Freezing Ohio Temperatures Causing Car Trouble: 6 Tips To Open An Iced Car Door

Freezing Ohio Temperatures Causing Car Trouble: 6 Tips to Open an Iced Car Door

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With freezing temperatures hitting Ohio and the nation, chances are high that you will face an iced-over car door at least once during this year’s fierce Ohio winter. No matter whether you live in Cincinnati, Cleveland, or Akron, chances are high you’ll face an icy car at least once this winter.

With temperature expected to hit records lows in Ohio we are facing many challenges. One is the inability to open car doors because they have iced over from the freezing Ohio temperatures. With this becoming a common occurance over the last couple of days lets look at some ways that can help us get through and iced-shut door.

Although it may seem like a good idea to pour hot water on the door to melt the ice coating from the freezing Ohio temperatures on your car, pouring hot water onto your car could cause problems, like cracked glass, and a tougher coating of ice due to the hot water freezing on contact with the existing ice.

Tips To Open an Iced Car Door

  • Check all of the doors on your car to see if any of them are opened. You may be able to avoid removing the ice by entering your vehicle from another door. If all the doors are iced, proceed to the different de-icing methods outlined below.
  • Apply Pressure: Lean on the door and push it in with as much pressure as you can manage. This could cause the ice to crack, enabling you to open the door. Try this method before moving on to other methods.
  • Use Commercial Products: You don’t have to rely on your wits or nature to de-ice a car door. Luckily, stores sell commercial products that help melt ice. These products can be sprayed onto the ice, which contain chemicals that melt the ice quickly. In some cases, it may take up to 10 minutes for a commercial de-icer to remove the ice from your car door. You can also try using windshield wiper fluid (which contains alcohol) to help speed the melting process.
  • Leverage with Tools: Tools can be helpful in opening iced car doors. Use an ice scraper or another small hand tool to break the seal around the car’s door by using leverage.
  • Use Hot Air: Hot air can melt ice faster than some of the other methods. If you have a hair dryer handy, you can use it to encourage the ice to melt. Use a battery-powered hair dryer rather than an electric-powered dryer for maximum safety. Combining the hair dryer method with the pressure or leverage de-icing methods will provide faster access into your car.

Preventing Iced Car Doors

You can prevent some ice from blocking your car doors if you have advanced notice about the weather. Spray your car down with a de-icer before the storm hits to prevent ice from sticking to the surface of your car doors. You can also cover your doors with a sheet of cardboard to prevent ice from sealing your car doors. (January 2014 http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/winter-temperatures-can-freeze/42818)

The attorneys at Wright & Schulte LLC hopes these tips help Ohians get through the hurdles everyone is facing with the frigid polar vortex sweeping our nation.

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