The festive season is fast approaching, as is the cold snap that December brings.
With it comes the inconvenience of frosty mornings, which leaves many vehicles enveloped in a stubborn icy grip. For those fighting the freeze on their way to work, dealing with car windows frosted over can be a time-consuming nuisance.
To combat the ice, a lot of people turn to handy hacks, yet some of these methods carry hidden hazards, as a motoring expert has warned against one popular trick that could actually be wreaking havoc on your motor.
Robert Webster from MyCarGlass, said: “More TikTok hacks are going viral as users share quick-fix solutions to common problems. One of the most recent includes using boiling water or salt water to defrost car windows in winter, but this could actually do more harm than good.
“While boiling water might seem like a quick and easy solution for your frosted car windows, it could cause drastic damage to your car. This is because the drastic temperature change between cold glass and boiling water results in thermal stress, which could crack or shatter the glass.”
He added: “Windscreens are made from laminated glass which while it can withstand normal stress, it can be vulnerable to extreme temperature shifts. What’s more, the damage might not be immediate but over time cracks can appear which can spread.
“The boiling water can also affect the rubber seals around your window, which can then lead to leaks and gaps. These issues can be costly to repair and cause long-term damage.”
He also pointed out using salt water to melt ice comes with its own set of problems. This is because salt is corrosive and can affect your car’s paintwork, glass and metal components.
The salt can seep into even the smallest cracks and chips in your windscreen and cause them to expand. It can also rust your car’s bodywork, which is expensive and difficult to repair.
This damage isn’t always immediate either, and can lead to serious long-term damage and problems for your vehicle. Instead of these hacks, drivers should use a safe solution like an ice scraper or de-icing spray – both of which have been designed to defrost car windows without causing damage.