Welcome back to the Denver Mobile Auto Glass blog. In our recent post, we looked at how rapid temperature changes and cold weather can affect your car’s auto glass. With the cold weather that is sure to settle in over the next few weeks, it is important to care for and protect all aspects of your vehicle, including the auto glass. We have composed a list of useful tips that our customers and readers throughout Denver and along the Front Range can use this winter to maintain strong, healthy windshields, rear windows, side windows, and even sunroofs. Please read on to learn more.
Don’t Use Boiling Water
Using boiling or hot water to thaw out an iced-over windshield or side window may seem like a brilliant way to remove thick ice from auto glass quickly, however, this can cause more damage than good. As we mentioned in our last blog post, rapid temperature changes cause the auto glass to expand and contract, which may lead to cracks and other types of damage. Pouring hot water on a frozen windshield will have the same effect, yet with even more severe and sudden temperature change. The last thing you want to have to do on a cold winter day is to take your car in for an unexpected windshield replacement.
Use an Ice Scraper To Remove Ice
As Denver’s windshield replacement experts, we’ve seen it all. People will use all kinds of objects to remove ice from their auto glass, including CD cases, knives, and metal spatulas. While these items may get the job done, they will also scratch or chip or windshield. Why use these objects when plastic ice scrapers that are designed to remove ice safely are so affordable? Seriously, guys. Plastic ice scrapers cost a few bucks and are available in just about any grocery store in Colorado. You can even spray some Rain-X de-icer spray on your windshield before you start scraping.
Replace Old Wiper Blades
We’ve said it once and we’ll say it again: replace those old wiper blades! This is one of the easiest ways to maintain clean windows during winter, yet it is one that is often neglected. We understand that many often forget to replace their blades. This is normal. But we will keep reminding you to replace them so that you can see out your windshield clearly, which can help keep you safe on the roads during those crazy winter storms.
Refill Washer Fluid Reservoir
This is another car care task that is easily forgotten. Because the washer fluid tank isn’t visible on daily basis, and because it’s easy to forget to check the washer fluid when pumping gas, people often don’t refill the washer fluid until it runs out. This may be fine during dryer seasons in Colorado, but can be a driving hazard during winter. There is nothing scarier than cruising down I-25 during a blinding snowstorm when all of a sudden, the wiper fluid runs out. Keep the fluid tank topped off and always keep a spare jug of washer fluid in your vehicle’s roadside emergency kit.
Get Rock Chips & Cracks Repaired
Before the cold weather settles in for good in Denver and along the Front Range, you’ll want to have any windshield damages repaired. Cold weather can make existing rock chips and cracks even worse, causing the cracks to split and web across the length of your auto glass. This is incredibly dangerous because damaged auto glass impairs a driver’s vision and compromises the structural integrity of the glass. Don’t wait until it’s too late; contact Denver Mobile Auto Glass for auto glass. As Denver’s windshield replacement experts, we will repair or replace your auto glass efficiently so that you can back on the road in a safe vehicle for winter driving. Call us today for an estimate!