It's winter! The air is chilly, there is snow on the ground, and your children are counting down the days until the long-awaited holiday break. How do you take care of your home and vehicles as the temperatures continue to drop? Did you know that proper winter windshield care can save you money in the long run? With proper maintenance, you can prevent unwanted chips, cracks, or other damage that inevitably comes from temperatures below 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Let's take a look at some windshield musts this holiday season.
1. Begin with an inspection
The best way to ensure your windshield remains healthy all winter is to first start with a solid foundation – a windshield in good condition. With a quick inspection, you can make sure any small, unwanted (and perhaps hard to see) damage does not become an even bigger issue down the road.
2. Replace or repair immediately!
If there is some damage, make sure to have it repaired right away. Any existing damage is guaranteed to worsen as a result of the harsh winter temperatures and weather conditions in the weeks ahead.
3. Melting ice/snow properly
Every year, you may find yourself wanting to use boiling water to melt the ice or snow on your windshield, but this is going to shock your glass. A dramatic temperature change is one way to guarantee a crack in your windshield. Using water that is straight from the hose or tap, and not boiling hot, would be a better option.
4. Buy an ice scraper!
If you have a pristine windshield and want to keep it that way, it is important to know what you should and should not do when the glass is covered in snow or frozen. Get yourself a proper ice scraper and remove the ice manually. Or, get a windshield cover and put it on the outside of your windshield each time you park it for the night. This will even help avoid the need for an ice-scraper.
5. Keep it squeaky clean!
It is very important to keep the windshield and surrounding areas of the car clean. When a windshield is dirty, windshield wipers have to work twice as hard. By keeping everything clean, your wipers can do what they were created to do, and you do not run the risk of scratching or chipping the windshield.
If you would like to schedule a windshield inspection before the temperatures drop any more, please contact Glass America today! Our convenient mobile service means our technicians will come straight to your driveway. Save those PTO days for holiday fun, not for car maint