Burrrrrrrrrrr it’s getting cold...!

It was awfully chilly at Freightlink HQ this morning and with the cold weather showing no sign of letting up, we had a quick look at effective methods to defrost your van or lorry.

You don’t need us to tell you that driving with ice on your windscreen is dangerous.

De-ice your windows with these quick, easy, steps.

What you should do:

• You can’t beat an old school can of de-icer and a scraper. A tried and tested method. Spray the icer all over the windscreen and then remove the melting ice with a scraper. Don’t reach for a credit card or blank CD case, you could scratch your windscreen.  
• Most good screen washes also contain de-icer. This can also help remove ice from your windscreen.
• It’s important to remember to defrost all of your windows and not just a small area of your windscreen in front of the driver’s seat. Only driving with 30% of your windows uncovered is a potential very dangerous.
• Make sure that you also uncover all the other windows and mirrors. Do this before you set off, otherwise your view will be massively restricted.

What not to do:

• Common practice is to reach for the kettle - don’t do this! It may seem logical that the ice will melt under hot water but if the water is too hot, then your windscreen could crack. If it’s still cold outside, this water could freeze once it hits the ground causing a potential slip hazard.
• Do not sit in your vehicle with the fan on and engine running. It will genuinely take longer for the heat of the vehicle to de-ice the windows. This method also wastes fuel and increases wear on the engine.
• Use your windscreen wipers to speed the de-icing process up. There is a chance you could break your wipers if the window is still frozen.