Defrost your windshield in seconds with this weatherman’s genius trick

Today – by Julie Pennell

If you have to leave your car outside overnight, you know what a pain it is to defrost the windshield on those cold mornings. An ice scraper works, but it can take a lot of energy, time and frozen fingers. And using your car’s defrost feature is effective, but you’re bound to wait a while for it to work — and you’ll waste gas in the process.

But one Knoxville, Tennessee, weatherman has a solution for quickly defrosting your car, and it just might change your life — or at the very least your mornings. Ken Weathers (yes, that’s the weatherman’s real name) of WATE 6 shared a recipe for a simple mixture that will get rid of the frost on your windshield in seconds.  

The secret ingredients? Isopropyl or rubbing alcohol and water. Weathers explains the solution in a video that was originally posted a year ago but has picked up steam again in the past few weeks as we brace for another winter. (The video’s been viewed more than 16 million times!)

Here’s what you do: Mix ⅓ part water and ⅔ part isopropyl or rubbing alcohol together and pour into a spray bottle. Spray the solution onto your windshield, and voila! You’ll see the ice disappear instantly.

“The reason why this works is rubbing alcohol has a freezing point of 138 degrees below freezing so you can always keep this mixture in your car and it will never freeze,” Weathers explained in the video.

Some commenters expressed concern that the alcohol could ruin the paint on the car, but Weathers said that it would only be small amounts that would actually come in contact with the paint. He also added that if you wash and/or wax your car when recommended (or when it is dirty) by your manufacturer, you shouldn’t have any issues with most things that come in contact with the paint’s surface.

https://www.today.com/home/defrost-windshield-solution-t106477

18 thoughts on “Defrost your windshield in seconds with this weatherman’s genius trick

  1. ‘An ice scraper works, but it can take a lot of energy, time and frozen fingers. ‘ ???? uh…gloves?

    1. mary, this method must be for those of us in Texas that have an occasional icy windshield and because of this we skimp on the gloves. 🙂
      You Dakoters know better than us Texians.

      1. “Dakoters”? Never heard that one before. LOL

        Common State Demonyms
        Alabama: Alabamians, Alabama, ‘Bamer
        Alaska: Alaskan, Ice Chipper, Inuit/Inuk, Aleut/Aleutian, Haida, Inupiaq
        Arizona: Arizonan, Arizonian, Sand Cutter
        Arkansas: Arkansan, Arkie, Arkansawyer
        California: Californian, Californiac, Californio
        Colorado: Coloradan, Coloradoan
        Connecticut: Connecticuter, Connecticotian, Connecticutian, Nutmegger
        Delaware: Delawarean, Muskrat
        District of Columbia: Washingtonian
        Florida: Floridian, Floridan
        Georgia: Georgian
        Hawaii: Hawaiian, Malihini, Kama’aina, Islander
        Idaho: Idahoan, Idahoer
        Illinois: Illinoisan, Illinoian, Illinoyer, Illini
        Indiana: Indianian, Indianer, Hoosier
        Iowa: Iowan, Hawkeye, Iowegian
        Kansas: Kansan, Kanser, Jayhawk
        Kentucky: Kentuckian, Kentucker, Kentuckeyite
        Louisiana: Louisianian, Louisianan, Cajun
        Maine: Mainer, Mainiac, Down Easter
        Maryland: Marylander, Marylandian
        Massachusetts: Massachusettsan, Bay Stater, Massachusite
        Michigan: Michiganian, Michigander, Michiganese, Michigine, Michiganite, Wolverine
        Minnesota: Minnesotan
        Mississippi: Mississippian, Mississipper
        Missouri: Missourian
        Montana: Montanan
        Nebraska: Nebraskan, Cornhusker
        Nevada: Nevadan, Nevadian
        New Hampshire: New Hampshirites, New Hampshireman, Granite Stater
        New Jersey: New Jerseyan, New Jerseyite, Jerseyite
        New Mexico: New Mexican
        New York: New Yorker, Empire Stater
        North Carolina: North Carolinian, Tar Heel
        North Dakota: North Dakotan, NoDak
        Ohio: Ohioan, Buckeye
        Oklahoma: Oklahoman, Oklahomians, Okie, Sooner
        Oregon: Oregonian, Oregoner
        Pennsylvania: Pennsylvanian, Pennamite
        Rhode Island: Rhode Islander, Rhodian
        South Carolina: South Carolinian, South Carolinan, Sandlapper
        South Dakota: South Dakotan
        Tennessee: Tennessean, Volunteer, Big Bender, Butternut
        Texas: Texan, Texian, Tejano
        Utah: Utahn, Utahan
        Vermont: Vermonter
        Virginia: Virginian
        Washington: Washingtonian, ‘Toner
        West Virginia: West Virginian, Mountaineer
        Wisconsin: Wisconsinite, Cheesehead, Badger
        Wyoming: Wyomingite, Wyomingian, Wyoman

