It’s one of those days: you woke up late and you are running behind. As you head outside to start the car, you find it’s covered in ice. The extra 15 minutes it will take to scrape and warm it up are going to make you late for work or school. While it may not help today, these essential winter hacks might make your life a little easier the next time another cold front sends temperatures plunging across the country.
Autos:
- Spray a mixture of two parts rubbing alcohol and one part water on a windshield to instantly de-ice it (and also unstick frozen windshield wipers)
- Use WD 40 in to prevent frozen key holes
- Thaw frozen car door locks and handles with hand sanitizer
- Park your vehicle with the windshield facing east to help defrost it when the sun rises
- Use kitty litter or car mats to provide traction if you get stuck
- Put plastic bags over unheated side mirrors overnight to keep them ice free
- Place a blanket or sheet on the windshield to keep it ice free overnight
- Cover wiper blades overnight with old socks so they will be ice and snow free in the morning
Around the House:
- Coat snow shovels with non-stick cooking sprays – the snow will slide off easier (this also worked on the plastic sleds my daughter and I used for sliding down hills faster)
- Slip old bread bags or sandwich bags over socks to make them water proof
- Use closet shoe organizers for gloves and scarves
- Take lukewarm showers to battle dry skin
- Place tin foil on walls behind radiators and space heaters to reflect more of the heat back into the room
- Leave the oven door open after cooking – the residual heat will add warmth to the house
- Run ceiling fans clockwise to push warm air down to living areas
- Open curtains and blinds on sunny days to let the sun warm your home
- Put hot water bottles or warm pans on cold sheets to warm them before you hop in bed
- Place a tray with pebbles inside the doorway to drain icy, wet shoes and boots to keep floors cleaner and drier
- Use a solution of two parts rubbing alcohol and one part hot water to safely remove ice from outside steps and sidewalks
Oh, and for those of you living in more temperate climates, keep these handy in case Mother Nature throws one of her occasional frozen curve balls and you’re stuck in a personal scene from the movie Frozen.
What winter weather hacks do you use? Share them with us so we can pass them along too.
You don’t need any hacks to make sure you have insurance to protect your auto and home; just call a California Casualty advisor today for a policy review or comparison at 1.800.800.9410 or visit www.calcas.com.
Sources for this article:
https://www.wimp.com/easy-way-to-remove-ice-from-car-windshield/
https://www.weather.com/safety/winter/news/winter-lifehacks
https://pioneersettler.com/cold-weather-hacks/
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