An eccentric engineer decided to try something new to de-ice his car’s windshield so he swapped out the washer fluid and replaced it with gasoline.

Clearly, it’s an efficient but extremely dangerous method of de-icing the windshield.

Watch the video of this method below.

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Video credit: Rumble

Emile Luijben, from Baarle-Nassau, The Netherlands, can be seen at his workshop tinkering with a beaten-up Ford Ka. He first fills the washer fluid container with some gasoline then positions a flaming newspaper near the frosty windshield.

As soon as he gets into the driver’s seat, he fires up – literally – his experiment and a gout of flame immediately cover the windshield. Once the gas burns out, a clear windshield is left behind, fortunately with no cracks. Emile then goes out to douse any remaining flames or embers.

Emile said: “We do what we like most and hope to inspire other people to start their own projects.

“The ideas just pop into my head, so I keep a list of creations I would like to build, sometimes we just pick one and start building.

“I like disassembling old machinery to find the parts I need to build something completely different.

“I enjoy testing the vehicles most, the test is the climax of the build.”

It’s a good thing this was just an experiment. But now that we’ve seen what NOT to do when trying to de-ice a car’s windshield, let’s look at more efficient and safe ways to do it without resorting to expensive de-icing chemicals.

There are actually two easy ways to do it. One is to mix water with a teaspoon of salt and pour it over the windshield and other iced areas. The other is to mix three parts vinegar to one part water. Either will work to de-ice your vehicle quickly without leaving any damage.

To prevent your car windows from icing up in the first place, mix up a solution of water and table salt and soak an old towel into it. Place the towel over your car’s windows before turning in for the night. The salt will lower the freezing point of the water so that frost won’t form.

As winter comes up, de-icing is an activity that car owners will need to worry about again. Fortunately, there are easy and affordable ways to perform this without the need for wild and dangerous gimmicks.

 

Replaced!