Have you tried a homemade natural de-icer for car windows?

oh, NOW you tell me!

Gosh, George! Are you sure you got the formula right?

Okay, haha, nobody's actually tried it then?

No, but I have used windshield wiper fluid containing deicer and that
worked pretty well.

Yeah, I've tried that crap, but it left a gelly mess /residue on the windshield. I swore never again.

That's why I'm interested in this formula.

I've heard that from others, but I never had the problem.
Mostly stopped using it because it was more expensive.

Hmm, perhaps this problem could be brand-specific?

I agree, it is expensive, so this is why I'm keen to try this as well. Vinegar is quite cheap.

I guess I should brave it and give it a small shot on one window to start.

Still looking though for anyone who has tried it and been happy.

my better half made a thread on this many moons ago...

so? that ends it?

I once poured boiling hot water on the windshield of my old MG and the windshield almost blew up on me. It cracked like a firecracker.

So, next time, I was at a work site in Pittsburgh and the ice froze over the windshield of my Chevy Suburban so I poured ethanol lab ware cleaner on the windshield and lit it. It started a small fire in the air vent. No problem, once I found the extinguishers.

I now keep a spare gallon of the blue (ethanol) stuff in the back of any vehicle I may be driving during winter, its a lot cheaper in the long run.

That's funny. I've scrapped lots of windshields without them blowing up.

Okay, thanks, RP.

I'll add my find to that thread.

I need an opinion.

Is vinegar (straight or diluted) safe on car window rubber and paint?

The vinegar is interchangeable with alcohol ?

Not by damn where I come from.

Trying one last time for anybody who has tried this formula.

1- Did it work well?
2- Was there any mess?
3- Does it appear safe for your rubber and paint?

I never tried the mix for deicer, but Ive often used a vinegar mix for cleaning glass.
Usually the windowcleaners are a base but with a bit of vinegar in there it doesnt leave streaks as much.

Check out the comments on this page:

http://consumerist.com/2009/01/three-cheap-recipes-for-diy-windshield-de-icers.html

I've done a pretty thorough web search on the home made de icers and can't find anyone or organization I would consider "reputable and knowledgeable" that has weighed in on the stuff. The link I posted above has comments that caution about using either vinegar or alcohol because it can damage the paint on the car. One of the comments talks about being able to get a gallon of de-icer from Walgreen's for $3. One person says the vinegar formula froze up on the windshield.

I'm confused. Why don't you try it?

If you value the paint job on your car, I wouldn't use vinegar. I use it on the outside of our copper pots to remove the built-up tarnish. Sometimes I just need to use a bit of lemon juice or leftover tomato sauce and it has enough acid to take the stuff right off.

I can only imagine what it would do to the finish on a car.

Read the comments at the link I posted. There are a lot of what sounds like common sense alternatives for ridding your windshield of ice -- some as simple as cutting open a plastic garbage bag and laying it across the windshield and tucking it into the doors.