To think people can defrost their cars without running their engine all morning?

[shinysnowman]

I start work in a couple of hours. I have been awake since 5am, due to a steady flow of neighbours who have sat in their car with their engine running, one actually revving their engine constantly, waiting for their car to defrost. The first at 5am, each for a good 15 minutes each. It's been the same every day this week.

Don't people scrape their cars anymore? Is it wrong for me to be annoyed and think that they are being inconsiderate?

(Apologies to those with DC who are dragged up with them at this time!)

I find if I don't run the engine, it mists up and I can't see. Plus I wouldn't stick dcs in an ice cold car, but yes they should make efforts to be quite!

I bought a kartcher window cleaner things
For the inside of my car...can't find it this year though. I also use very tepid water it also stops the car steaming up on the inside too

Tips I got online about car windscreens:

1- Fill an old sock with cat litter and leave on the dashboard - it helps absorb moisture. It'll need to be dried on a radiator regularly.

2 - Wipe the windscreen dry and then spray shaving foam on, polish until clear with a clean cloth. Apparently ice hockey players use this on their visors, again you have to re-apply on a regular basis.

3 - Place an old blanket over the windscreen, trapping it in the doors and under the wipers. My neighbour chucks her blanket on a clothes horse when she's at work and replaces it at night.

They won't eliminate the problems entirely but they do help.

And I wonder if this is also the reason myself and son are awake at 5am recently

Can’t people not buy those car covers ?

Leigh halfpenny - what a strange conclusion! I go to work every day and have done for years- just not in a car

@EmmaGrundyForPM

I ran my car yesterday morning whilst I had breakfast. I couldn't hear it from inside my house so I cant imagine any of my neighbours could either. I do scrape the outside but i need to demist the windscreen inside

You realise you're breaking the law? www.devonlive.com/news/motoring/breaking-law-defrost-deice-car-2278902

I don't leave it unattended on a public highway though. Its attended as I'm using the scraper on it and it's on my driveway, not a public highway

Best Life Hack ever... Zip lock plastic bag. Fill bag with warm tap water to about 3/4 full. Seal bag. Wipe warm bag over Windscreen & windows. Frost all melts away + you get warm hands !!!! Job done. No water left on floor (to freeze up again). So, so easy 🤗🤗🤗

I've just ordered a car dehumidifier...recommended by work colleague to speed up demisting of interior windscreen. Hope it works!

Best Life Hack ever... Zip lock plastic bag. Fill bag with warm tap water to about 3/4 full. Seal bag. Wipe warm bag over Windscreen & windows. Frost all melts away + you get warm hands !!!! Job done. No water left on floor (to freeze up again). So, so easy

I will try that next time!

I would rather listen to car engines than the noise of scrapers! Revving is out of order.

I do scrape my car but it's the mist that needs you to warm the engine. There's not much else to be done about it really. I leave the house between 6/6.20am.

I'd rather be the person snuggled in bed listening to the poor, freezing, tired sod outside just trying to get to work.

Some people really need to RTFT before suggesting the same thing for the thousandth time

I swear some of these are the new "cancel the cheque"!

It’s the inside you need the engine for - mind takes 2/3 minutes.

YANBU. A mixture of 1 part rubbing alcohol and 5 parts water mixed together in an old dettol multi surface cleaner bottle makes a fabulous homemade de-icer. My Canadian friend gave me that trick as the rubbing alcohol melts the ice on contact. I also have a twinbladed “ICEPLANE” that DH got me as a gift (who says romance is dead? )

These things together mean that it is only a matter of about a minute to demist the interior in the mornings!

Start engine 1 minuite with a credit card scraper,, all OK to drive by the time i've crept down our drive onto the road:)

It’s illegal to have your car running without you in it when you’re defrosting your windscreen. With global warming to think about too anyone who does this should be ashamed of themselves imho.

sunshine11

Have you ever known of or anyone prosecuted for running their engine whilst outside their car at all?, cos I'm blowed if i have!..

It doesnt say you cant be outside the car, it says you cant leave it unattended I.e. you are in the house while it is running

Can you point out where it says you have to be inside the car?

From the newspaper article posted above:

Turn on the engine

It sounds obvious, but before you do anything get your engine on. The most effective way of de-icing your car is to turn on the heater and let the warm air circulate.

Get rid of any snow

Use a brush to wipe off all the snow from the car, making sure the front grille is clear.

Start de-icing the outside

Make sure you keep a scraper and some de-icer in the car for mornings when you are stuck. As the engine warms the car from the inside get scraping from the outside. Don’t wipe windows with your hands - your mitts will leave greasy smudges.

YABU.
We have two cars. A 2016 car with heated and relatively small windows and a 2010 car without the heated windows, which are also rather large.
The latter car is the one we have to use for the school run, and even if I did want to spend 10 minutes freezing my hands and spending a whole lot on energy scraping my windows with 5 children inside the house I still wouldn’t want to put them in a freezing car that would re mist as soon as I started to drive off.
Sorry your sleep is being disturbed.

I do run the engine to demist inside and scrape outside as well. Revving the engine at 5am is totally inconsiderate though. All the people that say they put their car engine on and go back inside - aren’t you worried your car will be stolen? I run mine but stay outside with it whilst scraping x

No one cares if it illegal or not.

I am more than happy to break the law in these circumstances.