An ice scraper really just needs to do one thing: get snow and ice off your car windows without scratching the glass. We’ve all tried scraping with an old credit card before, but trying to do the whole windshield that way is tiring. Long before you are done and enter your car to commute to work during this miserable day, your fingers are already frozen and numb.
It’s easy to figure out pretty fast why a real ice scraper is such an essential tool for the cold months. It’s obvious that you shouldn’t start your trip until the glass is totally clear. Besides being against the law—you could get hit with a £60 fine and three points on your license—driving when you can’t see properly is risky and could cause a serious accident.
You know how it goes on winter mornings: frost, ice, and snow can pile up fast on your windshield, mirrors, and windows. Getting all that stuff off isn’t just a matter of convenience; like we said, you actually have to do it for safety and legal reasons. Hitting the road when you can’t see clearly could get you a ticket or points on your license, but the biggest issue is that it puts both you and other drivers in danger.
But how does this magical ice scraper work?
Joking aside, this small and affordable device does not work with magic or magnets. Nor does it use heat or thermal resistors to melt ice in an instant (it would need a much larger battery, and it would take forever to defrost the windshield).
Its mechanism is pure and simple high-speed mechanical friction. Together with the centrifugal force generated by the device, it is able to remove ice thanks to its lower disc, which has six sturdy plastic blades. It is the perfect material: hard enough to break up the ice, but not so hard that it scratches and damages the windshield glass.
The disc ends up spinning at a fairly high speed, reaching 500 revolutions per minute—similar to the speed of a washing machine when spinning clothes on a delicate cycle. This rotation allows the blades to eat away at and remove all the ice and snow without us having to use brute force, which is typical when using a manual scraper.
All you need to do is position the device downwards, hold it firmly with the palm of your hand, turn it on, and apply light pressure to the glass. From there, the disc will begin to rotate and remove the ice. Want to turn it off? Simply lift it off the glass and it will stop automatically.
A new way to get rid of ice every morning before work
Thanks to the innovative design of this device, you can forget about those traditional ice scrapers with long, thin handles. This model, on the other hand, has an ergonomic ball shape that helps you hold it comfortably in the palm of your hand and makes it easier to grip.
The only problem is if your car is very wide, the person using the device is short, and has slightly short arms. In this case, it may be difficult to reach the center of the windshield, but that depends on how each user uses it.
Due to its compact size, it is very easy to store inside the vehicle. In addition, it weighs one pound, which gives it the necessary solidity to keep it firmly against the windshield. It has a rechargeable battery, which provides the power needed to run the motor. It only takes two hours to fully charge, and allows for multiple uses on a single charge.
Of course, it has a safety mechanism that automatically turns it off if it is not used for three minutes, which saves electricity and prevents accidents. Finally, it comes with a protective cap to cover the blades when you store it, ensuring that you don’t cut or hurt your hands when you put it in the glove compartment.
If Santa didn’t bring you an ice scraper last Christmas, but you’re still getting annoyed every morning cleaning your windshield, treat yourself and buy an automatic ice scraper!