        State, district or territory Official
        (recommended by U.S. GPO)[1] Official, unofficial, or informal alternatives
        Alabama Alabamian Alabaman[2][3], Bammer[4]
        Alaska Alaskan Ice Chipper[5]
        American Samoa† American Samoan
        Arizona Arizonan Sand Cutter[6]
        Arkansas Arkansan Arkansawyer,[7] Arkie[8]
        California Californian Californio (archaic)
        Colorado Coloradan Coloradoan (archaic)[9][10]
        Connecticut Connecticuter Connecticotian,[11] Connecticutensian,[11] Nutmeg,[11] Nutmegger[11]
        Delaware Delawarean Blue Hen’s Chicken,[12] Muskrat[12][13]
        District of Columbia† Washingtonian
        Florida Floridian Alligator,[14] Cracker,[15] Fly-Up-the-Creek[14]
        Georgia Georgian Buzzard, Cracker, Goober-grabber[16]
        Guam† Guamanian
        Hawaii Hawaiian Islander,[17] Kama’aina. The Associated Press Stylebook restricts use of “Hawaiian” to people of Native Hawaiian descent.[18]
        Idaho Idahoan Fortune Seekers[19]
        Illinois Illinoisan Illinoisian, Illinoian, Flatlander,[20] Sucker, Sand-hiller, Egyptian[21]
        Indiana Hoosier Indianan (former GPO demonym replaced by Hoosier in 2016)[1]
        Iowa Iowan Hawkeye[22]
        Kansas Kansan Sunflower, Jayhawker, Grasshopper[23]
        Kentucky Kentuckian Corncracker[24]
        Louisiana Louisianian Cajun
        Maine Mainer Down Easter or Downeaster,[25] Mainiac,[26] Pine Tree, Fox[citation needed]
        Maryland Marylander
        Massachusetts Massachusettsan Bay Stater (official term used by state government),[27] Massachusettsian,[28] Massachusite,[29][30] Masshole (derogatory[31] as an exonym; however, it can be affectionate when applied as an endonym[32])
        Michigan Michiganian Michigander,[33] Wolverine,[34][35] Michiganite, Yooper/Troll (for residents of the Upper Peninsula and Lower Peninsula, respectively),[36] Michigoose (used specifically for female residents, as a play on “Michigander”)[36]
        Minnesota Minnesotan Gopher
        Mississippi Mississippian
        Missouri Missourian
        Montana Montanan
        Nebraska Nebraskan Cornhusker[37]
        Nevada Nevadan
        New Hampshire New Hampshirite New Hampshireman or New Hampshirewoman[38], Granite Stater[39]
        New Jersey New Jerseyan Jerseyite, New Jerseyite
        New Mexico New Mexican
        New York New Yorker Knickerbocker[40][41], Empire Stater[42],
        North Carolina North Carolinian Tar Heel, Tar Boiler,[43]
        North Dakota North Dakotan NoDak[44]
        Northern Mariana Islands† Mariana Islander
        Ohio Ohioan Buckeye[45], Ohian (obsolete)[46]
        Oklahoma Oklahoman Okie,[47] Sooner[48]
        Oregon Oregonian Oregoner[49], Beaver[50]
        Pennsylvania Pennsylvanian Pennamite[51], Keystoner
        Puerto Rico† Puerto Rican Boricua[52]
        Rhode Island Rhode Islander Rhodean, Swamp Yankee[53]
        South Carolina South Carolinian Sandlapper[54]
        South Dakota South Dakotan
        Tennessee Tennessean Volunteer, Big Bender, Butternut[55]
        Texas Texan Texian (Anglo-Texan – historical),[56] Tejano (Hispano-Texan), Texican (archaic)
        Utah Utahn Utahan
        Vermont Vermonter
        Virginia Virginian
        Virgin Islands† Virgin Islander
        Washington Washingtonian Toner[57]
        West Virginia West Virginian Mountaineer[58]
        Wisconsin Wisconsinite Badger[59], Cheesehead[60][61]
        Wyoming Wyomingite Wyomese [62], Wyomingian[63]

        1. The next level is a state seal. A clever way to describe. Like Indiana….The Buffalo and the Woodsman. Q- Anonish but easy to figure out.

    1. Unlike antifreeze and the sweet smell it can have rubbing alcohol will actually prevent dogs or cats from drinking based solely on the potential irritating smell and yes it will evaporate just much slower in cold weather.

      Another bit of smelly info here, there are items that smell which can be used to help keep bears away from garbage one is vinegar(safer/natural) or second is ammonia(potentially more dangerous/corrosive) splashed on the can.

        1. I would not want that around even my trash.
          Maybe an experiment is in order, leave a jew outside all night and see if the bears get them.

  2. Don’t forget to pour some in your windshield washer tank. Those washer nozzles freeze , not so much in cars, but trucks yes.

    1. Mark, the biggest problem I have up here in the winter is the turn signal fluid freezing….could cause me to get a ticket from the po lice

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