Life Hacks: ‘Snow Way!’ Edition

Posted on by Brown-Phillips Insurance

“The forecast shows freezing rain tonight, and I need to get somewhere in a hurry tomorrow!” Whether it sleets, snows, or freezes over, you may still have to get up, go to work/school, and get out on the roads. To make things a little easier, we’ve comprised a helpful list of “life hacks” that may prevent icy issues.

  • The night before a chilly forecast, park your car facing toward the east. With luck, the Sun will do most of the work for you!
  • Spray your car’s windows with 2/3 vinegar, 1/3 water. This will keep ice from forming on your windows. (Just be careful about spraying your car…the vinegar can damage the paint.)
  • Keep your windshield wipers off the windshield by lifting them. Once you’ve gotten the ice off your windshield, you can place the wipers back into their original position and be on your merry way.
  • Hand sanitizer can melt away snow on your car door handles. And, let’s be real.. if you’re not already carrying around hand sanitizer, then you should.#fluseason
  • Cover your side mirrors with a plastic Ziploc bag and zip it as far as it will go. This will prevent ice from forming on your side mirrors, eliminating one step in your morning’s “de-icing” process.
  • If you find yourself without an ice scraper, use a nonmetal kitchen spatula or a credit card.
  • Making shoveling snow a lot easier by spraying non-stick cooking oil on your shovel. The snow comes right off!
  • Spread cat litter underneath your tires to gain some traction. (Plan B: If you don’t have a cat, use your car’s floor mats, instead.)
  • If your headlights become foggy or dirty, clean them off with an old rag and some toothpaste. Although it takes a while, you’ll feel much more at ease with the safety that comes with it!
  • As we mentioned in our last post, keep a winter weather emergency kit in your car at all times.

Because North Carolina is used to getting snow late in the winter months, I’m sure that these life hacks will become useful to you soon enough. As always, be safe driving on roads during/after inclement weather. Read up in our previous post on ways to practice safe driving in snowy/icy situations.