Let's face it, there's nothing worse than heading out to your car on a dark and freezing cold morning, desperate to get inside to crank the heating up, and being faced with thick ice on your windscreen preventing you from going anywhere. As you stand there furiously scraping the ice off each window while your hands get even colder, you'll no doubt be wishing there was a much easier solution.
Well, one TikTok user has shared a simple and easy way of preventing ice building up on your windscreen in the first place - and many people said they had never even thought of it, the Mirror reports. Tristan Walton took to the video-sharing social media platform to show off his "two-second" hack which saves him time in the morning and the trick has gone viral.
To stop ice from forming on his windscreen in the first place, Tristan simply covers the glass with a thin layer of cardboard. Showing how the trick works in his TikTok video, which has been liked more than 92,000 times, Tristan pulls off the cardboard from his snow and ice-covered windscreen, leaving a perfectly clear square underneath.
Dozens of TikTok users were in awe of the hack. "Wow, I'd never thought of that," one person commented. "Yep, this is an oldie but goodie. I've seen people use all sorts of stuff to cover the windshield," another added.
"Been using this for 20 years, never fails," a third added. However, some commenters weren't convinced Tristan's windscreen was frozen. But drivers can rest assured, as the trick is also a favourite with the experts.
Sharing advice online on how to prevent an icy windshield, Munster Tyres, the tyre and car service centre, recommended using a windscreen cover, which you can make from cardboard, cloth, or a rubber bath mat. The key is keeping the cover dry.
They said: "Covering your windshield with a windshield protector prevents ice from sticking on the glass. You can also use cardboard, a rubber bath mat, tarp or cloth. Just spread it across your windshield and secure it with windshield wipers.
"Whatever you choose to cover your windscreen with should be dry. Have a carrier bag in your car to put your windshield cover in the morning. It is not advisable to use a newspaper. They are thin, and you will still have ice to scrape off in the morning. Consider covering your wing mirrors with a plastic bag and use a rubber band to keep it in place."
Their other de-icing tips include using vinegar solution mixed with three parts vinegar and one part water, or using alcohol solution, made from a third water and two thirds rubbing alcohol. It is important to dilute the vinegar to prevent it from reacting with the rubber edge on your windscreen.
