During the winter, getting to work may not be as easy a getting into your car and driving away. The cold temperatures and the weather can create a few obstacles. To get past them, use these tips.
Hacks to Help You Make It Through the Winter
The winter can be a wonderful time because it often means spending more time with friends and family and enjoying time off work. However, your car may not be having such a great time. From freezing temperatures to tricky road conditions, driving itself can be a challenge. Check out the hacks below to make your next outing less of a hassle.
Avoid Foggy Windshields
One of the most frustrating things about winter is that temperature differences can cause your windshield and windows to fog up constantly. If your defroster isn't working at its best, this can be even more annoying and even dangerous. There is a way around that is easy and super affordable.
Head into your bathroom and grab your shaving cream. Take this out to your car and rub some shaving cream all over the inside of your windshield. Once it's covered every inch of the windshield, carefully clean it off. This may sound crazy but shaving cream includes some of the same ingredients as commercial defrosters. This means that this simple act can keep your windshield from fogging up again.
Your windshield will be more prone to fogging up if you have moisture-causing items in your car. This means open water containers, plants, or a leak. Remove or fix these issues to reduce the moisture and humidity in your car. If your car often feels humid, fill a sock with kitty litter. The kitty litter can absorb a good amount of moisture, making your car feel less stuffy and reducing the chances of a foggy windshield.
Keep Your Key from Freezing
If you've ever stuck your car's key in the keyhole after your car has spent a freezing night outdoors, you know this can lead to major frustration. Since the inside of the keyhole will likely be frozen on a sub-zero morning, sticking your warm key in there may lead to your key getting stuck.
Before you panic, remember that this is easy to prevent. One way to do this is by blowing air into the keyhole. Grab a straw from your kitchen and blow some air into the keyhole. This will help thaw it out so that your key doesn't stick. Another option is to put some hand sanitizer on your car key. The alcohol in the hand sanitizer can help melt whatever is frozen, ensuring your key won't get stuck.
To ensure your engine continues to work well throughout the winter, no matter how cold it gets, give it a synthetic oil change. Click here to buy AMSOIL's Signature Series 0W-20 Synthetic Motor Oil and keep your engine protected even on cold starts. To find even more quality AMSOIL Oil products for your car, contact the friendly oil experts at Ace Hi Oil. Call them at (888) 459-9958 or stop by their online store to learn more.
Avoid Frozen Side Mirrors
If you park your car outdoors during the winter, you may dread the mornings. Things can freeze overnight, meaning you have to work early in the morning to get your car ready to go. For example, your car's side mirrors may be frozen and covered in ice every morning, making your morning commute more dangerous. If this is an issue you have to deal with constantly, there's an easy solution. Grab a couple of plastic bags from your house. These can be grocery bags or ziplock bags, as long as you can tie them or close them around your side mirrors. Place these on the mirrors and tie them before leaving your car for the night. In the morning, remove these to reveal side mirrors that are perfectly clear and not frozen.
Safely Remove Ice from Your Windshield
Another annoyance you may have to deal with in the morning is ice on your windshield. No matter how late you're running, never put hot water on it hoping it'll melt the ice away since this can actually crack your windshield. If you don't have an ice scraper, there are plenty of objects you can use instead. Reach in your wallet for an old credit card or gift card and use this to scrape away the ice. If you'd rather not use a card, run into your kitchen and grab a plastic spatula. These can work just as great as an ice scraper without damaging your windshield.
Give Your Car a Synthetic Oil Change in Fort Worth, TX This Winter
Prepare your car for a cold winter with a synthetic oil change in Fort Worth, TX. You can find a great oil for your car by contacting the oil experts at Ace Hi Oil at(888) 459-9958.