This time of year gets so frigid that I can almost hear my poor car pleading for me to not take her out into the snow! Driving during the winter can be a harrowing experience at times, so who can blame my car for wanting to stay put? But this year I am committed to being more proactive about preparing for the worst that winter driving has to offer.
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So I put together a list of useful car-related tips that should help me survive all my winter driving. And I’ll be sharing that list with you today, so you can feel more prepared too! So without further ado, here’s my list of 12 helpful (and often surprising!) winter car care tips for surviving winter driving.
12 Car Hacks That Will Help You Survive Winter
1. Foggy Windshield Fixes
During the winter months, fogged-up and frosty windshields can be a constant issue. To quickly eliminate the fog without creating a mess of smudges, use a chalkboard eraser! It works really well, and it’s easy to store in your glove box or center console.
Another tip for dealing with a foggy windshield is to make sure your car’s air recirculation is turned off. The air in your car is already humid, and humid air contributes to windshield fogging. Use the fresh air intake option instead, which will pull in dry air from outside. The dry air will help take care of the fog in no time!
2. Fog-Proof Your Windshield
While the tips I mentioned above will help you get rid of fog on your windshield, there are also ways to prevent fog from forming in the first place! Here are a few you can try:
- Smear shaving cream on the inside of your windshield, then wipe it off. You’ll leave behind a thin layer of shaving cream, which contains some of the same ingredients and commercial defoggers.
- Fill a stocking or sock with kitty litter and leave it in your car overnight. The litter will help absorb moisture that would otherwise collect on your windshield.
- Before you turn your car off every night, open the windows for a few seconds to let the cold, dry air in. This dry air will help dehumidify your car overnight.
- Don’t leave water bottles or other drinks in your car overnight. The moisture from them can contribute to a foggy windshield.
3. Keep Socks In Your Glovebox
Having a pair of socks at the ready in your car can be really useful during the winter! You can pull them on over your shoes if you ever need to push your car out of ice or snow. (The socks provide a little extra traction that makes it easier to find your footing.)
Another way to use socks is to cover your wiper blade overnight! Just raise your wiper blades and slip the socks over the ends. The socks will help prevent ice from forming on the blades, which will make your de-icing process much easier in the morning.
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4. Fix For Frozen Wiper Blades
During the winter, make sure to fill your car with washer fluid that is rated for cold weather. It can help melt the ice that’s clinging to your wiper blades in the morning. It can also be a quick way to defrost your whole windshield if the ice is thin enough!
5. Impromptu Ice Scraper
Can’t find your ice scraper and need to get going? Grab a plastic spatula from your kitchen, or use a plastic card from your wallet! (It’s best to use a card that you don’t mind losing, in case it accidentally snaps while you’re scraping the ice.)
6. Windshield Parking Hack
Let Mother Nature defrost your windshield for you! If you can, park your car facing east. This ensures that your windshield will get a bit of extra warmth from the sun as it rises in the morning. Your wiper blades may be able to take care of the remaining frost—no scraping required!
7. Thaw Frozen Car Doors & Locks
For frozen locks, try heating your key with a match or lighter. Gently push it into the lock to melt the ice. (Just be careful not to burn yourself!)
Another option for thawing frozen locks is to use a drinking straw. Just aim the straw at the lock, and blow air into it. The heat from your breath will start melting the ice, and you’ll have that door open in no time!
And finally, you can use hand sanitizer to fix frozen doors and locks. Just rub a layer of hand sanitizer over the frozen area and let the alcohol melt the ice.
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8. Prevent Frozen Doors
Sick of having to unstick frozen doors? Prevent them from freezing in the first place with a bit of cooking spray. Just spritz a bit of it where the door seals. This acts as a “waterproofer” to prevent water from seeping in and freezing your door shut.
Related: 13 Amazing Things You Can Do With A Can Of Cooking Spray
9. Keep Side Mirrors From Freezing
You can prevent your side mirrors from freezing overnight just by covering them up! You can use a plastic shopping bag, a ziplock bag, or whatever you can find to slide over the mirrors. Tie the end or keep it in place with a rubber band, and your mirrors will remain ice-free overnight!
