You’ve got a morning appointment and you can’t be late, but it’s OK, you’re ready to go on time. Out you trot to your car and – Oh, no! The windshield’s iced over.
Do you have a scraper? Hmmm, probably not. What about your bank card? But how long is that going to take – and what if it breaks? And then there’s the back window, plus you’re going to need to see out the sides as well. You’re not wearing gloves, and your hands are going to get cold and wet…. You know you mustn’t pour boiling water on the glass or you might crack your windscreen… If only you had a de-icer spray, then you could be on your way.
Here’s a thought: why not buy a de-icer now, before winter sets in and then you’ll be ready when this scenario strikes? You can even get pre-sprays to make sure you don’t wake to a scene from Frozen.
How do de-icers work?
The simple answer is, they lower the freezing point of water. It works like this: water freezes at 0°C (32°F), while ethylene glycol doesn’t freeze until -12°C, and if it’s mixed with water, say 70 per cent ethylene glycol to 30 per cent water, this combo doesn’t freeze until it gets all the way down to -50°C.
Are de-icers safe for the environment?
If it contains ethylene glycol, then you need to know that when it comes out of the container it’s a no. This is because ethylene glycol is poisonous and, if consumed, can even cause death. Happily, it decomposes fairly quickly once it hits the ground, and is rendered completely harmless after about 10 days, so you can use it without feeling guilty about what you might be doing to the planet. Also, we reviewed mainly spray bottles rather than aerosol cans of de-icer, because they’re less harmful to humans and the Earth.
Is there anything else I need to know?
Ethylene glycol is highly flammable, so don’t be lighting any matches or have open flames nearby when you’re using a de-icer.
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Autoglym De-icer
Best for: De-icing more than just windscreens
The well-known car-care brand’s de-icer not only works quickly, but you can use it on all sorts of frozen-over bits as well as windscreens: door locks, headlamps, mirrors, windows… That’s because Autoglym has developed its product to be safe on car paintwork, rubber, plastic and, of course, glass.
It’s highly concentrated formula means it works super-fast too – but there’s no need to dilute it, as it comes ready to use. The trigger-button spray is easy to operate, even with gloves on and this one works all the way down to -50°C. The price given is for 500ml.
Buy now £4.99, Amazon
CarPlan Pre-Icer
Best for: Not waking to a frozen windscreen
Can’t face a morning of heavy de-icing? No problem. As we all know, prevention can be better than cure, as this pre-icer proves. Apply liberally the night before and, while you may need to do a little bit of de-icing in the morning, the frozen stuff will usually just slide off when you turn the windshield wipers on.
Best for use on the front windscreen and rear window only, as the windscreen wipers will take any excess fluid away. The price is for two 500ml bottles and it’s effective during nights down to -25°C.
Buy now £7.78, Amazon
KZEN Rapid Neon De-Icer
Best for: Those who appreciate aesthetics
If looks are important to you, you’ll be reaching for this snazzy purple-coloured de-icer faster than you can say neon. It has a wide spray area, which translates to fewer pumps on the trigger and less time standing about in the cold. It melts snow and ice quickly too, so you can be on your way in a jiffy, with a streak-free windscreen for safe driving. You can also use it on headlights, mirrors and other glass surfaces. It’s effective down to -15°C and the price here is for a 500ml bottle. Get posing.
Buy now £8.99, Amazon
AA Car Essentials – Fast Actig De-Icer
Best for: De-icing all sorts
Brought to you by that trusted name in all things motor-related, this de-icer from the AA can be used on glass (so windscreens, windows and headlights), plus doors, locks and wipers – even things that aren’t on your car, like a garden latch, for instance – with an easy trigger-spray action.
If there’s a lot of snow as well, best to give that a push off, then just spray, wait a few seconds and then wipe off, ideally with a scaper so you don’t get cold, wet hands. It comes in a jumbo 1ltr bottle, so you’ll likely be set for the whole winter.
Buy now £9.99, Amazon
HG Car Windscreen De-icer
Best for: Rapid de-icing
Don’t drive peering through the tiny hole you’ve managed to scrape through – you know it’s not safe. Why not give this fab de-icer a go instead? It won’t damage your paintwork or the rubber on your car if you accidentally get it on places other than the windscreen, so it’s not a bad idea to spray your windscreen wipers as well. It’s super powerful stuff though, so you can put that scaper away.
Even if the ice looks rock solid, the formula of this de-icer will make easy work of it in seconds and also prevents re-freezing. The price is for a 500ml spray.
Buy now £6.87, Amazon
Polar De-Icer Spray
Best for: Spray actions
Aerosol de-icers tend to work that bit faster than sprays, so we’re including this one, even though they’re not so good for the environment as it’s a goodie. For best results, be sure to shake the can well before spraying, hold the canister about 30cm (1ft) from the windscreen and then, for an ultra-clear finish, dry the glass with a soft cloth.
It can also be used on locks, doors and pretty much anything that’s frozen solid and will get to work in seconds. It’s sort of fun to watch the ice melt away.
Buy now £5.99, Amazon
Prestone Aerosol De-icer
Best for: Very fast de-icing
No patience at all? That’s OK, as this is the de-icer for those who just can’t wait. In fact, the manufacturer claims it’s the fastest de-icer available and, in our experience, it is pretty darn fast, melting ice in seconds. Not only does it work quickly, it stops re-freezing, so you’re good to go all day.
The experts over at Prestone offer this top tip: if there’s snow on your windscreen as well, score it before spraying so the de-icer can reach the frozen stuff below. It’s effective down to -36°C and the price given is for the 600ml aerosol.
Buy now £5.95, Amazon
No Nonsense De-icer
Best for: A lot of de-icer for not a lot of money
A jumbo-sized de-icer spray bottle that could well see you through the whole winter. This one does what is says on the tin, de-icing and defrosting. It will even prevent refreezing, so if you know it’s going to be a cold night and you’ll need the car in the morning, it doesn’t hurt to give the windscreen a few squirts before you turn in for the night.
It may not de-ice down to minus double digits, but as it rarely goes below -1°C in this country anyway, it hardly matters. This one is effective down to -9°C and the price given is for the 750ml size spray bottle.
Buy now £3.99, ScrewFix
Halfords 2 in 1 Pre-Icer & De-Icer
Best for: Preventing ice in the first place
If you know it’s going to be a chilly start, give your windscreen a good spraying over with this pre-de-icer the night before to stay ahead of the freeze. You may still get a bit of a frosting, but it will come off easily if you just give it a short go with the windscreen wipers. And if you’re all snuggled down in your warm bed and suddenly remember that you didn’t pre-spay, it’s no problem, because it will work just fine as a de-icer too. It’s good all the way down to -25C and the price given here is for a 600ml spray bottle.
Buy now £3.50, Halfords
Halfords Concentrated De-Icer
Best for: Beating the cost-of-living crisis
Due to its concentrated formula, this is a truly fast-acting de-icer that gets to work melting that frozen sheet off your windscreen in seconds, as well as preventing re-freezing. In this instance, concentrated means it’s a full-force product just as it is and doesn’t need diluting. It won’t leave a residue on the glass and doesn’t have a strong chemical smell.
For the price, it beats a lot of the more expensive brands and, as a bonus, a little goes a long way, so this 500ml trigger-spray bottle will last for ages. Works down to -20°C.
Buy now £2.49, Halfords
