The One Thing You Should Keep in Your Car This Winter

This simple trick will make scraping ice off of your windshield so much easier

Sick of freezing your tail off while you’re scraping the rock-hard ice off your windshield? Try this cool tip. Just mix two parts water with one part isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol in a spray bottle and spray it on your windshield. The ice will melt almost instantly. The alcohol won’t harm your car’s paint, but it will remove car wax, so try to keep it off waxed surfaces.

Plus: Check out our best practices for safe winter driving.

To prevent ice buildup, try Prestone Ice & Frost Shield. “You spray it on before heading in for the night or when you arrive at work,” says automotive expert Rick Muscoplat. “Any snow or freezing rain won’t stick to your windshield. I gave it to my daughter and she uses it when she arrives at work. If it snows during the day, she just has to turn on the wipers and go.”

Buy the shield spray on Amazon now.

Does your vehicle have four-wheel drive? If so, brush up on these tips for using 4WD.

Check out 21 car hacks that will make driving so much better:

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See Out of Your Windshield Better

"When you’re behind the wheel, nothing is more crucial than good visibility. But like most other drivers, I usually procrastinate cleaning my windshield wipers or even replacing them if necessary. Windshield wipers are notorious for drying out and cracking in a short time. To help prolong their life and clean them, soak a clean white rag with your favorite glass cleaner. Wipe the rag up and down the length of your wiper blades. You'll see the results on the rag, and you'll see out your windshield much better in the rain." — Jim Nobilione We’ve all experienced screeching windshield wiper blades, so learn how to eliminate this noisy issue.

Helpful Hint for Winter Driving

When there’s snow and ice on the roads and you’re finding that you don’t have enough traction to get up hills or you fishtail going around curves, it’s a sign that you could use more weight. Adding water softener salt bags in the trunk of your rear-wheel-drive vehicle will add weight to the backside of your car. This helps with traction on ice and snow during the nightmarish winter driving season. However, please note that this tip does not hold true for front-wheel-drive vehicles, although having some emergency salt in the back of your car will help with urgent icy situations.

Keep Your Car Clean, for Good!

Keeping your car clean can be difficult. There are dirt roads, messy trees, pet hair, food crumbs and wrappers. And there's likely trash on the car's floor, under the seats and in the seat cracks. Toss out any wrappers, bottles and other objects in the sturdy car trash can! Line a plastic cereal container with a grocery bag and use it as an in-car trash can. To keep the container upright, apply a strip of self-adhesive hook and loop fastener to the bottom of the container, so it'll stick to your car's carpet. Get your vehicle looking like new with these 36 simple interior and exterior car detailing tips that you can do yourself.

Cool Tech: Garmin Dash Cam 55

A dash cam is a great investment to provide you with a video record of a wreck, hit-and-run or theft. The Garmin Dash Cam 55 has a compact design and is placed discreetly onto the inner windshield, providing high-quality video. It even lets you sync footage to your phone! Here are 10 things you should never do to your car. Get this dash cam on Amazon now.

Make Your Own Car Air Freshener

Freshen your car with scented candle wax. Punch holes in the lid of a mason jar using a hammer and a large nail for a DIY car air freshener. Add wax to the jar and replace the lid. When the temperature in your car rises, the wax will melt, filling your car with a lovely fragrance. Did you know you can also make your own ice pack? 

Cool Tech: Park Zone PZ-1600 Precision Parking Aid

If you constantly get out of your car only to find you’ve botched your parking job, consider this parking aid. It’s especially useful for parking in smaller garages because it helps to make sure you pull up far enough without tapping your front bumper. The traffic signal display on the gadget alerts you when you’ve pulled up far enough. Check this out: Five cars in a three-car garage. You’ve gotta see it! Buy this parking aid on Amazon.

Handy Towel Holder

Here’s a tip I learned from my father. Attach a roll of paper towels to the inside of your car trunk lid with a short bungee cord. The towels will be handy but won’t take up space (or get wrecked) rolling around your trunk. — Donald Boland

Buy a Plug-In Seat Warmer

Just because your car isn’t fancy enough to have built-in seat warmers (along with not having heat!), doesn’t mean you can’t have a warm seat. Purchase an after-market seat cover to help thaw out and warm up you and your car while you drive. If your car seats are looking shabby and you need replacement seat covers, here’s how to install them. Buy it on Amazon now.

DIY Car Mats

One simple way to keep your car clean is to cut scraps of old carpet to fit on the floor as mats.  We found our carpet scraps for less than $2 at Home Depot. And when the DIY carpet scraps inevitably get all dirty with mushy winter snow or summer sand, you could either give them a wash or toss them out and make more. A word of caution, do not put these DIY car mats on the driver's side of the car unless grippers are attached on the bottom side to ensure that the mat does not slip forward while driving.

