With the weather we’ve been having lately, it’s more important now than ever to make sure that you have a solution to any ice and snow that might accumulate on your car. The only problem is that if you’re pressed for time, scraping ice and snow can be daunting, time-consuming, and just not seem worth it to do the whole job. Here are some quick and easy tips to making sure that you get rid of all the ice and snow on your vehicle fast and make your vehicle safe for the road.

First of all, you should have a quality plastic scraper in your vehicle. The best are the ones that come with the brush on one end and scraper on the other because sometimes all you need is that brush! Never try to get rid of ice on your car with anything metal, or by pounding at it. When you do this, you can scratch and chip your paint, break glass, or cause dents in your vehicle that cost money to get removed.

If all you have is a light coating of ice or frost on your windows, you can make an easy defrosting solution that you can leave in your house and use on those icy mornings. Mix one part rubbing alcohol and two parts water in a spray bottle, and spritz it onto your windows. Wait a minute and then run the wipers. Clean and clear!

If your doors and locks are frozen, never apply hot water or use an open flame (like a lighter) to try and thaw them. Cold water is what works – hot water will freeze again and could cause damage to your vehicle, but cold water is warm enough compared to the ice that it’ll help thaw it out. If you have the alcohol solution, try a bit of that as well.

The most important thing is to have patience – preparedness is important, but if you’re impatient you can cause damage that you’ll regret later. Stay safe out there!