To think pouring water on your icy car is just selfish?

[7hup]

Just fell on my face outside a neighbour who must have done this early morning.

So a stream of ice running across the pavement to the road which I didn't see

I fell hard. Am OK but if I were elderly or more fragile I could have bad injuries.

At least salt the pavement after!

I live in a rural area on a quiet estate so just leave the engine running as there’s no risk of theft. I also use de-iced. Combination of both means that it takes minutes to defrost at around 9am.

I keep the de-icer in the porch though because when it’s very cold sometimes the car door locks freeze so no point in keeping it in there!

Rezie. You don't use boiling water, you use warm water or even cold water.

It would be a bit daft to go sloshing boiling water around at all.

Just seen this thread on Heart -didn't take long 😂

I saw someone washing their car in the street today... 2m away the pavement remained undefrosted in the shade.

I'm glad I don't have to walk down that street in a hurry!

I am reading these posts and feeling very jealous, it's going to be 44c where I am today.

Problem:

Defrosting the windscreen with water (causing dangerous patches of ice on the ground) or spray deicer (bad for the environment) or running your engine (bad for the environment and for your pocket) or scraping (cold, time-consuming and, possibly, hard to reach).

So, here's a suggestion: instead, heat a microwaveable hottie for 90seconds and pop it on your dash. Go back indoors, do everything else you need to do, and when you get into your car not only will the ice all slide off with a swish of the wipers, but you'll have a nice warm hottie to put on your lap as you drive off.

Yes selfish

Scraping the ice off is the only long-lasting efficient way of keeping the glass clear. A wet screen is likely to re-ice as you drive off (because of the wind chill). De-icer is a strong chemical and I use it sparingly on the thicker ice of a really hard frost.

Jelly, only a small patch of visibility, though. It's not safe if you can't see through your whole windscreen, particularly on roads that might be icy.

Except it doesn't and it's not stupid and it can't be 'very very likely' because, well, it doesn't. HTH

Where is your evidence for that? Given that there have been several examples on this thread alone?

And why do you consider it to be "fine" when the OP's question was about the water refreezing, something I notice you havent commented on.

I don't get why people do this, even from a purely selfish point of view. I actually find it quicker and easier to just scrape or use de-icer than to faff about boiling water and then bringing the kettle in and out.

It would be a bit daft to go sloshing boiling water around at all.

It is daft to go sloshing any water around in freezing conditions.

Pouring water, if it's hot can crack your screen. It then refreezes on screen and on path so is not very effective!

Small amount of deicer here and scraper.

I didn’t use boiling water , I used a mug of warm water from the tap as it was 2 days worth of ice and I couldn’t get a scraper through it .

I use warm water (boil the kettle and do about half kettle water and half cold) I fill up an old milk bottle or similar and just do front window. No water goes anywhere but on the car. None goes on the pavement.
I'd love to know how all these people using a scraper can do it in less than 2 minutes. I leave anytime between 6 and 7 am for work. If I put my engine on I'd wake up neighbours, plus my car doesn't really warm up quickly at all. I do have a de icer but to be honest I worry about animals as our cat died from de icer poisoning.
It Is icy anyway. People need to be careful. Don't moan at people using water when they are doing it sensibly.. I live in a city. A windscreen cover wouldn't last even 1 night!

No water goes anywhere but on the car

Is your car especially absorbent then?

It Is icy anyway. People need to be careful

The point is that water like this freezes in a thin sheet of smooth ice. It is virtually impossible to see. When my neighbour broke his ankle, I knew there was ice there but still couldn't see it and kept sliding as I scattered grit salt on it to make it safe for the ambulance crew and others.

Soup Dragon, you're only picking out the bits you want to when I've further explained my points. I only use a small bottle and only on the front window. I'm not chucking a whole bucket over my car. Nothing ends up on the pavement. I'm mindful of others thank you.

Soup Dragon, you're only picking out the bits you want to when I've further explained my points. I only use a small bottle and only on the front window. I'm not chucking a whole bucket over my car. Nothing ends up on the pavement. I'm mindful of others thank you.

Were do you THINK the water goes?
If doesn't stay on your car... it's either liquid (will pour) or it's solid (ice).
So, what ACTUALLY happens is the water will pour in the windscreen and melt the ice... it will flow (by design) down through channels that will land underneath your car... so now you have 1 bottle of water + melted ice on the floor.

Did you think you poured the water on your car and it just vanished? I can absolutely guarantee you that does not happen.

I accept that it may not land on the pavement, depending on where you park, but you'll still create black ice.

I just saw a video on Facebook where a person had hot water in a plastic bag and just ran the bag itself over the windscreen, melting the ice immediately. Very clever!

Yeah, it's the equivalent of a hot water bottle... a much better solution...

(I'm laughing to myself though, at the thought of them pouring the bag out onto the pavement after the recording stopped!)

it will flow (by design) down through channels that will land underneath your car
So underneath the car, not on the pavement?

In case it's of any use to anyone, I have a can of Aldi de-icer (from last year, I'm assuming they haven't changed the formulation) and it contains ethanol, butane, isobutane and propane (no sign of ethylene glycol) so is pretty safe for animals. Obviously it contains chemicals but in the grand scheme of things we're talking cars here so I'd consider that a very small part of the pollution problem. Even electric cars produce pollutants via brake pad dust etc.

How to walk on ice without slipping:
Apparently walking like a penguin is the best way to avoid slipping on pavements as the weather gets colder.

www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/38552838