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Once winter rolls around, adjust your morning routine to allow time to de-ice. Start setting your alarm to go off at least ten minutes earlier than normal. This way you can do a thorough job without feeling rushed (and potentially botching the job!). There are a couple of household ingredients that you can potentially use as a homemade substitute, but only use those as a last resort. For the best results, go with a product that was specifically designed to do the job without damaging your car in any way. Always stock up on some professionally-made de-icer before winter arrives.  De-icer can be found online, at auto parts stores, and the automotive sections at stores like Walmart and Target. Be sure to keep one can of de-icer in your car just in case it ices over somewhere other than home. Give your windshield and other windows a generous spray of your de-icer. Start at the top and then work your way down to the bottom. This way the de-icer will start running down the windows, which means it will cover more ice without you having to waste more product. Definitely use an ice scraper for this, and not some other tool. Again, you want to protect your windows from damage, so use a tool that’s meant for this specific job. Apply plenty of pressure with each stroke, and scrape as far as you can reach in one long, continuous motion. Don’t chip away over one tiny area, because this could scratch the glass underneath. Use the scraper’s brush end (or a separate brush if it doesn’t have one) to clear the loose ice off the window.  If the ice is being stubborn, spray it with more de-icer to loosen it up instead of hacking away at it. If your reach is short, choose a scraper with a nice long handle to extend it further. Once you’ve cleared the driver’s side, you may feel the urge to just leave the passenger-side of your windshield and all the other windows as they are if you’re in a rush. Fight that urge and take the time to remove all the ice. Keep in mind that local laws may require you to do this. Even if they don’t, take the time anyway. Don’t limit your field of vision when driving. Now that all the ice has been cleared from the windshield, make sure the wipers haven’t frozen to them. Spray the wipers with de-icer if necessary so you can raise them. Then spray some de-icer into a cloth and rub it over the wipers’ blades. Set the wipers back down into place. When you start the car, turn them on to make sure they function normally. Your windows are the most obvious things that need to be cleared, but keep in mind local laws probably state that others need to be, too. Once the big job is done, scan your car to see if ice or snow is blocking anything else that needs to be uncovered. If needed, de-ice your:  Tail and headlights Turn signals License plate(s)
Give yourself time to work. Keep formulated de-icer on hand. Spray windows from the top down. Scrape and brush off the ice. Clear all of the ice from each window. De-ice and test the windshield wipers. Check other areas.