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Winter mornings are bad enough as it is with\u00a0cold temperatures and frost,<\/a>\u00a0but many of us are often also met with the problem of iced-up car windows.<\/p>\n Frozen car windows are not what you want to see first thing in the morning, especially if you have to\u00a0get behind the wheel<\/a>.<\/p>\n While there are countless methods for de-icing your car, it\u2019s important that drivers do so safely and without breaking any rules.<\/p>\n For example, one\u00a0TikTok<\/a>\u00a0account has sparked the resurgence of a popular tip for defrosting your windscreen \u2013 but drivers should be warned it could lead to a fine.<\/p>\n In a short clip, East Midlands mechanic @eden_tyres_and_servicing shared a four-step process on what they claimed to be \u2018the best way to defrost your window screen\u2019.<\/p>\n Their method involved blasting the heating as soon as you get in the car, switching on the air conditioning to soak up excess moisture, turning off the car\u2019s air-recirculation feature and cracking the windows slightly to \u2018get rid of the humidity\u2019.<\/p>\n The video quickly went viral on TikTok, scoring 25,000 likes and hundreds of comments.<\/p>\n You can access completely fee-free mortgage advice with London & Country (L&C) Mortgages, a partner of Metro. Customers benefit from:<\/p>\n \u2013 Award winning service from the UK\u2019s leading mortgage broker<\/p>\n \u2013 Expert advisors on hand 7 days a week<\/p>\n \u2013 Access to 1000s of mortgage deals from across the market<\/p>\n Unlike many mortgage brokers, L&C won\u2019t charge you a fee for their advice.<\/p>\n Find out how much you could borrow online<\/a><\/p>\n Mortgage service provided by London & Country Mortgages (L&C), which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (registered number: 143002). The FCA does not regulate most Buy to Let mortgages. Your home or property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.<\/em><\/p>\n However, some users were quick to point out that leaving your engine running while parked is known as \u2018car idling\u2019, which could lead to a fine.<\/p>\n Under regulations 98 and 107 of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986, leaving the engine running on a vehicle parked on the public road is an offence, which also aligns with rule 123 of the Highway Code.<\/p>\n According to the\u00a0RAC<\/a>, failing to turn off your car engine when instructed could result in a fixed penalty notice of \u00a320, which will increase to \u00a340 if unpaid within a specific time frame.<\/p>\n \u2018The fine can also be increased to \u00a31000 if you are repeatedly caught doing it,\u2019 its website notes.<\/p>\n While this rule does not apply to leaving your engine running on private land, such as driveways, the RAC advises against car idling regardless of location.<\/p>\n The British automotive service also warns that leaving your engine running also poses a risk of car theft if the vehicle is left unattended. Not only that, but it\u2019s also harmful to the environment.<\/p>\n Idling increases the amount of exhaust fumes in the air, contributing to the ozone, regional haze and global\u00a0climate change<\/a>.<\/p>\n So if you\u2019re looking for fail-safe methods to de-ice your car without these risks,\u00a0Metro\u00a0<\/strong>has gathered tried and true tricks.<\/p>\n All you need is table salt, water, and an old towel.<\/p>\n Simply mix up a saltwater solution, dunk the towel in it and leave it on the windscreen\u00a0overnight.<\/p>\n Alternatively, in the morning, you can mix up a saltwater solution and wipe or spray it on the glass using a plant sprayer.<\/p>\n Avoid the metal on your car, though, as salt is corrosive.<\/p>\n The science bit is that saltwater freezes at a lower temperature than normal water, so it will melt it away.<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve got no salt in, you can mix surgical spirit or indeed any booze with water (two parts alcohol, one part water) instead, as both also freeze at low temperatures.<\/p>\n If your house is teetotal, or you don\u2019t fancy wasting booze, just mix three parts white vinegar with one part water and spray that onto the glass the night before as a preventative or in the morning.<\/p>\n Putting hot water in a ziplock sandwich bag and simply sliding it across the windscreen is a quick and safe way to defrost your car.<\/p>\n Just make sure to have a cloth ready to wipe off the melted water.<\/p>\n If you can\u2019t be bothered with all of the above, then you could just try and prevent yourself the hassle in the first place.<\/p>\n To do that cover your car in a towel, sheet, newspaper or a large bit of cardboard before any dew or ice forms.<\/p>\n If your car is not just covered in ice but snow as well, then the best way to rid yourself of it is with a soft brush.<\/p>\n You can buy special ones for cars, but the brush that came with your dustpan should also work just fine.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t just focus on the windscreen \u2013 the\u00a0AA<\/a>\u00a0says that it is important to make sure your front grill is clear as well to avoid overheating.<\/p>\n You should also not forget to brush your lights.<\/p>\n\n\nReady to start your homebuying journey?<\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\n<\/div>\nHow to de-ice your car as quickly as possible<\/h2>\n
Saltwater mixture<\/h3>\n
Alcohol spray<\/h3>\n
Vinegar<\/h3>\n
The sandwich bag trick<\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\n<\/div>\nThe old towel trick<\/h3>\n
Soft brush<\/h3>\n
De-icing \u2018hacks\u2019 you should avoid<\/h2>\n