Disspelling myths about de-icing vehicles

On freezing cold days, when you have to figure out how to get tight frost and hard ice off of your vehicle windshield, don’t use hot water.

Please.

That sage advice comes Porterville’s Glass Doctor himself, Jon Lalanne.

“Cold water is OK, but hot water could cause a problem if you have a chip in the windshield,” Lalanne said. “The cold-hot creates contraction-expansion, which could cause the window to crack. Then you have to spend money to repair or replace.”

Lalanne owns Glass Doctor of Tulare County, and is part of nationwide franchise that has 360 locations in the U.S. and Canada. He is well versed in what can happen to your windshield when cold weather strikes. Porterville residents without garages can be victimized.

Towns in higher elevation, such as Springville, Camp Nelson and Ponderosa can be hit hardest during freeze periods.

Those areas are more often hit by English folklore’s Jack Frost, the elfish creature who personifies cold, crisp, winter weather, and who mischievously leaves frosty patterns on windshields.

About two weeks ago, area citrus growers were doing all within their power to protect their orchards. Citrus is not the only thing that can be damaged by freezing cold. During the period of dropping temperatures, Porterville and Springville residents could be seen working to remove frost from their windshields.

Springville resident Tammy Booth sometimes uses towels on her windshields overnight, to simplify ice removal.
“When I do that it makes it much easier,” Booth said. “When I remove the towels the windows are ice free.”

Lalanne said that method works because the moisture freezes on the towels and not the windshield.

A host of myths, however, cause individuals to react to frost on their vehicles in creative ways.  

Recently, Todd Overpick, Glass Doctor’s public relations director, published the top five windshield ice removal myths, with a few tongue-in-cheek remarks:

--  Pour hot water on the vehicle’s windshield and windows to melt the ice. (Make sure it melts the ice completely so the frozen glass will shatter due to the extreme temperature change.)
-- Tap the ice on the car windshield with a hammer to break the ice into pieces to pick off the glass. (If that doesn’t work, hammer on a screwdriver or ice pick. This usually results in an impact hole or a large crack.)
--  Scrape the ice off the truck windshield with a metal ice scraper, key, spatula, utility knife or crowbar. (The metal either scratches
    or cuts grooves in the glass.)
-- Use a propane torch to melt the ice. (Not only is this dangerous to the torchbearer, but this also can unintentionally melt the glass.)
--  Pour a mixture of vinegar and water on the windshield so that it freezes to the glass before the rain does, thereby preventing ice buildup. (Unfortunately, vinegar eats pits into the windshield glass).
These are things people have actually done, Lalanne said.

 “It’s amazing some of the things people will do when they are in a hurry. These ideas may be creative, but they can be hazardous to your health,” he said. “There is a better way to safely remove ice from windshields and auto glass. Gradually heat the glass from the inside while scraping and brushing ice from the outside.”
A few important things consumers can do in the frost, and if it snows:
--  If the car door is frozen shut with ice, pour cold water to gradually melt the ice and use a plastic ice scraper to carefully chip a crack in the ice around the door seal and the lock. Do not try to “unseal” the door by using a hair dryer, cigarette lighter, ice pick, screwdriver, propane torch or portable heater.
--  Start the vehicle and use the defroster setting to warm the glass. Wait at least five minutes for the car to start to warm up.
--  When the ice in contact with the windshield is melting, use a plastic ice scraper and a soft plastic bristle brush or broom to clear the ice. A squeegee also helps.
--  Check to make sure no ice or snow is obstructing the vehicle’s tailpipe. If it is covered, the ice or snow must be removed to prevent the possibility of carbon monoxide poisoning inside the vehicle.
Last year, Lalanne said, three girls in northern California died from carbon monoxide poisoning while waiting to go skiing.

They spent the night in the car with the engine running for warmth. About three feet of snow fell overnight and blocked the tailpipe.

“It had the same affect as if they left the engine running while a car was in the garage,” he said. “That was a real tragedy.”

Porterville and its surrounding areas are not likely to by snow of that magnitude, but all should exercise caution when temperatures drop to freezing. Expectations are that January and February are likely to bring such temperatures.

 “There are de-icing products on the market that may shorten the time it takes to melt the ice, but they have mixed results,” Lalanne said.

“The most important thing is to plan some extra time to remove the ice before traveling. Glass Doctor can fix the glass if it breaks, but can’t fix people if they get hurt.”

-- Contact Anita Stackhouse-Hite at 784-5000, Ext. 1043, or astackhouse-hite@portervillerecorder.com.