Fight the Freeze: How to Prevent Ice Buildup on Your Windows

Most Colorado dwellers who have spent a winter in the area know what waking up on a frozen morning is like. Sitting in your car for 20 minutes while defrosting the windows or not being able to see your front yard due to ice can be more than frustrating. While we don’t have a magical cure for keeping the snow away, we DO have some steps you can take to prevent ice buildup on your car and home’s windows. 

The best way to prevent ice from building up on your windows is pretty obvious: cover them up. If you have the option, keep your car warm in the garage, or close the shutters over the windows on your home. If you can’t do either of these things, don’t fret.

There are plenty of “de-icing” products for windows and glass that you can buy in the store. They typically involve spraying the areas each night you want to keep frost-free. While it may seem easy and guaranteed buying products from the store, this method can become expensive quickly, and the formulas aren’t always guaranteed to work. 

If you can't see out the window....

Lucky for you, there are safe, homemade recipes that you can make to de-ice your windows. And trust us, these work! To prevent as much icing as possible on your windows, simply mix 3 parts vinegar and 1 part in water in a spray bottle (you can pick them up at the dollar store). Apply to all windows each night before you go to sleep. 

If the ice buildup becomes too thick, take the next step. While the right ice scraper can be a miracle tool, they (like store bought spray solutions) can get expensive fast, and you still need to put in quite a bit of elbow grease to get rid of the ice. Why not pair your preventative homemade solution with one to actually get rid of ice too?

Here are two recipes that are helpful for removing ice:

Mix one part water with two parts rubbing alcohol. Apply to the window and watch the ice slip right off.

OR

You can also use a salt-based solution to de-ice your windows. For your home, mix together a saltwater solution in a bucket. Dip a sponge in the mixture, wash the inside of your windows with it, then rub them dry with a towel. For your car, dampen a small cloth bag and fill it with salt. Rub the car’s windows with the salt cloth to keep ice from forming and building up on the glass. 

Let us know if these tips work for you! Send us comments of your homemade de-icing solutions here!