A better de-icer

For most of my life I’ve lived in the Los Angeles area, where the idea of ice on the windshield of the car is only a winter morning fantasy witnessed on television. But last year I spent the winter in Lansing, Michigan, and morning frost was a daily chore to deal with.

Having to deal with the stuff myself, I wondered if there were a better way as it seemed there are so many other ways to remove ice from all kinds of surfaces. So I went to the local hardware store and bought a quart size spray bottle with an adjustable nozzle, and a quart of rubbing alcohol (isopropyl alcohol freezes at around -128F–OH) at the local drug store.

The next morning it took a few tries to find the right nozzle setting, but after I got it down the ice quickly melted as the car engine warmed up. I was on the road in much less time and with no new scratches on the windshield. Overall, I have found that a bit of alcohol is a much better method for removing ice from my windshield.

-- Opher Banarie