Wiper fluid to wipe out the surface frost?

I wasn't sure myself, so just looked it up. The typical commercially available "all season" fluid contains methanol. The bottles don't say what percentage, just that it will protect to "-35 deg" or variations, ie "-45 deg", the latter being the coldest rating I've seen.

I use it year 'round, since we don't use that much, and the summer stuff's likely still in there around Christmas.

One observation I can make: no matter what the commercial stuff says, ie -35 deg, or better, it'll freeze onto the windshield, with temps even just below freezing. Leaving you with a bigger mess.

I've been using Toyota brand fluid, not sure if it's any better. It's rated to -40 fwiw. Not sure if that's centigrade or Celsius, think they're roughly the same at that temp zone.

Also been reading up: this stuff's not that nice for the environment, plus you tend to inhale vapours when using it, through the cabin air intake.

 

They do make washer fluid that is resistant to freezing. I use the Rain-X De-Icer washer fluid year-round. Usually you can also find the regular blue stuff in freeze resistant formula at the autoparts store too.

I always use my washer fluid to remove light frost on the windshield Most recently not so much since installing a remote starter.


Windshield Washer Fluid | AutoZone.com

 

I use a big bucket of hot water from the tab.

 

i hand scrape because i feel like the frost is bad for the wiper blades rubbers as you're removing it.

 

Try using one of these!

 

I hand scrape and defrost melt for the same reason.

Wiper blades used to be cheap enough not to worry about that kind of stuff, but they're getting to be a little too expensive to be used as de-icing equipment.

The green Rain-X stuff from Wally hasn't frozen up on me down to -10 or so. I don't recall what it's rated for.
I use it year-round.

 

I agree with bedrock8x... Some warm water in a bucket is enough to do all the windows and doesn't waste your hard earned money in the way all the other replies do. And if it's really cold out you'll need to get your wipers going before the warm water freezes!

 

That's what I'm currently using. Have had some ice covered nights and mornings. Seems to work very well at assisting in ice removal.

I use to do this. But when I admitted to doing so, everyone told me I was going to crack my windshield. Well even though I did do this for years with my older cars and never cracked a windshield, with the HUGE windshields of The Honda Fit and The Prius respectively, I've whimped out.

Anyone ever cracked a windshield using warm water? Or is this an urban myth?....started by the Windshield Fluid De-Icer people.

 

My dad flattens a cardboard box and places it under the wiper blades. The next morning the windshield is completely clear. No chemicals, no expense.

I'm among the few that uses the garage to park the car.

 

I've never damaged wiper blades from removing light frost on the windshield using wiper fluid. If I can remember, I always prop up my blades when I park my car so in the morning they aren't frozen to the window.

Using water rather than wiper fluid is a good idea. I'll have to try to remember that.

 

Using an ice scraper is good because the ice will take the dirt off the windshield as well.
If you are getting below freezing temps you want to have proper washer fluid in the tank than is resistant to freezing. If you don't you run the risk of destroying the pump, which is plastic and will break if it freezes.

The reason most windshield washer solutions freeze when sprayed and wiped (with the wipers) is the alcohol evaporates, dropping the temperature even more. Best to use when not moving and on a warmed windshield. i.e. use when you arrive to clean a dirty windshield so it's clean when you start out. It's fine to use it when driving once the car is blowing warm air. Use the defrost button to warm the windshield. A couple of tips here - turn off defrost long before your destination so the windshield will cool off so snow won't turn to ice on it when parked. Don't use to clean off frost, use a scraper. Be careful of the wiper blades - you can easily damage them with a scraper.

 

I keep a bottle of GM Optikleen around. Since it's concentrated, I pour it in the washer bottle with what's already in there when the temps drops and it works great.

 

I talked to a Russian about this very subject once and he laughed and just said he uses cheap Vodka. Apparently it never freezes!

(never tried it and not sure what it'll do to your paint!)

 

^^^ Well, it would definitely take the wax off to start!

 

I just use the cheap blue washer fluid. It protect from freezing down to 0 I think. It costs about 1.50 a gallon. I have tried the 3-4$ stuff but didn't see that much better results. So for $1.50 I can spray a bunch of washer fluid to help clear the frost and ice off and one gallon seems to last about a month of doing this. I used to live in MI my whole life and that was a different story.

 

Don't use glycerin or any kind of glycol as windshield wiper fluid. It will make a mess on the windshield such that you won't be able to see very well.

I've used isopropyl alcohol to lower the freezing point in the washer fluid reservoir after it started to freeze. It's the safest of the alcohols commonly available. Methyl alcohol is one of the worst. It dries out the rubber on the wiper blades, shortening their life. Isopropyl does that as well, just not as quickly. They also dried out the rubber holding the windshield in the body, by as they don't use that construction method any longer that's no longer a problem.

If you have trouble with icing, purchase some isopropyl alcohol and put a little in a small squirt container. Don't use "rubbing alcohol" as it usually contains some oil as well. The alcohol will get rid of the ice in 5-10 minutes. I also used to add it to the fuel tank, before the days of "ethanol" fuel, to ensure the fuel line wouldn't ice up. That is no longer a problem, with "up to" 10% ethyl alcohol added to our fuel.

 

can birds drink glycerol with no ill effects? i would like to keep my birdbath unfrozen as well.

 

I was thinking that too. My understanding was that the birds drink the water as well as preen their feathers with it. I wonder if there were a lot of drunk birds around that way?