Scraping snow off your windshield on a cold winter morning may seem like the 7th circle of hell for some. And in an effort to save herself the hassle of having to do this, TikToker Abbey Clare (@abbeyclare_) got creative.
She surmised that simply placing a cover on her windshield that stopped snow from collecting on it would solve this issue.
However, she learned that her choice of material for the cover ended up causing a bigger problem than she intended. She documented her regret in a viral TikTok that’s accumulated over 14.5 million views as of Sunday.
A not-so-bright idea
Clare’s video begins with a recording of her car’s frosty windshield. It’s parked on the street, shrouded in darkness. The crystallized cold is plastered on top of the glass, which is perceivable beneath a mass of flattened cardboard.
“I was convinced I’d solved the bane of my life,” she writes in a text overlay of the video.
However, what the TikToker didn’t account for is the fact that cardboard is pretty good at retaining moisture. (One of the reasons why experts advise against it for long-term storage solutions.) And because of this, that means cold and wet windshields are just going to cause bits of cardboard to stick against them.
Which is exactly what ended up happening to Clare’s vehicle. As her clip progresses, she shows the difficulty she has in attempting to remove the sheet of cardboard from her windshield. Large portions of the cardboard’s underbelly are frost-glued to the glass.
Blankets work better
If you’re trying to keep snow from gumming up the works on your car overnight, there are more effective solutions. Obviously, the first is parking your car indoors. But some people have demonstrated that old flannel shirts and towels can help rectify this problem, too. And then there was this Facebook user who recorded the aftermath of placing a blanket on their windshield overnight.
In the clip, the cloth has clearly collected a mass of snow, and appears to be frozen solid in some places. However, the blanket has soaked up a lot of the moisture, without sticking to the car’s windshield. Despite remarking how “heavy” his blanket has become, the Facebook user is easily able to remove it with just one hand. It slides straight off of the car which has masses of snow stuck to its body. But the windshield is completely devoid of snow—it looks like it didn’t even see a snowstorm.
Winter car protection
There are also specifically crafted car covers designed to protect your whip from precipitation as well. In this clip, a few users demonstrate how one of them can work on various car models. While the covers are completely caked in snow, it’s easily shaken off. And once the covers have been removed from the cars, they’re all frost and snow-free.
Furthermore, if you’ve got yourself a remote start option, blasting its “winter setting” can help. Defrosting the front and back windshields can go a long way in melting snow from your car’s glass. Plus, you won’t have to worry about sitting in your car, teeth chattering, while you wait for your ride’s climate control to kick in.
@abbeyclare_ I’m literally just a girl👀🤣
♬ just a girl – autumnaudios
TikTokers empathize
Various folks who responded to Clare’s video stated that they felt her pain. One user wrote that they, too, believed her idea was a good one, prior to seeing the end result.
“No because my first thought was ‘that’s so smart,’” one wrote.
Someone else penned that they appreciate TikTok because of its schadenfreude effect. “Whenever I’m having a bad day I just open TikTok and realize there’s people like this having it worse,” they said.
Another user recommended a different solution: “Just buy a frost guard they have em at Walmart.” If this suggestion sounds up your alley, you can check out various frost guard windshield covers here.
As awful as the sticky cardboard on Clare’s windshield seems, one commenter said that fixing it isn’t all that difficult. “Life lesson learnt sometimes it’s the only way to figure out if it works don’t beat yourself up about it,” they said. “Once defrosted will come off easy.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to Clare via TikTok comment for further information.
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