Home made de-icer?

waqasahmed

Hi,

I already have a de-icer spray bottle, but I was wondering when it finishes, can I say ...use the Lidl windscreen washer (-60C allegedly), and water at a 50/50 ratio?

Would that work? (And be safe) I mean, you CAN use it as windscreen washer fluid, so why not as a spray bottle? Or even...neat on to the glass?

Is that something that is viable? Or should I just buy some more de-icer?

robin58

I wouldn't.

All that will happen is that you will put more water into the mix and there is a possibility of it freezing as you apply it.

Just buy more de-icer.

waqasahmed

robin58 wrote: »

I wouldn't.

All that will happen is that you will put more water into the mix and there is a possibility of it freezing as you apply it.

Just buy more de-icer.

Thanks. What if I apply it "neat" ? I mean it does allegedly go down to a stupid temperature

If I HAVE to buy more de-icer, I shall do, but I'd rather do it on the cheap

forgotmyname

No hard with what you want to do, but your wetting the windows further so when the deicer evaporates your left with a damp window that will refreeze.

I have not used deicer for many years, easier to just scrape the ice off.

Yes i have heated front and rear screens, but i still have to scrape the side windows. I do that without deicer.

I also find turning the heating down towards the end of a journey helps.

waqasahmed

forgotmyname wrote: »

No hard with what you want to do, but your wetting the windows further so when the deicer evaporates your left with a damp window that will refreeze.

I have not used deicer for many years, easier to just scrape the ice off.

Yes i have heated front and rear screens, but i still have to scrape the side windows. I do that without deicer.

I also find turning the heating down towards the end of a journey helps.

Tis fair. I have those two as well, and just plain don't like using an ice scraper. Too much effort!

facade

De-icers are usually isopropyl alcohol and water mix, if we lived in a country where you can buy it by the gallon for a few pounds, you could make your own.

Rubbing alcohol is what we call it, and put it in minute bottles.

I'd expect the aldi screenwash to work fine, as long as you don't let it get near the "paint".

I don't bother with it, as simple physics tells you it isn't going to work,- it gives the ice on the screen a lower melting point, so it melts, cooling the screen down further, so when you get in, your breath freezes on the inside.
If you leave any on the screen and it evaporates into the wind as you go along, it cools the screen even further, until even the alcohol/water mix freezes.

I just scrape it with a credit card if I have to at work, and leave a fan heater inside that I switch on before breakfast at home.

molerat

I use the Lidl stuff neat in an old trigger spray, just as good as any of the regular de-icer sprays.

forgotmyname

facade wrote: »

I'd expect the aldi screenwash to work fine, as long as you don't let it get near the "paint".

eh? Its de-icer not antifreeze. I would agree not to get antifreeze on your paint but deicer or screenwash in general will get onto your paint all the time.

debtdebt

A 600ml can of Prestone deicer is currently £2 at EuroCarParts with their 33% off code at the moment. Is it really worth messing around?

Gloomendoom

You can make your own de-icer by mixing meths with water.

As post 6, a fan heater inside is much more effective though.

facade

forgotmyname wrote: »

eh? Its de-icer not antifreeze. I would agree not to get antifreeze on your paint but deicer or screenwash in general will get onto your paint all the time.

Undiluted solvent on modern "paint" is not a good idea. Even if the "paint" stays on, it will probably attack the polymer sealant that was put on because carnuba wax is expensive and hard work.

If the Lidl stuff really has a freezing point of -68C it is going to be around 90% alcohol by volume, so undiluted would be bad. It will dilute itself with the melting ice, before it runs down the body, but not if you use too much...

Now I've had a look at the data, I'd suggest a 75% mix- 1part of water to 3 of undiluted screenwash.

Data from The Engineering Toolbox
https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/ethanol-water-d_989.html
https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/ispropanol-water-d_988.html
(isopropyl alcohol = isopropanol = propan-2-ol)