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!

Oh and I boil the minimum amount you can in the kettle, then fill it up from the cold tap, and use that. Perfect temperature. Been doing this for years on several cars with zero problems.
It also warms up the windscreen wiper rubber.

And I am on here most days and not seen a single thread about hot water on icy cars and subsequent ice patches. I’m sure there are but there’s just no need to try to make people feel stupid and shamed.

I know it's the reason because there's a massive sheet of water in his drive in a car shape then a stream on ice running down across the pavement into the road.

Unless a very small car shaped storm cloud was hovering on his drive?

I run out, stick the key in the engine, put kids shoes on and it tends to be sorted. I've never had to scrape anything. I see my neighbours doing it, while running the engine and I don't understand why.

My car would be long gone if I did that Weebitawks . Live in fairly central London.

I don’t personally do it because it’s just asking for the window screen to crack but my mother ALWAYS did it. Fond memories of her taking the kettle out first thing to de-ice then coming back for the next full kettle for the back window .

Tbf to your neighbour, there was probably a lot of ice already on the pavement for you to potentially slip on... it’s pretty bad out there.

Also a question, how do you know for sure that's the reason for the ice?

You can tell the difference between a big ice slick from flowing water and icy pavements in general. It’s enough of a bugger to negotiate icy pavements when they don’t get gritted, but when you step on an ice slick on a slope you’ll go flying if you didn’t see it. Not fun.

Ooh thanks DaphneDiligaf trip to Aldi today then

I also dont understand why so much water has to be used. If it really is such a wonderful method, surely you only need a bit? Why a full kettle's worth which is very likely to freeze up on contact with the road?!

I think it’s probably more likely ignorance than a deliberate attempt to hurt anybody.

Why aren’t people just spraying it with de-icer? I keep a can in my car. Quick spray and scrape in the mornings and it’s gone in two minutes.

I always thought there was a risk of the windscreen cracking by doing this, never thought about the excess water as I have never done it.

The cover for my car windscreen is the best Christmas present I have ever received - how sad is that? Haha

For those happy to make an ice slide across the pavement be uase you're in a rush, do you assume pedestrians are just tooting about in the cold for fun and not to get to work etc which a nasty fall might delay
I walk to work for two tears last, on a steep hill and somehow never faced this issue. I looked down the pavement and slowed down when I passed a particularly area or crossed the road to the other side. Never crossed my mind to deferebtiate the ice potentially caused by people deriving their car as opposed to naturally formed ice. In the end, in icy condition, be extra careful.

I had to poor water on mine this morning as it was so frozen I couldn’t open the doors, I don’t have de icer, it’s bad for your paint work, I usually just run the car for 5 minutes to defrost.

I use warm water to defrost my windscreen but I do it on my drive. Wouldn't dream of doing it on the path. And no it hasn't ever cracked the screen. I make sure that the water is just warm but not hot.

I think it’s probably more likely ignorance than a deliberate attempt to hurt anybody.

I am sure thats a great comfort to anyone who got injured from slipping on it

@Kazzyhoward be careful, I have cracked a windscreen doing this

@Weebitawks that's illegal and invalidates your insurance so if someone drove off in your car (because at worst they'd only need to break the door lock) the insurance company would wish you the best of luck in finding it but not pay you a penny.

I never use water from the kettle. It's always out of the tap so just warm to the touch. I find it takes a lot longer with deicer and I have started to wonder if the chemicals are bad for the environment.

Why aren’t people just spraying it with de-icer?

De-icer only depressing the freezing point. If you use de-icer and the weather is very cold it simply freezes even harder as you drive and add in the wind chill factor. Water and wiping dry does the job better as well as being greener than salt, de-icer or leaving the car to run on the drive for 20 mins to use the windscreen heater.

I never get ice on the ground after doing this - I'm just wondering how many jugs of water it takes to create large ice patches on the pavement from a drive. Surely its the volume of water which is the problem not the use of water to de-ice a car?

Maybe I’m using different stuff... I have an aerosol that melts the ice as soon as it comes into contact with it? Once I start driving it’s completely clear. Takes no time at all.

You use a credit card? 😂 that's so odd just invest in a scraper they're about £1. Poor credit card.

Meh. Those of us that grew up in snowy weather will use whatever is handy. Credit card, cassette case, cd case, anything that is hard and plastic with a straight edge.

I used to have at least 3 scrapers in my car, but never failed they slipped under the seat or ended up in the back and I just grabbed whatever was handy.

I couldn't understand how the water got on the pavement, and then I realised the car must be on a drive . All street parking where I am so water stays on the road and as it's a hill, runs down to the drain. And no-one drives to work anyway (London). So I'm not sure why I'm posting really...

Hope you're feeling OK, OP - slipping on ice is a horrible experience.

I walk to work for two tears last, on a steep hill and somehow never faced this issue.

Your neighbours are more considerate then! Believe me you’d know the difference between ice slick from running water and naturally forming ice on tarmac if you’d had to negotiate it. It’s horrible and dangerous, just looking down/slowing down doesn’t help if it’s too wide to step over, and not everybody can easily zigzag across the road the whole way to avoid bad spots.

There’s one patch on my road to work which isn’t anybody’s fault (overflowing drain) and I know exactly where it is, but it’s still so hard to negotiate I have to inch past clinging to a stone wall like a spider. Could do without people making 10x the hazard the rest of the way because they’re in a hurry in a morning.

Like above p I use aerosol deicer and scraper (with the heater on as I do it so it can't refreeze). I knew someone who cracked their windscreen using the kettle method so I'm too chicken to try it.