Avoiding Windshield Chips

“An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure” and the same thing goes with avoiding windshield chips. Windshield chips are small fragments appearing on the surface of windshields to signify the need for reparation or replacement. The appearance of windshield chips usually leads to the occurrence of windshield cracks. Windshield chips can still be avoided. Here are some tips on avoiding windshield chips:

* Take care of windshield wipers.

Windshield wipers are the types of devices which are used to wipe rain and dirt from the windshield. These devices work by swinging their blades back and forth over the windshield. Taking care of windshield wipers is one way of avoiding windshield chips. Torn, bent, broken, or cracked windshield wipers can cause chips or scratches by simply swinging the damaged part to the surface of the windshield.

* Use plastic ice scrapers.

Avoid using metal ice scrapers when cleaning windshields. Ice scrapers are hand-held tools which are used for the removal of ice, snow, and frost from automobile windows. These hand-held tools are usually composed of a blade and a handle but new models are now equipped with brushes and squeegees to help remove snow and water. Plastic ice scrapers are more favored than metal ice scrapers because the metal blades of metal ice scrapers can cause chips and scratches to the windshield.

* Pour lukewarm water.

One alternative to scraping snow off the windshield is to pour lukewarm water onto it. Lukewarm water is poured into the windshield followed by the squirting of water from windshield wipers to prevent refreezing. Pouring lukewarm water onto the windshield is quite effective in removing snow and frost but you have to make sure that the water you pour is really lukewarm. Very hot water is very dangerous to the windshield because it may cause not only the occurrence of chips but also the cracking of glass. An alternative to pouring lukewarm water is by sprinkling table salt onto the windshield to help loosen the ice particles.