Winter weather conditions up north are unbearable. With a wind chill of twenty degrees below zero, I feel like a jerk for complaining about how chilly it is here in North Texas. At this point, a Florida trip sounds like the best solution. My sister Karla lives in Sarasota and boasted that she was spending her birthday on the beach at Anna Maria Island, while my eighty year old mother is house-bound in the frigid Midwest. Now who sounds like the jerk? Of course the road conditions are the major factor, but she also has to prepare her car for winter driving, which she is totally dreading. We get a few little “freak” winter storms here in the south and are never equipped for them (they call it denial). So, what if I don’t have those things on hand when these storms roll in? I certainly don’t have a snow shovel, ice scraper, rock salt or kitty litter. So I’ve recently put together a way to make my own home made winter car care kit.
I garage my car when I’m home. But when it’s out in the elements, sitting in freezing rain and snow, I find that the inside windows fog up, while they’re frosted outside. Filling something breathable like knit socks or knit mittens with silica crystals (the blue and white kitty litter crystals) and placing them in the car will absorb moisture in the air for days. Putting them on the dashboard will automatically defog the windows. And, putting them in your spouse’s underwear drawer….never mind…
And, a major annoyance is when the car doors freeze shut. Doors ice up because moisture gets on rubber window seal. Any brand of cooking spray (like Pam, etc.) can be used to create a barrier and a lubricant. Spray it on the seam, wipe off excess with a paper towel (and not with the bottom of your shoe). And…voila!
No ice scraper? Or, if you’ve ever self-plowed snow off your windshield with a credit card while the wind is cutting you in half, put a towel over the windshield when you park. A giant beach towel is perfect. When you need to go, just remove it. It may a bit stiff, but bring a big lawn and leaf bag to put it in.
No rock salt? Use a bucket of hot water, dish soap and just a splash of rubbing alcohol. Mix it all together and you have your very own deicer fluid (or “cocktails” for when you run out of booze at a holiday party…or is that just my friends who will drink just about anything when they run out of booze?) You can then pour it on your porch and the sidewalk to your car.
Until next week…drive safe
Daun Thompson
Writer / Comedienne / Artist
Home Made Winter Car Care – Comedy Defensive Driving