Drivers baffled to realise 12p kitchen item can defrost windscreens in seconds

10 January 2024 , 11:51

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Removing ice from your windscreen can be a pain (stock photo) (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

A bizarre 12p item many of us already have in our kitchen cupboard could help you defrost your car windscreen in seconds.

Many of us have been waking up this week to icy temperatures and a layer of frost covering roofs, walls, and most annoyingly, our car windscreens. This means spending time in the cold trying to shift the ice off the glass before we can drive anywhere, lest we face a fine of up to £2,500. You may already have a trusty bottle of de-icer in your car ready for the cold mornings, but did you know there's an unusual kitchen item you can use instead?

According to Tim Alcock from LeaseCar.uk, something is lurking in your vegetable drawer that could clean the ice from your car in no time - an onion. Yep, that's right. It might leave you teary-eyed and your car smelling like a ploughman's lunch, but you can use an onion to defrost your windscreen.

The motoring expert said: "Using an ice scraper to clear the vehicle can have you standing for 15 to 20 minutes which can be a nightmare when you're on a tight schedule. That's why we suggest using typical household products, like lemons, salt and onions which can help defrost windscreens."

Onions can help to defrost your windscreen because the sugar molecules break down the ice as it forms on the glass. All you need to do is cut an onion in half and rub the cut side all over your windscreen. The trick should be carried out the night before, as the onion is supposed to stop frost from forming in the first place.

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But does it work? The Mirror tested it out last year and found that while it might make you look a bit weird to your neighbours, it does actually stop frost from forming. Former Mirror writer Danni Scott said at the time: "In the morning, I was surprised to find that my scruffy patch of onion smears had prevented any ice from forming - although the frost overnight was minimal anyway. There was a clear difference between the area of the windscreen that I had onion-ified and the areas that I missed. Had the frost been worse, this definitely would have saved me from tedious scraping."

Danni concluded: "I definitely would use this hack again, especially if I had to rush off in the morning. It's best to do this when you've already used onions, so have some scraps to hand. Interestingly, potatoes will also work under the same concept, so anyone who can't bear the thought of an onion smell in their car might want to give that a go instead."

If you're looking to try the hack out for yourself and don't have an onion to hand, they can be bought from supermarkets for as little as 12p per onion.

Zahna Eklund