5 weird winter driving tips from Automoblog

"Be careful this season, tralalalala la la la la!!!" Well, except for games, Shit becomes relatively real very quickly. I find that I have had to visit and operate vehicles in snow, ice, sleet and other severe weather conditions, and it is not Thanksgiving!

Most of you who live in the East Coast, like me, need all the help we can get to avoid our cars costing us $1,000.00 in swear-jar fines. While these clever winter driving hacks won’t improve your driving abilities (that one’s on you), they will make life behind the wheel a little more bearable when the temperatures drop.

1.) Two words, one compound: Sodium Chloride...”salt,” if you’re basic.

2.) Go Natural. Let the Sun do its thing.

3.) Cover Your Side-Views with Ziploc Bags.

4.) Brush Your Headlights At Least Once A Day!

5.) Lastly...You Gotta Oil Those Doors Up.

1.) Two words, one compound: Sodium Chloride...”salt,” if you’re basic.

Trust me, this is actually just one of the three most effective compounds that will melt away all the ice built up in your drive way. The bummer about this is like all things too good to be true, there is a price and a quite expensive one at that fact (it also poses as a risk to your pets if they sniff and/or lick it).

An alternative to Sodium Chloride is sawdust and/or sand. Although not nearly as effective, they can never kill your neighbor’s pets.

2.) Go Natural. Let the Sun do its thing.

Okay this one requires either a little bit of geography or an app: Park your car so that it faces eastward overnight (seriously, use an app. don’t be THAT guy). In the morning, the sun will act as a defrosting agent for your windshield.

Obviously, since clear skies are a requirement, this won’t apply to a lot of people- but hey, have at it Californians. If you live in a place that has rather unpleasant skies during winter, try spraying your windshield with three-part vinegar to one part water. This will essentially do the same thing.

3.) Cover Your Side-Views with Ziploc Bags.

Don’t have a garage? Cover your side-view mirrors with Ziploc bags (or any other bag that allows you to secure it tightly). This will prevent frost and ice from gathering on the mirrors.

4.) Brush Your Headlights At Least Once A Day!

Sounds weird but yeah, it helps. The need for clear headlight is never more severe and crucial than during winter time. You can easily improve your vehicles anterior visibility by covering the outer-glass of each light with tooth-paste.

Then, you thoroughly rinse them off with WARM water. If you want to go extreme and all OCD with your headlight shine, then I also suggest adding a little turtle wax after you’ve removed the tooth-paste.

5.) Lastly...You Gotta Oil Those Doors Up.

If you live in a cold enough place (aka where Mother Nature takes out all her anger), then opening a frozen lock is merely one of two steps for getting into your vehicle.

Hack this by thoroughly cleaning the rubber casket on each door with soap and water and thoroughly drying them. Lastly, spray or apply an oil-based cooking liquid to keep them from freezing overnight.

Weird winter driving skills, right? Yes, the thought of having to deal with your car's most annoying rush hour of the year might make them weird to try it. Do you have any other weird winter tips? Share with us.