# Clearing snow off the car



## MattB (Jan 7, 2006)

Does anyone has any good suggestions for clearing snow off the roof and bonnet of the car without adding loads of scratches? I really don't want to be one of those idiots with lumps of snow blowing off their roof at 70mph!


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## Tips (Mar 27, 2011)

I've cranked up the pressure washer in the past and blasted the snow off only to later find that the doors were frozen solid :wall:

I tend to use a car cover the night before snow is imminent


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## andy monty (Dec 29, 2007)

Tips said:


> I've cranked up the pressure washer in the past and blasted the snow off only to later find that the doors were frozen solid :wall:












I usually try and keep the car clean and swipe it off with a gloved hand often the snow is settled on top of ice anyway


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## Tips (Mar 27, 2011)

andy monty said:


> I usually try and keep the car clean and swipe it off with a gloved hand often the snow is settled on top of ice anyway


Brilliant - that was my reaction exactly!


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## Laurie.J.M (Jun 23, 2011)

I use the leaf blower, it's handy for clearing the driveway and the pavement outside my house aswell. I nearly crashed last year because after we'd gone out in the car a couple of times the compacted snow one the pavement froze and turned into a sheet of ice.


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## Tips (Mar 27, 2011)

Laurie.J.M said:


> I use the leaf blower, it's handy for clearing the driveway and the pavement outside my house aswell. I nearly crashed last year because after we'd gone out in the car a couple of times the compacted snow one the pavement froze and turned into a sheet of ice.


Where's that D'oh graphic?


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## dwmc (Jun 6, 2010)

with the engine running and heaters on full heat i`ll get the hose out and gently as possible rinse the snow away from front to back on the roof , then rear window , front window and last of all the bonnett , as for the sides i`ll just open doors and slam em shut as snow should just fall off , then jump in to a nice warm car and having the heaters on full heat prevents the doors from freezing stuck along with the water just freezing up on impact when it goes on windows .


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## dwmc (Jun 6, 2010)

oh yeah , forgot to mention a sprinkle of rocksalt on the driveway for obvious reasons lol

also avoid using wipers straight away as the water in the pipes maybe frozen and it`ll just blow the fuse


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## andy monty (Dec 29, 2007)

http://www.msrballoons.com/homerdohfoilballoons.aspx

:thumb:

The amount of snow we got last year doubt a blower would have shifted it


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## dwmc (Jun 6, 2010)

andy monty said:


> http://www.msrballoons.com/homerdohfoilballoons.aspx
> 
> :thumb:
> 
> The amount of snow we got last year doubt a blower would have shifted it


or in your case just buy some wellies and get walking :lol:


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## -Kev- (Oct 30, 2007)

brush is fine, used gently so it does'nt touch the paintwork.


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## Derbyshire-stig (Dec 22, 2010)

build a car port !


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## The Cueball (Feb 8, 2007)

-Kev- said:


> brush is fine, used gently so it does'nt touch the paintwork.


+1

I use my ice scrapper with the brush. or the yard brush, depending on the amount of snow...

I just don't go as far as the paintwork...

:thumb:


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## Gruffs (Dec 10, 2007)

I use my Blade.

The bottom layer is usually frozen anyway. The blade doesn't get anywhere near the car.

But even if it did, i'd rather have scratched paint than not be able to see. 

The worst possible example being the fully loaded people carriers dropping the kids off with just the wiper range free of snow.


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## -Kev- (Oct 30, 2007)

amazes me when some people put protecting the paintwork above safe driving in poor conditions lol


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## The Cueball (Feb 8, 2007)

-Kev- said:


> amazes me when some people put protecting the paintwork above safe driving in poor conditions lol


I think it's down to laziness for the masses though.... always in a rush...get 2 eye holes scraped and get on the road... :wall::wall::wall:


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## Derbyshire-stig (Dec 22, 2010)

-Kev- said:


> amazes me when some people put protecting the paintwork above safe driving in poor conditions lol


if honest if you spend the rest of the year worrying about not damaging the paintwork why spoil it for a few days of snow, the fact the OP mentioned not having snow blow off at 70mph to me says he is bothered with safety, but also doesnt want to damage his paintwork if possible so is after options.


