Drivers across the UK are being urged to put lemons on their car windows before Saturday to remove frost and ice. Multiple amber and yellow weather warnings have been issued by the Met Office on Thursday and Friday, as Storm Goretti brings “multi-hazard” conditions to the UK. The national forecaster has warned that a deep area of low pressure crossing the south of the UK will bring a mix of very strong winds, heavy snowfall and rain across the country before the weekend.
The unsettled conditions come as Storm Goretti arrives in the UK, bringing winds of up to 60mph to large swathes of southern England and southwest Wales, while Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly could see gusts of up to 100mph. Storm Goretti is also expected to bring a spell of snow, with the largest snowfalls likely to be across Wales and parts of the Midlands where an amber warning has been issued, while rain will be an additional hazard as the storm moves through.
Meanwhile, cold conditions will persist further north with a continued risk of snow and ice, with several yellow warnings in force over the next couple of days.
With bitter temperatures and wintry conditions forecast, it means multiple problems for drivers, with travel delays and cancellations expected, potentially hazardous road conditions, and of course, frozen windscreens.
While it’s always useful to have a can of de-icer and a scraper on hand for bouts of cold weather, even then the process of removing ice from your windscreen can take a while and result in your wipers getting stuck.
To help speed up the often time consuming process of clearing frozen windscreens, car experts recommend using another tool instead - a lemon.
The citric acid and sugars in lemons help to lower the freezing point of water, thereby causing ice to melt faster so you can de-ice your car more quickly.
Experts at Lease Car explain: “The citric acid in lemons can help break down the ice barrier. Squeeze the juice onto the windshield, then rinse it off with lukewarm water and wipe off the shards with the lemon itself.”
According to car experts, drivers simply need to cut a lemon in half and rub it directly on the surface of your windscreens, windows and mirrors, and then rinse it off with lukewarm water.
Alternatively, you can also make a solution of lemon juice and water in a spray bottle, and liberally spritz it over car windows before rinsing it away with warm water.
It’s important that the water is warm rather than boiling as the extreme temperature difference can cause thermal shock and result in cracking the glass.
Once you’ve cleared the ice from your windscreen, make sure to wipe it dry with a cloth as this will prevent the melted water from refreezing into a fresh layer of ice.
Experts at classic car restoration company Carrosserie added: “The natural citric acid in lemons can help break down surface ice much more quickly than scraping alone.
The method relies solely on a lemon, which most households will already have in their kitchen, or can purchase for around 30p at supermarkets such as Tesco and Asda if not.
“All you need to do is cut a lemon in half, squeeze the juice directly onto the iced glass, then rinse it away with a small amount of lukewarm (not hot) water. Within moments, the ice begins to loosen and slide away.”
