The festive season may have officially come to an end, but the chilly winter blues have definitely stuck around.
The Met Office last week issued a warning to millions of Brits that there could be a possibility of snow showers in the coming weeks as temperatures continue to plummet.
And with the bitterly cold winds and frosty nights that are said to be ahead of us comes the one thing that most drivers dread more than anything: icy windscreens.
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There's one hack you definitely shouldn't use if you don't want to damage your vehicle:
Let's face it. There's nothing worse than being in a rush to drop the kids off at school, or having overslept for work, and realising your car window has been adorned by a thick panel of ice.
Finding the right technique at removing this frosty layer might not only win you back valuable snooze minutes in the morning, but it could also save you from potential fines.
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That's because drivers who fail to defrost their windscreens could be slapped with a potential £60 fine and three points on their licence.
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Earlier this week, one car owner hit the headlines after claiming to have discovered a brand new means of de-icing your car that she insists will only set you back 10p.
The driver in question is social media cleaning expert Kayleigh, who this week shared her allegedly handy hack on TikTok, which sees her filling a single zip-lock bag up with lukewarm water and running it along her car window.
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Despite the dreaded layer of ice appearing to melt away within a matter of seconds and many fans heaping praise onto the TikTok star, experts have warned AGAINST this particular technique.
That's because, if a driver uses water above a certain hot temperature - or if it's close to boiling - you could risk shattering your windscreen into tiny pieces and injuring yourself.
So, if you are planning on implementing the zip-lock bag technique, you should do so ONLY with LUKEWARM water, experts have said.
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Dorry Potter, an expert at National Scrap Car, told the Express: "A hack that circulates every year is using warm water in a zip lock bag and rubbing it on the windscreen.
"Motorists are advised to be cautious when applying anything heated to their windscreen as the dramatic change in temperature can cause small cracks to appear in the glass which can cause the screen to shatter when another bout of frost arrives.”
Many people on TikTok also warned that the hack may be safer avoided.
"Make sure the water is not too hot, as the shock could break your windows," one viewer wrote.
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Another went on: "Even small temperature differences create kinda high tensions. It will break eventually."
Featured Image Credit: cleanwith_kayleigh/TikTok