4 Winter Hacks for Your Car

Winter is a time for beautiful snowdrifts, fun holidays with your family and cozy nights with a warm drink and a good movie. However, as soon as you have to go outside and drive somewhere during the winter months, the season starts to lose a bit of its charm. Getting on the road during the winter can be a real hassle, leading you to problems like getting stuck in snow, being unable to clear your car off, or worse, even dangerous accidents. However, there are some useful car hacks that might be able to help you out of a pinch this winter! Here are a few good ones to keep in mind.

Keep Kitty Litter in Your Trunk

Whether or not you have a pet cat, keeping a jug of kitty litter in your car can help you out of a sticky situation when you live in a snowy place. Getting stuck in snow becomes a real problem when your tires lose traction, because you’re unable to back out and might end up stuck there for a long time. Kitty litter can help you out in this situation! Spread some of the litter behind your tires to give them something to grip onto, and you’ll be able to get out of the snow much more easily.

DIY Ice Scraper

Realizing that you’re stuck with an iced over windshield and you don’t have a scraper to clear it with is sure to give you a sinking feeling. At the very best, you’ll be stuck in one place for a while as you wait for the defoggers to warm and melt the ice, and at the worst, you might not be able to go anywhere at all. However, if you have your wallet, you have a way out! A credit card can be used as a DIY ice scraper in a pinch. While it won’t be as effective as the real thing, it can help you get the windshield clear enough to drive.

Cover Your Mirrors

After a rainy or snowy storm, chipping and scraping the ice off of your mirrors is a sure way to make you want to curl up back in bed. With a little bit of planning ahead, however, you can avoid this problem! Before a storm, cover your mirror with plastic bags, like grocery bags, garbage bags, or even ziploc bags. This will keep the rain, sleet, and snow from gathering and freezing on them and save you from having to clean them later on!

The Penny Test

Driving with worn-down tires is always dangerous, but it’s especially hazardous in the winter. This is a fun trick you can use to check your treads and see if your tires need replacing to keep you safe on the road! Take a penny and lower it into your tread so that Lincoln is upside down. If you can see the top of his head, it’s time to get those tires changed out!

If you’re interested in more useful hacks like these and in the latest Ford news, keep reading our blog at Haldeman Ford Kutztown!