Cool Tech: Viper SmartStart

Viper’s SmartStart is the top of the line when it comes to remote car starters. Use your smartphone to control your car while you’re in a restaurant, your home, a store, or on your way as you walk toward it. You can start your car remotely through the app, locate where your car is, tell how fast the car is going when someone else is driving, receive alerts if the vehicle has been moved without your knowledge, unlock the doors and more. Prices vary, with service plans starting at $69.99 per year. Get rid of those annoying squeaks in your car by spending 10 minutes to lubricate it. These simple lube job tips will bring back that new-car quiet ride. Buy this on Amazon.

Pipe Insulation to Prevent Losing Stuff

I kept dropping things such as my keys or cell phone in the gap between the driver’s seat and the console in my car. It is tough to retrieve the items dropped in that space because the gap is so small and my hand doesn’t fit. I usually ended up reaching for a stick or wire hanger to pull the items out, which is not very convenient. Recently, I found this solution: I cut pieces of foam pipe insulation to the length of the gaps, and then I wedged them in the gaps on either side of the console. Nothing falls into the gaps anymore! — James Goldstein

Fix That Leaky Sunroof

If raindrops keep falling on your head, it’s probably because your sunroof drains are clogged. That’s something you can fix yourself in just a few minutes. Open the sunroof and look for drain holes in the front and rear corners of your sunroof.

Cool Tech: Mpow Bluetooth Receiver

Mpow’s Bluetooth AUX adapter is a top-notch choice for streaming crystal-clear music from your device. It also features a built-in mic for hands-free calling. This is a great way to make an older model car feel up to date. Have a car you’re looking to sell? Here are some helpful tips. Buy this product on Amazon now.

Ice-Proof Your Windshield

Heavy frost warnings tonight? Fill a spray bottle with three parts vinegar and one part water. Right before it gets dark outside, shake the mixture well and spray it evenly on your car windows. The acetic acid in the vinegar will prevent water from freezing on your windows overnight. — Kevin Sullivan. Plus: Keep this survival kit in your car all winter long.

Cool Tech: Trademark Global Car Swivel Tray

Eating in your car can be dangerous, messy and sad, especially if you’re alone. But if you insist on doing it, at least make it as safe as possible. This car swivel tray is also great for pit stops and passengers. It’s height-adjustable and features a non-slip surface. It even doubles as a useful storage tray. Check out these 15 things you need in your car year round. Order a swivel tray on Amazon.

Don’t Just Polish—Rejuvenate

You can rejuvenate your car’s finish yourself and get it pretty darn close to the factory shine. But it takes more than a simple wax job. The process starts with a good wash, followed by scratch repair, polishing and a protective wax finish. A pro would charge upward of $200 for this. But after a one-time $200 investment for a polisher and supplies, you’ll be able to make your whole fleet look like new. Your first attempt will take a whole day.

Clear Up Cloudy Headlights

Clear your fogged or yellowed headlight lenses in 45 minutes for less than $15, rather than spending $100s to replace them. Learn the secret to cleaning headlights here.

Cool Tech: Pyle Car Backup Camera

Many new cars have cameras and detectors to protect your car, as well as other cars, but if yours doesn’t have this feature, add the Pyle Car Backup Camera to your ride. It comes with a camera you place on the car’s back and a 7-inch screen you can mount to the dashboard, ensuring you get into your parking space perfectly. Not interested in purchasing a new car? Check out these tips for buying a used one. Order this on Amazon now.

Check Tire Pressure Every Month

All tires lose air, so check your tires monthly. Always use the same tire pressure gauge and check the air pressure first thing in the morning, not after you’ve driven on them or they’ve been sitting in the hot sun. Inflate to the pressures listed on the carmaker’s decal (on the driver’s door or jamb), NOT the maximum pressure listed on the tire. The recommended tire pressure is based on the weight of your particular vehicle, not the tire brand or tread style. Find out all you need to know about tires, especially how often they need to be rotated.

Use a Code Reader

Diagnose car problems without going to a mechanic with an auto code reader. Simply plug it into the car’s computer system, then interpret the trouble code readout. See how to crack the code of a code reader here.

Sukuos Car Windshield Snow and Ice Cover

Not in the mood to brush snow or scrape ice off your windshield? This cover from Sukuosallows you to just pull off the cover and shake the snow and ice off. One user said it is easy to install and remove and does the job. “This morning the back window was under a thick layer of snow even after I scraped it off. However, I pulled this cover off the front windshield and had the perfect view,” he said. Prep your home and car for a flash freeze. Buy it now on Amazon. Every product is independently selected by our editors. If you buy something through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

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