off Air Recirculation, allow new air to enter the car

Step 5: Crack your windows

Step 6: Slowly (SLOWLY) pour room temperature water over frozen areas from top-to-bottom.

Step 7: If you have one, use an ice scraper to move the disrupted ice off. Never force your movement. If the ice is stuck, use more water and dislodge it. If you don't own an ice scraper, I recommend using a jacket sleeve or something similar to move the ice away.

Someone using a ice scraper on their front window
Credit: Canva
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Stay Safe on Frozen Roads!

If you'd like to get this done without all this hullabaloo, there's another solution that can get you out even faster. Simply mix 2/3 of a cup of isopropyl alcohol and 1/3 cup of water into a spray bottle, then slowly spray the mixture on the affected window. This will clear the ice about as quickly as the previous method, and this mixture will not freeze back on, no matter how cold the temperature is outside.

[Glass Doctor]

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