1. Frozen lock and stuck car door
Frozen locks and doors are a real nuisance, as they literally prevent you from entering your car in the dead of winter. When it comes to these two issues, we’re here to tell you from experience that the best course of action is prevention. Simply applying some Vaseline or WD-40 into the lock and putting in the key to distribute the product through the lock will prevent it from freezing. When it comes to the car door, on the other hand, some regular old cooking spray will do - simply spray some on the doorframe and you’re golden. It’s important to repeat these procedures every year when you see that the weather is getting cold.
But what should you do when your door or lock is already frozen?
Luckily, there are a few quick fixes for that, too. If you have a lighter or some matches, carefully heat up your car key and put the key into the lock. The heat should melt the ice in the lock. Another option for a frozen lock is to take a straw and blow air into the frozen lock. The heat from your breath will slowly melt the ice.
Lastly, if your car door is stuck, the only viable method is melting the ice with a hairdryer. If you don’t have a blow dryer around, though, we say try to open any other doors in the car first. If all are stuck, try to hit the ice with the palm of your hand, in the hopes that it will shatter and loosen up the door.
2. Icy windows
Instead of scraping off the ice from icy windows every morning, save yourself some time and trouble and prevent them from occurring in the first place. To do so, you can cover the windows with rubber bath mats or, and this may sound strange but it works, rub a raw onion cut in half onto the windows the night before you expect a drop in temperatures.
Both of these methods really help you avoid frozen windows from occurring in the first place, but when the damage is already done, here’s what you can do. Mix vinegar with warm water in a 3:1 ratio and spray the solution directly on the windows to clear them from ice. You may need a few coats of the solution, but it really works!
3. Stuck windshield wipers
Another common issue that occurs in the winter is icy windshield wipers that are trapped in ice. To deal with or prevent the issue, the best course of action is to soak a towel or soft cloth with undiluted rubbing alcohol and wiping down each wiper blade. If heavy snow is expected in your area, it’s also useful to prop up the windshield wiper so that they don’t touch the window and don’t freeze the evening before the snow.
4. A foggy windshield
A fogged up windshield is definitely one of the biggest and most dangerous winter car issues, as the poor visibility can and does contribute to car accidents every year. Luckily, preventing your car window from fogging up is super easy, and you don’t even need to go out of your way and buy anti-fog liquid either.
Experts say that applying some shaving cream on the window is just as effective as anti-fog sprays or liquids, just make sure to use it sparingly and distribute it with a clean microfiber or cotton cloth for a streak-free finish. When the window does fog up, however, all you have to do is turn on the air conditioning and blast some air on the windows and it will go away in a few moments. To see how these tricks work in action, view our post What Is the FASTEST Way to Defog the Car Window?
5. When your car is trapped in snow
It’s not so serious when the windows are a bit foggy and you have to wait for it to go away, but what do you do when you literally cannot move the vehicle because it’s stuck in snow? One of the best tricks to use is kitty litter, just sprinkle some of it near the tires in the direction you’ll be moving and it should provide enough traction for you to get a head start. We even know drivers who carry a bag of kitty litter in their trunks all winter.
However, if you don’t have a cat and you need a solution asap, another trick you can use is this: place floor mats behind the tires, then gently rock the car back and forth to gain momentum, and then start moving when you notice that the car got some traction. As simple as that.
6. Side mirrors covered in ice
Removing ice from side mirrors is no different from clearing it from windows, so just use some rubbing alcohol or the vinegar and water solution we mentioned earlier if you need a quick solution. But if you want to prevent the side mirrors from freezing over, simply place plastic bags over the side mirrors and fasten the bags with some string or rubber bands, as simple as that!
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