If you absolutely must drive: Here’s how to clear your windshield and driveway

Frigid winter weather is blanketing much of the Carolinas in snow and ice, freezing driveways, and coating cars, trucks and SUVs in icy shells — making it a struggle to get out and about.

Here are some tips to thaw out your vehicles — and keep them from freezing over again — so you can hit the road quicker and safer.

Clearing the driveway

Subfreezing temperatures are expected in North Carolina for several days, McClatchy News reported. Meanwhile, parts of South Carolina can expect ice and freezing rain.

For some, an ice scraper and a pair of gloves are the only tools in their de-icing toolbox. But good news: There are a few concoctions you can put together with common household items that should make the process much easier.

First, keep from slipping and sliding in the driveway by melting the ice with three ingredients.

The recipe, recommended by NBC reporter Jeff Rossen, calls for a bucket, a half-gallon of hot water, a quarter-cup of rubbing alcohol, and roughly six drops of dish soap mixed together.

Dump the mixture onto the ice, watch it bubble up and melt.

Thawing and de-icing the windshield

If you don’t have a garage and forgot to throw a tarp over your car, you’re not doomed to sitting behind the wheel with the heater on until you’re late for work.

All that’s needed is water, isopropyl alcohol — which is just rubbing alcohol — and some sort of container, preferably a spray bottle, to hold the mixture, according to AAA. The desired ratio is one part alcohol to two parts water.

The purity of rubbing alcohol varies, but is generally available at 50% to 90% pure, AAA said. The more pure it is, the better the de-icing solution will work.

Like the driveway de-icer, adding a little dish soap is beneficial, as it helps coat the surface more evenly, AAA said.

Now pull out your plastic scraper and feel the ice wipe away with ease.

If that’s not working, it’s okay to adjust the ratio of water to alcohol. According to Reader’s Digest, a mixture that is primarily alcohol — two-thirds alcohol to one-third water — will rapidly melt ice.

Similar de-icing liquids are available at stores, but can be pricey for some, AAA said. Also, some contain chemicals that are dangerous to pets and animals if consumed.

So, for many, the DIY options may be safer and fit the budget better.

To prevent freezing, mix three parts white vinegar with one part water, apply it to the windshield and wipe it off, according to AAA. It’s important not to leave the mixture on the glass, because unlike the de-icing liquids which contain alcohol, the preventative concoction will freeze at nearly the same temperature as water.

This story was originally published January 16, 2022 at 12:06 PM.