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## andy monty (Dec 29, 2007)

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukn...overed-windscreen-prompts-police-warning.html


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## -Kev- (Oct 30, 2007)

Derbyshire-stig said:


> if honest if you spend the rest of the year worrying about not damaging the paintwork why spoil it for a few days of snow, the fact the OP mentioned not having snow blow off at 70mph to me says he is bothered with safety, but also doesnt want to damage his paintwork if possible so is after options.


my post was a general comment, not aimed at anyone in this thread. any marks put into the paint (through heavy handed brush use or otherwise to shift snow) can be sorted after winter. yes i like to keep my car clean (although it needs maching and two parts will be meeting a spray gun soon..) but safe driving has always been priority, for me anyway


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## andy monty (Dec 29, 2007)

How long before the usual Winter screen wash will Strip wax comes up..

I'd rather be able to see where im going


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## Sirmally2 (Feb 28, 2011)

andy monty said:


> How long before the usual Winter screen wash will Strip wax comes up..
> 
> I'd rather be able to see where im going


Yep.... Sorry i brought up it stripped my glass sealant! But if it does, it does. Just leave it now and put it on when the weather is a little better.

If it does strip the wax, then if i get a nice warmish day ill stick another layer of wax on. How it goes isnt it! :lol:

Anyway back on topic...

I always clear the majority of snow off the top with a soft brush and try not to touch the paint with it.


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## jebus (Jun 2, 2009)

i tend to start the car up, close the door, brush off the worst of the snow with the foam or rubber blade on the scraper, scrape all the ice of the windows then do my headlights, taillights and number plates if they covered as well, does take long and anything on the inside of the windscreen has usually cleared as well.

my car last year usually has a lot of ice over the bodywork as well so am not that worried about any damage, and i rather see were am going anyway, and i do like that fact that i have a clear windscreen AND side/rear windows which was and often is a very rare site.

The police up here were really good, i drove about all the time last winter and everyday saw quite a few cars they had pulled over that were covered in a huge amount of snow, and the windscreen was covered apart from wiper marks and it may as well been a van for what you could see out the rest of it. Something very funny about the site of a woman in high heels trugging around the car clearing the snow after being given a ticking off by the police.


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## Elliott19864 (May 11, 2008)

USe your hands, make a snowball and just throw it at anyone whos there, doesnt matter who it is, everyone loves a snowball fight.


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## Grizzle (Jul 12, 2006)

Use my hand, i would rather the car was cleared of snow and ice than worry about some poxy paintwork at this time of year, cars can be replaced my family cant.


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## dann2707 (Mar 25, 2011)

CupraElliott said:


> USe your hands, make a snowball and just throw it at anyone whos there, doesnt matter who it is, everyone loves a snowball fight.


Haha loved that. It's gonne be my life theory.


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## alan hanson (May 21, 2008)

hehe, prob is then me hands get freezing from making snow balls so instead of having to wait for the car to warm up its me hands so i can drive.


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## Kriminal (Jan 11, 2007)

Usually a good reach across the roof of the car with your right/left arm, whichever you prefer, and then a good sweep from left to right/right to left, again depending on which arm you have used, will remove that white sh!te - no tools required  :thumb:


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## NissanMan (Aug 24, 2010)

Do a forum search, its been covered every year since the forum began:thumb:


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## paulyoung666 (Jul 6, 2011)

i have a garage , i would use my garage except for the fact that i couldnt get out of the car when it is in said garage  , mind you , i only have a small area of paint on the roof as i have a panaramic glass roof which i aint gonna be able to scratch :argie:


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## beko1987 (Jul 25, 2010)

I usually turn the car on, put the heaters on full pointing at the windows and the cabin. I then go around and scrape the roof, windows and lights. By that time the wipers have been free'd, so I wash the windows with the wipers, and the near neat screenwash I use in the winter, that finishes it off, and the cars warm enough for it not to freeze.

I leave snow on the bonnet and boot lid, and see how much is left when I get to work!

Winters for fun, and wax durability testing!!


