If you ever find yourself trapped on the side of the road in the snow unexpectedly, you should always keep socks in your glove box to put over your shoes. This will help create friction so you don’t slip on the snow/ice and can walk to where you need to go in order receive help. Socks over your shoes can also be helpful if you have to push your car out of a snow bank.
There’s nothing worse than driving on a cold day and finding your windshield fogging up in the middle of busy traffic. Thankfully, you don’t need to spend a lot of money to solve this problem. All you need to do is wipe down the inside of your windshield with shaving cream and then wipe it clean. You will find that your windshield stays crystal clear no matter what the temperature.
You never know when you might need to call on a friend (or stranger) for some road side assistance in the dead of winter, and let us tell you it can be a real job depending on the situation you’re in. We suggest always having some $5.00 gift cards on hand to give out as a “thank you” for help. You’d be surprised how far showing appreciation can get you.
One way to defrost your windshield naturally is by parking it where it will face the morning sunrise. As the sun rises, the heat will melt the ice and snow, saving you a good few minutes of ice scraping . And believe us when we say, every minute counts in rush hour traffic during the middle of winter.
One of the biggest problems when it comes to driving in ice and snow is maintaining wheel traction. Many times your car can begin to “lift off” the ice/snow and start to glide. Therefore, you need to weigh down your vehicle. Some people place weights in their trunk so they can maintain traction and manage to keep stable on the road. Try it out sometime.
If you find yourself with a frozen windshield and no ice scraper, all you need is a credit card. Simply use an edge on the ice and begin to scrape it up and off your windshield. However, if the ice is too thick don’t attempt this as you could break your credit card.
Whenever you are driving on the road during the winter season it’s best to be on the defense. While you can trust your own driving skills in the sleet and snow, you can’t be so sure other drivers know what they’re doing. The best thing you can do is be prepared for anything and maintain your distance from other vehicles.
One problem that drivers have during the winter is their windshield wipers becoming frozen to the windshield. Thankfully, we’ve got a simple and cheap solution–socks! All you need to do is slip a sock over each wiper, and you will no longer have to worry about it freezing and becoming damaged. Piece of cake!
Or buy a pair of snow socks for your car!
One important factor when you drive during the winter is to keep up on your car’s basic maintenance. You don’t want to find yourself with a flat tire or your engine going kaput. Tires are extremely important to keep up to snuff during the winter months, so if they are balding replace them ASAP.
Also you can rub vaseline on to the rubbers, this makes access easier and stops them tearing.
One really easy way to defrost a keyhole is to use hand sanitizer. Yep, it’s true. The alcohol in the sanitizer helps unfreeze the keyhole so you can get your key in and unlock your car. Just squirt some over the hole and insert your key and it will slide right in!
Frosty and foggy side mirrors can be very dangerous while driving in the snow when there is limited visibility. One way to avoid this is by using plastic bags to cover your side mirrors when you aren’t driving. This will keep ice from freezing over the mirrors and allow you to always have optimal viewpoints while driving.
During the cold winter months, your average windshield wiper fluid isn’t going to cut it. In fact, it can be downright useless and can end up adding another layer to the ice already there. For this homemade solution you mix 1 part rubbing alcohol with one part anti-grease hand soap or detergent. You will be amazed at how well it removes the ice from your windshield.
One way to avoid hydroplaning and spinning out on the ice is by installing chains on your tires. These help maintain traction on the snow and ice so you can drive safely through the winter. It’s important that you get tire-specific chains so you don’t tear up your wheels, so always inquire with a professional when installing them.