10. Fast Headlight Fix
Having bright, working headlights is especially important during the dark and snowy winter months. If your headlight covers could use a cleaning, just cover them with a layer of toothpaste. Let it sit for a minute or two, then rinse the toothpaste off with warm water.
This toothpaste treatment will help remove the film on your headlights so they shine more brightly. It’s a quick and easy fix that’s much cheaper than buying a special headlight cleaner product!
11. Get Un-Stuck Fast
Keep a bag or two of heavy cat litter in your trunk on snowy days. It will help add weight to your car, which can help give your tires a bit more traction in the snow and ice. And you can sprinkle the litter under the tires if you get stuck! This will give your tires something to grip onto and improve your chances of getting out of that snowbank.
Another useful tip for getting your car out of a snowbank is to use your floor mats. Just lay them down in the snow in front of your tires. They’ll provide more traction for your tires and help you get your car moving. (Just don’t forget to pick them back up before you drive away!
12. Make A Winter Emergency Kit
Weather can be unpredictable during the winter, so it’s a good idea to keep emergency supplies in your car just in case. Start with a spare outfit that can keep you warm if you happen to get stranded. Follow these steps:
- Unzip a winter coat
- Put a thick pair of socks, long underwear, hat, gloves, scarf, and snow pants inside the coat
- Zip the coat up and stash the outfit in your trunk
You should also keep additional supplies in your car that could save your life in a winter weather emergency. Here are a few suggestions:
- Flashlights
- Warm blanket
- Charged battery pack for your phone
- Hand and foot warmers
- Bottles of water
- Energy bars
Now that you have these helpful tips, you’ll be able to face any winter driving challenge with confidence!
What’s your best tip for surviving winter driving?
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My brother-in-law told me about the windshield covers at Walmart (<$10). What a godsend! No more scraping ice off the front window; snow flips right off. Big timesaver.
Unfortunitly, the most important emergency item, bottled water, freezes in the winter if left in the car, and is useless.
Weight in your trunk only works if you have rear wheel drive. A heavy duty tow chain works better under the wheels than kitty litter and if you are really stuck someone may be able to pull you out. I had a feed business for 10 years and delivered to a lot of farms on back roads in heavy snow country in Ontatio. Picture a 8 ton truck with dual wheels and 12′ dry van body. Can’t tell you the number of times chain under wheels got me out. Just don’t let anyone stand behind vehicle in case it gets… Read more »
Charlotte tell me do you just lay chain in front of tires want to try this but don’t no how. Sorry for not understanding my ex always said I was dumb. Thank you
Tanne, you are not dumb! Good thing he’s your ex!
Asking a question for clarification is never a bad thing. At least you ask so you can learn. Much better than remaining silent in an attempt to save face and never learn anything. That would be dumb!
He y my name is tanne also
I have tried the cat litter (non-clumping) hack before and it NEVER has worked. I live in Michigan so we get quite a bit of snow.
Great ideas. I’ve heard that before about the candles. We did a church activity years ago about things to keep in cars during wintertime and for emergencies. Luckily I live somewhere where we don’t get a lot of snow. But, we can get the bitter biting cold here in the Midwest.
The absolute best solution I ever use is to put your wind shield setting on heat defrost and turn your ac on. It takes the the fog out immediately.
Get a small steel bucket or steel ( metal coffee can) to keep the lit candle in, You would be surprised at the amount of heat it generates, Also Bread Bags to keep over feet and hands, to help keep them warm. I used to walk to school with a sock, bread bag, another sock, inside my boot. It kept my feet from slippin inside my boot and my feet extra warm. I got laughed at , but my feet and hands never got cold. Came in handy during the Blizzaard of 1078.
The link for the chalkboard eraser goes to instead to a
whiteboard eraser. Please clarify which it should be.
Either works for this purpose!
I once heard on the news that the warmth of one candle had kept a person stuck in a snow drift from freezing to death. A large flat candle and a lighter or book of matches might be a good addition to a winter kit. Also, my husband was once caught at his workspace for 3 days. He was warm, they even had showers, but since they continued to work he said that the dirty socks make his feet uncomfortable. So after that, I also added a pair of socks and a change of underclothing.
i use rubbing alcohol 4 my windshield 2 stop from freezing works well
Isopropyl alcohol can be poisonous to cats and dogs, so use with extra caution.