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## alan hanson (May 21, 2008)

beko1987 said:


> I usually turn the car on, put the heaters on full pointing at the windows and the cabin. I then go around and scrape the roof, windows and lights. By that time the wipers have been free'd, so I wash the windows with the wipers, and the near neat screenwash I use in the winter, that finishes it off, and the cars warm enough for it not to freeze.
> 
> I leave snow on the bonnet and boot lid, and see how much is left when I get to work!
> 
> Winters for fun, and wax durability testing!!


think the idea is to clear as much as possible before you set off


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## beko1987 (Jul 25, 2010)

Where's the fun in that? Winter is depressing enough, I try to get as much fun as I can out of it!


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## MattB (Jan 7, 2006)

Just remember how much fun it is when a great slab of the stuff hits the front of your car at 70mph lol


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## jebus (Jun 2, 2009)

Thanks beko lol i though i was the only person that leaves snow on the roof or bonnet sometimes to see how much blows off lol


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## Kriminal (Jan 11, 2007)

With all these long-winded, leaf-blowing, use this-use that methods.....what about when you come OUT of work and have to clear the car ?

I presume you don't carry the leaf blowers with you ?


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## Serious (Mar 19, 2008)

jebus said:


> Thanks beko lol i though i was the only person that leaves snow on the roof or bonnet sometimes to see how much blows off lol


Then you slow down and all the snow slides onto your window making you shi7 yourself slam all on and cause a pile up with 6 dead.

Well done you.


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## VIPER (May 30, 2007)

Gruffs said:


> I use my Blade.
> 
> The bottom layer is usually frozen anyway. The blade doesn't get anywhere near the car.
> 
> ...


Same as me. Well, assuming you're meaning a water drying blade there and not some huge sword :lol:



andy monty said:


> http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukn...overed-windscreen-prompts-police-warning.html


Whoever that ^^ was, they should be made to clear the entire UK motorway network of snow, manually with a shovel, as punishment for being so bloody stupid!!!


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## jebus (Jun 2, 2009)

Serious said:


> Then you slow down and all the snow slides onto your window making you shi7 yourself slam all on and cause a pile up with 6 dead.
> 
> Well done you.


No need for that kinda of attitude mate i know were you are coming from with it sliding everywhere but if you had read my earlier post i don't leave a lot of snow on and spend time clearing it but have left some that only a couple cm deep on the bonnet or boot and seen the lines the airflow makes over the car.

Anyway, snow or anything else for that matter covering the screen isn't that odd and certainly not going to make me panic and slam my brakes on, were i used to live car used to get a sudden huge water spray from trucks coming the other way, simply turn the wiper speed up, and screen is cleared.

I love that photo viper, and seen a lot of cars around me that drive like that and agree they should be punished harshly!, a little snow on the car nothing to worry about really, a foot is crazy!


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## SNAKEBITE (Feb 22, 2010)

I just put on my gloves and sweep off as much as I can without touching the paint.
I do not turn the engine on and then mess about, £1.35 a litre is all I'm going to say about that! 

I think too much fuss is made over snow removal, as long as you do it carefully and take your time it's nothing to worry about!

Honest.


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## VIPER (May 30, 2007)

SNAKEBITE said:


> I think too much fuss is made over snow removal, as long as you do it carefully and take your time it's nothing to worry about!


I have to say, I do agree with that 100% :thumb:


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## paulyoung666 (Jul 6, 2011)

Don't know if this has been mentioned but Asda are doing long handled and extendable ice scraper with a soft brush / squegee at the other end for £2 , worth a punt I reckon ...


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## nick_mcuk (Jan 4, 2008)

-Kev- said:


> brush is fine, used gently so it does'nt touch the paintwork.


Agreed I used a soft broom last year to get snow off my A6.

To be honest I don't care if it puts a few light scratches in the paint my safety is far more important!

As for people using water to remove snow I have never heard of anything so stupid in my life....way to go making an ice rink on your drive!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## paulyoung666 (Jul 6, 2011)

Agreed ! , especially so after nearly getting wiped out by an avalanche off a car last year :devil:


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## burtross (Sep 17, 2007)

This question always amazes me....

