<p>BTW-the washer fluids rated for low temps will help melt the frost/ice, so once you’ve dug a hole or two in the frost, you can start using the wipers/fluid to melt it. This is particularly helpful when you are freezing and want to get back in the car!</p>
<p>Cricket123— with A/C on if you turn the heat up all the way then yes will get full heat but you also get the dehumidifier effect. Everyone is saying to use your wipers and fluid to help defrost and they are right as long as before you start your wipers you make sure they are not frozen to the window. Be careful scrapping around them at first because as my D found out the rubber (Winter Blades) will rip if they are not free first. The way I do it is
- start the car, turn full heat on defrost (aiming it all at the windshield)<br>
- turn on the rear window defroster
- get out sweep the snow off of the car
- Before scraping the windshield I try moving the blades by hand to make sure they are not frozen.
- scrape the rear window first as this gives the car more time to heat up and starts to defrost itself
- scrape the front window, in case you did not know the scraper usually has one side with groves on it and that is used to scratch through ice which will then make it easier to scrape.
- make sure once scraped you remove the loose ice from around your wiper blades.
- CLEAN snow off of your headlights and taillights
- Clean side view mirrors
- Get into a nicely warmed up car and enjoy the ride. you can turn off the A/C but if it starts fogging up again turn it back on.</p>
<p>Good Luck. You should also have a winter emergency kit in your trunk, if you want to know what that involves let me know. It all fits in a small backpack but could save your life someday. My D has both a summer and a winter one for her car.</p>
<p>@percussiondad–sounds like you and I have similar winter routines. Reading your description made me wonder why I haven’t moved to Arizona!</p>
<p>You do not need to have a toasty warm car to safely drive. Save time, energy and money by running the engine long enough to clear the windows (don’t forget the sides) and let it continue to warm up as you drive. A hat, zipped coat and driving gloves plus a cloth steering wheel cover can help.</p>
<p>Percussiondad- nice set of directions. Please post your emergency kits for all of us. More than a blanket, snow shovel, flashlight, kitty litter (for ice), snow brush, scraper, money (for gas if you forget your wallet), boots, hat, gloves… I expect.</p>
<p>I would add to an emergency kit – chocolate, chemical handwarmers, chocolate, water bottle, cell phone with charger, chocolate … oh yeah, jumper cables.</p>
<p>Well planned emergency kit, cnp. Also add phone # to AAA, a camera and more chocolate.</p>
<p>I’ll just note that I have two ice scrapers in my car. One is a great big industrial size one I bought years ago in Massachusetts–brush on one side, scraper on the other, both of them highly effective–and the other is an old credit card. The old credit card does a much better job on light frost, because it’s flexible.</p>
<p>Make sure your washer fluid is the kind with alcohol in it. It will thaw help thaw light frost if you spray the windshield once the frost has started to flaw.</p>
<p>There really is no good substitute for starting the car ten minutes before you need to go anywhere and turning both front and rear defroster on high. If you have side mirror defrosters, don’t forget to turn those on too.</p>
<p>Emergency kit
The total cost for this including booster cables was $30. This is not a scientific kit but something I put together and was told by search and rescue that it would really help. This of course on top of the standard shovel etc.
– Sleeping Bag is left in trunk all year. Keeps you warm in winter and can be used for a picnic in the summer.
– a thermal blanket (they are small but quite effective).
– An empty aluminum coffee can with the top lid completely off and a 2 inch nail pushed through the middle of the bottom lid (pointing into the can) If you can, keep the top plastic cover that most cans have. If can is wrapped in paper or a paper label, remove it.
– A 4 inch slow burning candle that is pushed onto the nail in the can (a spare candle is nice)
– A large box of waterproof matches
–2 or 3 pure chocolate bars not with salted nuts or anything as that will make you thirsty
–1 package of powdered hot chocolate
– A small aluminum measuring cup so
– A pair of winter ski mitts not gloves and not made of wool
– Either emergency flares or a flashing red flashlight (dead batteries can be a problem)
– A yellow reflective vest
– Booster cables</p>
<p>I store the chocolate bars, hot chocolate, measuring cup and matches inside the coffee can for convenience. My wife is diabetic so I also buy some sugar free.
All of this stores very easily inside a small backpack that I have glues Velcro strips to so that it stick to the carpet walls in the trunk out of the way.
The candle in the tin can is to be put on the dashboard and lit with no lid. (be careful as with any open flame) Because of the tin it will generate enough heat within the car to help prevent you from freezing (use the sleeping bag and thermal blanket as well) let the candle burn for 30 - 45 minutes or so just to get some heat, put it out, wait a while and relight as needed. The measuring cup can be used to melt snow (not the greatest but it works) over the candle and put some hot chocolate in it to give some energy. A square of chocolate periodically to again give energy. </p>
<p>You will heopefully never need to use it but I took the time to show it all to my D so that she is fully aware of what she can do.</p>
<p>
Exactly how does having lower humidity air inside the car help to more quickly remove frost on the outside of the car? 
</p>
<p>In any case, I think most if not all newer cars automatically engage the AC when using the defroster.</p>
<p>Something I tell my kids and husband in the winter: even if you think you are going from garage at home to garage at the mall and won’t be out in the weather – put your coat and boots in the car, just in case.</p>
<p>notrichenough—The dehumidifier helps to reduce fog within the car. Your right it doesnt help with outside but fogging up inside is a big deal as well.</p>
<p>I love the emergency kit idea. I always keep an old pair of jeans, an old protective jacket, boots/protective shoes in the car. This comes in handy even with something as minor as a flat since you need appropriate clothing if you need to lie on your back on the road. Other emergency items are a maxi-pad (in case of a bleeding injury) and my emergency poptarts. Granola bars would work well, too, but my poptarts started as a joke and now are a permanent fixture in the glovebox! Watch out for teenagers who might raid the food stash.</p>