You might need to go to work or just leave your home on Monday following the impacts of Winter Storm Blair on Sunday, which means cleaning snow and ice off your car.
Even though city officials advised residents to stay home, not everyone can. Before heading out, check out Monday’s road conditions and live updates on Winter Storm Blair in Louisville.
The National Weather Service of Louisville predicts that 1-3 inches of snowfall could impact Louisville on Monday, following the more than 7 inches that fell on Sunday as recorded by the the Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport.
Here are ways to deice your car:
How to remove ice from my car after winter storm 2025 in Louisville
If you find your vehicle is covered in ice, which could be the case given the impacts of Winter Storm Blair, the AAA Motor Club has some tips on how to safely remove it without hurting yourself or your vehicle.
Melt the ice from the inside out. That means to begin the ice removal process, you should start your vehicle and allow the defroster to begin to work. Turn the heat up as high as it will go to melt the ice quicker.
“If your car has an automatic climate control system, simply set it to defrost,” AAA said in a statement. “If your car is one of the few with an optional electrically-heated windshield, turn it on to rapidly clear ice from the glass.”
TIP: While idling your car to defrost the windshield, make sure the tailpipe is clear. Any blockage from ice or snow could result in dangerous carbon monoxide exposure for anyone sitting inside the car.
How to weaken ice from my car after winter storm 2025 in Louisville
Mix one part isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol and two parts water and apply it to the ice with a spray bottle. Be sure to store the solution indoors and not in your car to make it more effective.
“The isopropyl alcohol sold in stores ranges from 50 to 90% purity. Higher purity provides a lower freezing point and better deicing capability,” according to AAA. “A few drops of dish soap added to the mixture will act as a surfactant to help coat the ice more evenly.”
There are also commercial glass deicer sprays that can be purchased in stores.
“These products generally contain methanol, which is the best form of alcohol for deicing. However, like pretreatment sprays, they tend to cost up to $15 per quart and may contain pet-hazardous ethylene glycol,” AAA says.
Always use a plastic scraper, windshield wipers, a rubber squeegee, or a soft bristle brush to remove ice. Never use metal scrapers, which can scratch glass and damage wiper blades.
Should I pour hot water on my car to remove ice after winter storm 2025 in Louisville?
Do not put hot water on your car to remove ice.
It may seem like a good idea, but dumping hot water on ice can crack glass by causing thermal shock. The same goes for room-temperature water. Don’t do it.
“For the same reason, never try to melt the ice with any type of torch,” AAA says.
Experts also advise against trying to crack ice with a hammer or some other type of blunt object before scraping. Frozen windshields break much easier.
How to unlock a frozen car door lock after winter storm 2025 in Louisville
If you find your locks are frozen and you don’t have any commercial de-icer, or you left it inside your frozen vehicle, there are three tricks you can try.
Hand sanitizer can help you get into your car when the locks are frozen. Thanks to the high alcohol content in most hand sanitizers, it can thaw ice. Squirt a little bit of the gel on your key, make sure it covers both sides well, and it should unlock your stuck door lock after a few turns.
You can also try to heat your key with a lighter. If the lock is completely frozen, you may have to heat your key more than once. Insert the heated key into the lock and gently turn it left and right. This method may take several tries but eventually, it should do the trick.
If you don’t have a lighter or hand sanitizer, you may need to rely on the heat of your breath to thaw out your lock. Simply cup your hands around the lock and blow into it for a few minutes. It may be necessary to do this more than once, but your lock should thaw after a while.
Courier Journal reporters Marina Johnson, Leo Bertucci, Keisha Rowe and Keely Doll contributed to this article.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville winter storm: How to get ice off your car during winter storm