Stepping out into the freezing cold first thing in the morning at this time of year can be an ordeal, and having to scrape ice off the windscreen and windows of your car can make it 10 times worse. It's the last thing most of us want to do before even setting off for work, to drop the kids off at school, or head out on a few errands.
But one1 social media user has demonstrated a simple way to get it done quickly and easily. The user, dad.hacks0, posted the video on TikTok, where he showed his easy method - and all you need is a sandwich bag.
In the video, appropriately set to Vanilla Ice's 1990 hit Ice Ice Baby, he said: "Scraping the ice off is for amateurs. Let me show you how we do it at dad hack HQ."
"A sturdy food bag half filled with hot, not boiling, water, and watch the magic happen." In the video the man can be seen wiping the food bag, half-filled with water, down the windscreen and windows of his car, with the ice melting off easily.
The video description read: "It's that time of year again! When the temperature drops, and your car is covered in frost, it's essential to have a quick solution for getting on the road safely.
"Instead of scraping away ice like it's 2005, let’s explore a creative and cost-effective way to de-ice your vehicle without scratching your windscreen! The secret? A simple bag filled with HOT water (just make sure it's not boiling!)
"Here’s how to do it: 1. Take a sturdy bag and fill it halfway with hot water. 2. Seal it tightly to prevent any spills. 3. Press the bag against your frosted windscreen and watch the ice melt away!
"This method is not only effective but also saves you from the hassle of traditional scraping. It’s the easiest way to get your car ready for the drive ahead. Say goodbye to those chilly mornings full of frost and hello to quick and easy de-icing!
TikTok users were impressed by the method. One asked: "How many times you did change it for [a] warm bag? When you came back was that what you defrosted frozen again?" dad.hacks0 replied: "Not once, same bag and water did the trick for the windscreen and the driver window and only in under a minute."
Another said: "[I] have been simply using warm tap water in 2l empty bottle of any soft drink, instead of wasting time massaging the ice."
But another user raised a concern. They said: "This will ruin ur glass, it will weaken it."
dad.hacks0 replied: "That’s why you use hot, not boiling water… it simply melts the ice without affecting the glass…" The user replied: "No, it will cause thermal shock and cause very small cracks in glass, this is law of physics you can't win." But another user said: "I've been doing it for the past 15 years, nothing happens."