How to Remove Windshield Ice Without an Ice Scraper

Snow and ice storms can present challenges for car owners. One of the biggest issues drivers face is removing the ice from both their driver's windshield and the rear windshield of the vehicle. The easy answer is to use an ice scraper, but sometimes a driver is caught in a storm that has created ice on his windshield and does not have an ice scraper in his car. In this situation, a little improvisation is required to remove the ice.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Start the engine and turn the thermostat on the car as high as it will go. Set the fan for the air circulation inside the car to the highest setting.

2. Set the heater to the setting for defrost on your vehicle. This is usually represented by a small image of a windshield.

3. Check your wallet for a hard piece of plastic. This piece of plastic might be a frequent shopper card from a local grocery store, a wallet-sized calendar notecard, an expired credit card, or an insurance card.

4. Choose a card that you do not mind if it gets damaged slightly. The grocery store frequent shopper card is usually a good choice, considering grocery stores will allow you to enter your phone number at the register instead of scanning your card.

5. Hold the card at a 45-degree angle to the windshield with one edge toughing the windshield.

6. Apply pressure pushing the card in one direction away from you. Typically starting at the end of the windshield and pushing towards the center works best. This will start to remove the ice from your windshield.

7. Remove any light ice scrapings from the windshield by brushing them with your hand. If possible, use a glove while doing this to prevent your hands from becoming too cold.

8. Use short strokes of three to six inches with the card while scraping your windshield. Allow the combination of the friction of the card with the heat from the defrosters inside the vehicle to clear the ice.

9. Repeat steps five through seven for each of the windows of the car.

Tips & Warnings

• If the layer of ice is very thick, do not try to remove the entire layer at one time. Remove some at a time from the top of the layer, while the defrosters in your car are weakening the bottom of the layer that is closest to the window. After removing the top layer, the layers closer to the windshield and touching the windshield will be easier to remove.
• Do not use a plastic card with a jagged edge on it, as this edge may scratch your windshield. A smooth edge will limit the chances of scratching the windshield but will not remove that risk entirely.