We all know how challenging driving in winter can be, especially if you can’t really see where you’re going, so it pays to know how to clear your windscreen properly. After all, a car’s windscreen bears the brunt of all the muck and gunk that gets thrown up off the road by other vehicles’ tyres. And it freezes up overnight.
But keeping the windscreen clear isn’t just about keeping your car looking nice and clean. You can’t really drive safely in winter if you can’t see out of the car properly. Indeed, the police will stop cars with obscured windscreens and fine the driver up to £1,000.
In this guide, we’re going to explain how to clear your windscreen with the best tips and tricks for keeping your car’s windscreen clear this winter.
Keep the screenwash topped up
It’s amazing how much screenwash you can get through in winter. Some roads are so filthy that you need to clear the windscreen every few minutes. Even in town, you can’t escape road grime as every vehicle brings muck with it. And that means it’s easy to find yourself running out of screenwash part-way through a journey.
Most of the time, you’ll be able to stop at a fuel station to use the water line, but you never know if it’s going to be working. Better, then, to avoid getting into that situation in the first place. Pay attention to how often you use the screenwash and top it up as often as necessary.
If you mostly drive in town, topping up once a week may suffice. But if you’re doing a lot of driving, it might need doing after every journey. It’s an essential element of a winter car check, as well. Make sure you use a winter screenwash mix that contains anti-freeze. You don’t want it to solidify in the reservoir or lines. Using a rain repellent spray on the windscreen can help, as well.
Clean the windscreen edges
A car’s wipers don’t cover the whole of its windscreen, leaving a band round the edge that can get very dirty very quickly. That dirt can obscure your view, particularly when going round corners and at junctions. When you top up the screenwash, take a couple of moments to clean those dirty areas, ideally with glass cleaner. You need to periodically clean the whole windscreen, as well. The lights and number plates, too.
Clean the wiper blades
Whenever you use your car’s wipers, some of the dirt on the windscreen accumulates on the wiper blades. It can get to the point that there’s so much dirt on them, the wipers just smear it across the windscreen, making visibility worse. Give the blade a good clean when you top up the screenwash using a rag you can throw away – we’re always amazed by how thick and sticky the muck is. Also make sure the blade has a nice, smooth edge. If it’s rough, it needs replacing.
Thoroughly de-ice the windscreen
If you find the car has iced up overnight, you need to clear all of it off the windscreen before starting your journey. It’s tempting to use hot water, but that can crack the glass. To clear a thin layer of frost, turn the engine on, crank up the heating and turn on the windscreen demister. Then use a de-icer spray to speed up the process. For a thicker layer of ice, use an ice scraper.
Don’t use the wipers to clear ice because it damages the blades. If the blades have frozen on to the windscreen, wait for the demister/de-icer to do its thing, then tap off any ice that’s clinging to them.
Once you’ve sprayed/scraped, use the wipers to clear the windscreen and run a squeegee around the edge.
You can stop ice forming on the windscreen by covering it with a blanket or repurposed sunshade (use the doors to hold it in place). Any ice that accumulates on the covering can just be shaken off, potentially saving you an awful lot of time.
Clear all snow off the windscreen
It’s joyous to wake up and see snow on the ground, but not if you’ve got to get in the car in a hurry. Not only might you have to shovel snow off the drive, every trace of snow must be removed from the windscreen before you set off. If not, you won’t be able to see out properly and run the risk of being stopped by the police and fined.
You also need to clear the snow off the car’s roof, as well. Don’t use anything that could damage the car, like a metal shovel. The whole process can be significantly speeded up if you cover the windscreen with a blanket or sunshade.
Keep the aircon going
A car’s windscreen can mist up while driving but that can be prevented simply by keeping the heating, air conditioning or climate control on with some of the airflow directed towards the windscreen. You may want to have the demister or heated windscreen going, as well. In some cars, these turn off automatically after a certain amount of time so keep an eye out and turn them back on when needed.
