WESTLAND, Mich. –– We've all experienced the shock of finding a foot of snow covering our vehicle in the early morning, and beneath it an fresh sheet of ice waiting to surprise you. Clearing all of this off can take a while, and it's a major inconvenience when you're trying to get on the road to get to work. Winter brings a slew of inconveniences for drivers, from slick roads to issues with vehicles. Fortunately, these
5 easy car hacks to get you through winter can make things a little less stressful for you until we get into the warmer months.
1. Use old socks as windshield wiper blade covers.
If you live in a wintry state, you know how much snow and ice can build up on your vehicle's
windshield wiper blades. Scraping and knocking off the ice from your windshield wiper blades is a messy, tedious process. It's much more convenient to prevent snow and ice from building up on your windshield wiper blades than it is to remove it. An easy way to handle this is to simply use old socks as windshield wiper blade covers when your car is parked for long periods of time and you're expecting inclement weather.
2. Use these methods to de-ice frozen vehicle doors locks and handles.
Not everyone has the luxury of a key fob that can unlock their vehicle doors and, in some cases, even start their vehicle without having to use an ignition key. If you're forced to use your key to unlock your vehicle doors, you could have some difficulty even getting your key into the door lock in the winter. If it's cold enough, vehicle doors locks and handles can freeze up and become dysfunctional. If this occurs, there are a few simple methods you can use to de-ice frozen vehicle doors locks and handles, including:
- Heat up your vehicle key with a lighter. When you insert the key into the door lock it should begin to melt the ice and loosen the lock up. Wiggle the key until the lock begins to move properly again.
- Blow through a drinking straw directly onto the frozen door lock. The heat from your breath will melt the ice.
- Squirt hand sanitizer onto the door lock or handle hinges. The alcohol in the sanitizer should melt the ice.
The best options you have to prevent your door locks or handles from freezing in the first place are to use WD-40 or cooking spray on the areas that easily freeze. Applying these household lubricants to your vehicle's door locks and handles should keep them from freezing, or at least keep them easier to budge when it's below freezing on a bitter winter morning.
3. Increase headlight visibility with toothpaste.
Toothpaste isn't just great for cleaning your teeth, it also works well for increasing headlight visibility. Apply toothpaste to your dirty headlights and spread it around with a sponge as you would when cleaning any other part of your vehicle. Then wash the toothpaste off. This will clear your headlights up, and save you money compared to purchasing a headlight cleaning kit, which can be expensive.
When your headlights gloss over and a white haze forms, it prevents them from producing the full luminary effect they're intended for in darker conditions. This can be especially dangerous in the winter if you're driving during a snowfall or on a dreary day, when headlights are necessary for your safety and the safety of other drivers.
4. Use cat litter or floor mats to get unstuck.
It's easy for many cars to get stuck in deep snow, regardless of the type of
tires they're equipped with. Fact it: continuously applying the gas pedal and hoping for your spinning tires to somehow catch traction with the snow, which is meanwhile accumulating in mounds behind your tires, only makes it even more difficult to get unstuck. An easy solution to getting unstuck quick is to simply spread cat litter around your tires and vehicle. This will provide traction for your vehicle's tires and help you get moving.
Another, less appealing option you have is to use your vehicle's floor mats. Place the floor mats in front of or behind your tires, depending on the direction you're trying to move in. This is an easy, reliable way to give your vehicle traction in the snow. Once you get to a place where your vehicle has more traction, you can put your floor mats back in the vehicle.
5. Drape your vehicle with a tarp or other cloth.
The simplest way to avoid any vehicle issues with winter weather is to drape it in a vehicle tarp or an old bed sheet. By draping your vehicle with a tarp or other cloth, you can prevent elements like snow and ice from ever even touching the actual body of your vehicle. In the morning you can simply pull the tarp or cloth off and beneath you'll have a clear car ready to hit the road once it's warmed up.
Use these 5
easy car hacks to get you through winter and stop worrying about the hassles of inclement weather for the next few months. These methods are easy to apply and will help you get on the road so you can get where you need to be in time. If you're looking for more winter car tips, check out our blogs on
saving gas and winter
driving tips.
North Brothers Ford is located at 33300 Ford Rd Westland, MI 48185 and proudly serves as one of the premier dealerships in Metro Detroit, and is committed to exceptional customer service! Stop by or give us a call at 888-806-7163, our knowledgeable and helpful sales team will be more than happy to assist you!
