Ice ice baby

[coldfeet]

De icer. What's in it and how does it work?

[badgerxx]

De icer normally has methanol or isopropanol in it - both forms of alcohol. They work by reducing the temperature at which water freezes, so they soften ice to the point at which it can be removed from a windscreen.

Anti-freeze contains ethylene glycol, another type of alcohol with two -OH groups as opposed to one in the above. It works by the same principle, but is less corrosive to the insides of an engine, so is used in preference to the above. It isn't used as a de-icer as it can attack car paintwork.

[coldfeet]

Thanks Badgerxx, no one in my car could give me a good enough answer!

[Mattk]

personally i swear by lukewarm water straight from the kettle !

[qapmoc]

Hmmmm, Provided you only use warm water it will be OK but never used boiled water unless you needed a new windscreen anyway.

[Carol Anne]

One of our pets, a sweet little cat, was poisoned when evil neighbours put down a dish of anti-freeze for the cat to lick. Apparently cats can't resist it. They did it deliberately as they were always moaning about the cat crossing their lawn. ( we heard later that two lads from our local 'escorted' the gentleman home one evening via an alley after hearing what he had done)

[misstaken15]

Another thing you could try is a lighter if you can get it close enough -- won't do the paint work any good, but no cats get killed ;)

[misstaken15]

actually, no - I first thought "stuck door". Perhaps not such a good idea for windscreens, or engines...

[qapmoc]

Carol Anne, how did you know it was that person and that they put down antifreeze for the cats, Did they actually tell everybody they did it or what ?

[Carol Anne]

Well qapmoc the vet knew straight away what kind of poisoning it was and I just knew who had done it. We informed the police who later questioned MrX, and he admitted that he put it out to dicourage animals going into his flower beds. Claimed he did not know that cats could not resist licking it. They took the dish away as evidence but no further action was taken. Sometime later he was boasting in the pub of his 'foolproof' method of keeping cats out and having a good laugh about it. personally I cant find anything amusing about a defenceless creature dying in agony, but this moron did and to this day is remorseless and refuses to speak to us.

[oakleydoaky]

not forgetting the other use for ethylene glycol... from a few years ago (they stopped doing it). putting it in german wine to make it 'smoother'!