As the colder weather begins to set in, windscreens frosting over is not what you need in the morning before a long day at work.
However, these icy screens aren't just a hinderance to your day - failure to defrost them can actually land drivers with a £100 fine and three points on their licence, reports the Mirror.
But do not fret as experts at Lotus Car Rental have shared a bizarre hack to keep your windscreen from freezing over - using a kitchen essential. The item in question, which costs about 12p from most supermarkets, is an onion. Yes, you read that right - a vegetable!
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According to the experts, onions can break down frost as soon as it forms on the window. All you have to do is cut the onion in half and rub it generously all over the windows and windscreen the night before you need to drive. This should stop frost from forming in the first place. Potatoes also work just as well if you don't have onions to hand.
Vinegar works in the same way, so you could spray a vinegar solution mixed with water on your windscreen the night before. The experts have shared that vinegar is often "used as a de-icer because its freezing point is much lower than water’s, meaning the water doesn’t have the chance to settle and freeze on top of the vinegar".
But if vegetables and vinegar isn't your thing, there are a whole host of other ways to de-ice your car windscreens.
One thing you could try is putting a bed sheet or large piece of cardboard over the windscreen to avoid it freezing over night. De-icing fluid is also a good way to get rid of frost quickly and effectively.
If all else fails, you could try to fill a bag with warm water and run it over the windscreen for a fast result. However, the experts warned: "It may sound obvious but it’s always worth mentioning that you should never pour boiling hot water onto your windscreen.
"While one in five of us have admitted to doing this, even pouring lukewarm water can cause car windows to crack, especially if they are already chipped.
"Instead, pour some warm water in a zip lock bag and then rub the bag over your windscreen. This hack went viral on TikTok last winter because it takes the ice off in seconds!"
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