A viral Instagram reel showing a woman attempting to de-ice a bright pink Lamborghini Huracán by pouring hot water on her windshield is enough to put a knot in anyone’s stomach as the windshield shatters thank to the heat.
The reel, posted by the Instagram account itsmadisonclarkk, was accompanied by the caption, “she thought pouring hot water would melt the ice . Ain’t no way.” While hot water may seem like the best way to quickly remove ice from your frozen car, it’s a quick and easy way to turn your car into a speedster and to remove four-figures from your bank account.
This is a serious-wince moment as the windshield caves in and the water floods the car’s interior.
Why Is Pouring Hot Water on Windshield Dangerous?
An iced-up windshield sits at a temperature below freezing, creating a thin sheet of ice over the glass with the same temperature level spread across the entire surface. Pouring very hot water onto this creates a spike in temperature in just one small part of the windshield.
The area hit by the water expands quickly while the surrounding glass stays contracted, and this puts the screen under immense pressure, or thermal shock. Any stone chips will make this even worse and more likely to shatter.
“I did it once and it was fine” one commenter wrote.
Well, yes, it doesn’t happen all the time when you pour hot water on your windshield. You may be lucky and the glass may hold. But you don’t want to be risking this, especially if you drive an Italian supercar like this person.
“To think I’ve actually done this before and nothing happened?…God loves me because I would have cried my eyes out!” another added. Lukewarm water, milder ambient conditions, or a windshield without any damage can all mean it may not crack, right up until it does, of course.
Read More from MotorBiscuit:
- 5 Ways You’re Defrosting Your Windshield Wrong
- Dropping Your Sun Visors Can Actually Help Defrost Your Windshield
- 7 Winter Driving Mistakes Police Officers Refuse to Ignore
How Do You Defrost A Frozen Windshield?
Unfortunately, there’s no glamourous of easy way to defrost a frozen windshield . You can either do it mechanically with a scraper (please don’t use a credit card – been there done that), or you can turn the car’s engine on, ramp up the heat, and aim it at the windshield.
Sometimes, even the latter option there will crack the windshield if there is already existing damage. But it’s highly unlikely.
Or, you can use specially made deicers.
Best Deicers on the Market
- Prestone Windshield Deicer: Best overall. Fast-acting, prevents refreezing, and the cap usually doubles as a scraper.
- CRC Ice-Off: Best heavy-duty option. Great for cutting through thick frost and safe to use on delicate rubber wipers.
- Rain-X Windshield Deicer: Best for active weather. Melts ice and leaves a coating that repels freezing rain while you drive.
- SubZero Lock Deicer: Best for frozen doors. A pocket-sized spray meant to thaw keyholes and latches so you can actually get inside.
- The DIY Hack: Best budget choice. Mix 2 parts 70%+ isopropyl alcohol with 1 part water in a spray bottle.
If you insist on using water, keep it tepid rather than kettle-hot, and never aim it at areas with chips or edges where stress concentrates. Or at least video it, because maybe a viral video could pay for its repair.
