Frosty windshield

It is getting to be that time of year...
RainX helps, but I'm thinking of buying something like this

A heated Garage works much better.

and I was thinking 29.99 sounded kinda pricey now your talking 29,990.00

the concept is there , I am curios how convenient it is to take off and put on

report back how it works

Get a ice scraper with a brass edge.

https://www.snowjoe.com/products/snow-joe-edge-ice-scraper-with-brass-blade

Once you get one and use it , you will never want a plastic one again. Cleans in one pass. Lasts for years. Doesn't scratch the glass.

Better hope you don't get a freezing rain. Seen people put cardboard on in the winter. After a freezing rain they were scraping a long time.

I just run the vehicle for 5-10 minutes with the blower on high.
I can see how some might be concerned letting the vehicle run for 10 minutes in the morning with global warming and all.

let the vehicle run a little while it good to let it warm up

Bucket of Rather Hot water

No! My mom did this when I was a kid. I sat in the car and watched a crack shoot across the windshield the second the water touched the glass.

X2
Not a good idea, especially with newer cars. Windshields are purposefully very thin now to save weight. Thermal shock will ruin one very quickly. I've seen many a windshield replaced on modern cars from just going over a hard bump.

do not use hot water

even a drinking glass of hot water can shoot cracks across your windshield. the exterminator at my wifes work last year was from the Caribbean islands his daughert did just this , glass of hot water pop the windshield cracked.

Now some one will call me a horrible fuel waster , the will likely say this as they pull their car from the heated garage that was kept at 50 all night.

I just go out ad start up the vehicles about 15 minutes before it is time to go

dust off just enough snow to get the drivers door open and start and set the defrost to high

10-15 minutes later the snow has kept the heat in and the snow can be pushed off

I am more tempted to get one of these https://www.fleetfarm.com/store/det...pBhWNyZb55iSJWXBBKTbNDHA4wxoCz3gQAvD_BwE

saw them using something similar at a car dealership a bunch of years ago , I have been using a car wash brush but the foam car squeegee would probably work better


freezing rain is bad

I have had one for years. They are the bomb. Car dealerships have been using them for a long time. Way , way better than the silly snowbrushes. I've seen people use a push broom , but some of them can scratch your paint.

I modified mine (Tim Allen in me...lol) get a 4ft-6ft extendable painter's pole. Look for one that is easy to extend with winter gloves on , not fussy. I have one ( can't remember the brand) that is easy to operate with gloves and the handle is covered in black foam like material which is nice in the cold and gives you a better grip.

You can clear off a decent sized car in under 2 mins with little effort. The pole I have gives you the length to clear off a taller vehicle like an SUV with ease. Also with the added length you can pull the snow off from a slight distance having it drop at your feet as apposed getting it all over you.

Got one for the girlfriend , she hated cleaning off her car , took a while and got snow everywhere. She loves it so much , she now helps her neighbor's clean their cars.

While Iam in my underware...sipping my coffee....I push that top button and hold it for 5 seconds...and the truck starts up....and the on board computer figures out if it needs heat or AC....and automatically turns the defroster on. And you don’t have to pre set any controls the night before.

Love them GMC ‘s

That's a well worn fob Nessie.

Yup....it belongs to my 2015...

A couple more tips to make your life easier. Like AJE said , Rain-X on the windshield helps. Go one further , now is the time to get a good coat of wax on your vehicle before the cold weather sets in. Makes it much easier. The snow just slides off and keeps your vehicle cleaner with all the salt/dirt on the roads.
Clean the inside of your door jams. The dirt that collects there holds water which causes your doors to freeze up. Wipe down the rubber weatherstrip on the door and put a little silicone on a rag and wipe them down to keep it free of dirt and water. Squirt a little graphite into your door lock to keep that from freezing.
If possible put your wiper blades upright into the air overnight just before a snow event. Some cars you can do this , some you cannot.
DO NOT try to break loose frozen wiper blades from the windshield by just turning them on. Gently pry them loose before using. I've seen many a wiper blade and wiper motor ruined by this. Some manufacturers purposefully make the end of the wiper arm where it connects to the wiper motor stud out of aluminum. This way the wiper blade breaks instead of the motor.

Also , if your vehicle is having difficulty starting now , It will get much worse when it gets cold. First really good cold snap the tow truck guys are buried for no-start problems. Batteries fly off the shelves too. Tire shops get clobbered after the first snowfall , long lines and waiting. No lines right now.

In lieu of auto start, a kid will work in pinch.

Here's a way to beat cold seats and a frosted windshield. I use a small heater setting on the drivers side floor and just leave the setting on low or where ever you want it. I run the cord thru the bottom of the door (weather stripping seems to give, never pinching the cord) when I shut it. I have an extension cord running from my cabin to where I park my truck. Been doing this for 20 years. Never had a problem. Use a little bit of elec ? Sure, but a warm cab or clean windshield is worth a few dollars to me. Especially if I get called out in the middle of the nite for my job. Or early morn before sun up going to run my line
.

And just so you know......All batteries are only good for 5 years....reguardless of mileage....So if your vehicle is 2016 or older, replace that battery

Great way to ruin your windshield, I have seen several cracked or shattered from doing this when folks have no clue

Been using an old piece of carpet bout 10 years now.

The problem with light weight covering like a tarp is it needs waited or bungee in place if there is much of a breeze.

Sounds interesting. Always looking for new ideas. Details ?
Placement of pile up or down ?
Type of carpet thin/thick ?
Type of pile , short ? Material , Berber (wool) Astroturf, nylon , polypropylene?
Any issues like sticking with a freezing rain or to the metal surrounding the windshield?

This is true. But I Have seen where people go from door to the other door over the windshield with a covering and just tuck in the ends before you shut each door.

my father in law did this with about a 6mil peice of black plastic , door to door

and put the wipers down on it also

some decent magnets could work also when you have strong winds probably not much going to work well.

come on , one of my favorite winter activities last week of dec of first 2 of January temp -20 or lower and I jump the car that needs a battery drive it to the store with both sets of keys let it run in the parking lot until I go in and make sure they have a battery , then go out shut it off quick change the battery by now it's noonish and only -10 or if I am real lucky it warmed right up to 0 change the bat then run the core back in for my 10 dollars.

Newer batteries , true. They don't make them like they used too. Most batteries I've had in the last few years , only last about 5 years.
Had I guy I worked with , he owned an older Honda Civic. Got 21 years out of the factory original battery. Car was always outside , no garage. Amazing. Very lucky.

I have hard a Frost Guard Cover for about 5 years.. Love it.. It keeps the snow from getting area where your windshield Wipers and Hood come together.. Keeps ice and snow off the window.. It takes about 15 seconds to put on..

Pile UP, type isn't important.
thickness isn't important, its mainly for weight to stay in place, i occaisionally had to put a shovel or limb on the roof to hold down if real windy

with freezing rain predicted, i use a tarp bungy'd in place cuz carpet will get stuck pretty bad.

X2

Been doing it for 30 yrs. never had a problem.