7 Clever Winter Car Care Tricks That Can Save You a Great Deal of Time and Trouble

Winter is generally a sad time of year for drivers, as cold months often uncover the biggest motoring concerns. Changing the tires, cleaning snow and ice off the car in the morning, defogging the windshield and windows — this is hardly a complete list of challenges that winter driving can present.

We at Bright Side have put together 7 simple winter car care tips and tricks that will help you get your car ready for the cold snowy weather.

Frozen doors

How to prevent car doors from freezing shut? Using a regular cooking spray that can be found in any supermarket will help you forget about this pesky problem. Just spray it onto the rubber seals around the car doors, and rub it in with a paper towel.

Foggy windows

How to solve the problem: When the windows fog up, a great and easy way to fix it is by rubbing them with a chalkboard eraser. This trick will easily clear a foggy windshield or window without leaving a smudgy mess behind.

How to prevent: Fill an old stocking or a cloth bag with kitty litter, and place it under the seat of your car. The litter will absorb moisture and prevent fog from ever happening.

A piece of advice: Don’t leave open water bottles or other drinks in your car overnight.

Icy windows

How to solve the problem: Mix vinegar with water (use a 3:1 ratio), and spray this solution onto icy windows to clear them.

How to prevent it: If you find your car’s windows are already frozen, there is one simple way to de-ice them quickly. In a spray bottle, mix the following ingredients: 20 fl oz of rubbing alcohol, 6.7 fl oz of water, and 1 drop of dish detergent. Spray the mixture onto icy windows, and the ice will melt away.

Frosty side mirrors

How to prevent: To avoid ice on side mirrors you can cover them overnight with plastic bags fitted in place with rubber bands. When you take off the plastic bags the following day, you’ll see that the mirrors are ice-free and you won’t have to clean them!

If your car is stuck in snow

In fact, unless your car is buried in snow up to the windows, it is quite easy to get unstuck without anyone’s assistance.

How to solve the problem: If you drive your car on cold snowy days, it is a good idea to keep a couple of bags of kitty litter in your trunk. If your car becomes stuck in hard snow or ice, sprinkle some cat litter in front of the tires, and you will get out of your tough situation easily.

Another great trick for getting your car out of a snowbank is by using your floor mats. Take out the floor mats from the car, and place them under the tires. This will usually give you just enough traction to get free.

Frozen or foggy headlights

How to prevent: First, clean the headlights thoroughly and let them dry. Then apply a thin layer of wax. It will prevent snow and moisture from accumulating on your lights, so you’ll be able to get wherever you need to go safely this winter. Plus, the protection will last for weeks.

Frozen car lock

How to solve the problem: One easy way to fix a frozen car lock is by using regular hand sanitizer. The alcohol in it will remove the ice and allow you to unlock your car. Just put a few drops of hand sanitizer onto your key or into the keyhole, and watch it work its magic.

You can also use an old trusted method to fix this problem. Heat your car key with a match or lighter, and insert it into the lock. Just be careful not to burn yourself.

How to prevent it: To keep a car lock from freezing, try spraying a little WD-40 into the keyhole. If you take a moment to do this simple procedure before the cold days of winter hit, you’ll save yourself a lot of trouble!