De-icing trick could actually cause damage your windscreen, warn experts

A popular de-icing trick that's been widely circulated could actually lead to some costly damage. With the colder weather ramping up, battling with an ice scraper in the early hours of the morning to clear the windscreen before the daily commute becomes an all too familiar experience.

Many people turn to social media looking for tips and tricks to ramp up the process, with white vinegar often touted as a viable home remedy to whip up. But Liam Spencer, owner ofNorthallerton Glass, is warning motorists against using white vinegar to de-ice their cars, as he warns it can cause costly damage.

The liquid is regularly touted as a decent hack for de-icing cars far faster than the trusty scraper because of the acetic acid within the vinegar, which can lower the freezing point of water and subsequently help to break down and melt ice.

Still, many people have praised the apparent hack, with content creator Stephanie McQueen - popular for her "hack or whack" series on YouTube - trying out for herself on camera.

In the caption accompanying her video, she penned: "In this video, I test if apple cider vinegar is a good substitute as a de-icer if you don't have an ice scraper".

In the clip, Stephanie used apple cider vinegar in a spray bottle with "nothing else" and sprayed it liberally on her iced-up car window.

She then used a microfiber cloth to wipe the ice away from her car once it had been sprayed down with the vinegar.

Narrating, she explained: "Basically, all you do is you just spray it and then you're supposed to just be able to kind of just pick it off and wipe it away."

She continued: "I must say that I'm actually pretty surprised. I'm shocked that it actually is just wiping off - I didn't think that that was going to work at all but it actually is doing not that bad of a job."

Stephanie branded the method a "hack" but conceded it's not an easy or simple process because it's laborious. She also added that it "doesn't smell the best".

Liam Spencer, however, warns white vinegar could damage cars by reacting with or weakening windscreen coatings; drying and weakening rubber seals and wiper blades; and even stripping paint or protective coatings on the body of the car.

Spencer explained: "When used undiluted, left on for too long or applied in direct sunlight, white vinegar can cause costly damage to many areas of a car.

"Even when diluted, repeated usage can still damage your car. I can understand using white vinegar to de-ice a car when you are in a hurry, but this can be detrimental over time.

"I'd recommend using the internal heaters of the car, an ice scraper and a proper de-icing spray or solution instead."

The glass expert advised the cost of a car windscreen treatment could cost around £60, while wiper blades can be around the £44 mark and rubber seals are typically priced at £8.99 for three metres.

Pain costs ramp up though, often costing hundreds of pounds, while a full protective coating replacement can be thousands.

Spencer added: "Alternatively, invest in covers to shield your vehicle from ice, as these can drastically cut the amount of time that you spend removing ice from your car in the morning."