Just use your hands a soft brush whatever it takes if you ask me, in the grand scheme of things if your worried about paintwork over safety you need to get your head tested!


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## paulyoung666 (Jul 6, 2011)

burtross said:


> This question always amazes me....
> 
> Just use your hands a soft brush whatever it takes if you ask me, in the grand scheme of things if your worried about paintwork over safety you need to get your head tested!


and a possible fine from the police ......


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## beko1987 (Jul 25, 2010)

MattB said:


> Just remember how much fun it is when a great slab of the stuff hits the front of your car at 70mph lol


If I have snow on my car, I won't be doing 70...

The last time it snowed I barely got above 35 before the ABS told me off!


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## Bel (Mar 1, 2011)

beko1987 said:


> If I have snow on my car, I won't be doing 70...
> 
> The last time it snowed I barely got above 35 before the ABS told me off!


Your ABS is broken if it's stopping you from accelerating 

Oh, and it's seriously stupid to drive off with any significant amount of snow left on your car - however you clear it, just clear it :driver:


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## MattB (Jan 7, 2006)

Some strange responses given this is Detailing world where people apparently care for their paintwork!


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## paulyoung666 (Jul 6, 2011)

MattB said:


> Some strange responses given this is Detailing world where people apparently care for their paintwork!


all good caring for your paintwork , getting a ticket or causing an accident because your paintwork is more precious is .........


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## nick_mcuk (Jan 4, 2008)

MattB said:


> Some strange responses given this is Detailing world where people apparently care for their paintwork!


Sorry but as much as I like Defect free paint my saftey comes first.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## andy monty (Dec 29, 2007)

MattB said:


> Some strange responses given this is Detailing world where people apparently care for their paintwork!


Few scratches will polish out your car embedded in a lamp post/tree/ car in front as the snow slid off and obscured your view will take more than t-cut and a bit of this :buffer:

If your that worried and snow is forecast walk


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## HalfordsShopper (Jul 8, 2008)

lol, some tight knobs posted on here. I don't think anyone has said that they value paintwork over safety. The op wants to know how to remove snow without causing scratches - which to me seems like a very sensible thing to do.

Yes clearing the snow off the car is important, but why not do it carefully to avoid damage.


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## G5een (Aug 2, 2011)

SNAKEBITE said:


> I just put on my gloves and sweep off as much as I can without touching the paint.
> I do not turn the engine on and then mess about, £1.35 a litre is all I'm going to say about that!
> 
> I think too much fuss is made over snow removal, as long as you do it carefully and take your time it's nothing to worry about!
> ...


:thumb:

There's a lot of tarts on here isn't there. :lol:

Get your hands in there and push it off!

Leaf blowers, whats wrong with a rake?!


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## beko1987 (Jul 25, 2010)

Bel said:


> Your ABS is broken if it's stopping you from accelerating
> 
> Oh, and it's seriously stupid to drive off with any significant amount of snow left on your car - however you clear it, just clear it :driver:


It's not the accelerating, it's the stopping I'm not keen on in snow. Still, won't come back for a while yet.


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## james_19742000 (May 8, 2008)

Simple answer is to live here in Torbay, we never get snow round here (well maybe once evry decade but thats about it!) anyway, I follow what many other have said on here, start the car, get the blowers on and get a drying blade out, clear the screen, clear the windows, number plates, lights etc and then gently just glide it over the bonnet and the roof you can get quite close to the paint to get all the white stuff off without damaging the paint work as the stuff touching the paint will probably of all frozen over, by the time you have done that the heater will of kicked in and the bonnet etc will be defrosting the bonnet and clearing the screen.

The main thing when worried about snow, is get out of bed 15 mins earlier and use that time to get the car sorted, and when you leave work spend 15 minutes sorting the car before you set off, its quite simple, just some basic common sense, however, you can do all you like if some idiot in another car doesnt use some common sense then everyone can be in trouble anyway!


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## riggssuzuki (Jan 21, 2012)

Bought a special brush when i was in Norway last year. Its an ice scraper one end a long handle and a soft brush on the other. Much better than the flamin yard brush my nieghbour used on the car last yar when i was away. Thought he was doing a favour.......NOT!!


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