Splashing Rubbing Alcohol to deice windows - Good Idea

Just as the de-icers, it'll eat the wax off your painted parts. After that, it'll start eating the paint. Painters wash their spray can parts in alcohol based solvents.

Again, Tap water works on the glass, but don't pour it near your door locks.

And NEVER use hot water to "unfreeze" locks. You'll be forever sorry. Get a little tube of graphite.

Hey, Gary, I beg to differ! Using alchohol on thoroughly hardened paint will have a minimal effect. (It WILL dull the clear coat, like acid rain). Using alchohol to clean the spray guns, etc works effectively because the solvents haven't 'flashed off' yet. But, after using alchohol to free a stuck door or lock, WIPE IT DOWN with water very rapidly, or it will attack the clearcoat if left on.

Haven't we all splashed gasoline on the paint at the fillin' station?

Alcohol is the main antifreeze in all washer fluid, the fluid you use winter and summer. Most Gas is 10% alcohol. No it will not affect paint. Perhahs if you soak a towel in alcohol and leave it on you car but so will gas at that point. Water from your house is to warm it at room temp could crack glass. So use alcohol if you wish. But it is expensive , a scraper is best

Back in the mid 70s we had "gasohol" but that was stopped because it was eating out the gaskets in carburetors, etc. We don't have carburetors anymore, so maybe gasohol is shipping again.

______________________________________________ Bill Plummer, BBN 1971 - 1980

Why not. What do you think is in that deicer stuff? ;)

mike hunt

Car Guy wrote:

Gary L. Burnore floridly penned in news:cqg0te$fch$ snipped-for-privacy@ljutefisk.databasix.com:

Don't use graphite! Very bad idea for automtive locks that are subject to snowy/icy winters.

The very best thing is spray cans of Rust Check (apparently in Canada only). Spray liberally into lock until it backs out the keyhole. Locks will NEVER freeze or stick again, guaranteed.

Odd, I've never had a problem, even when I lived in Chicago. Talk about crappy winters, You could walk out onto Lake Michigan if you didn't mind stepping across frozen waves.

HachiRoku,

We've seen eye-to-eye on many things. I'm afraid that I'm going to disagree with you on this subject. I would highly recommend against using any alcohol as it is bad for your paint (as you yourself has mentioned). Dulling of the clearcoat is bad in my opinion. If it has to be wiped down with water afterwards as you suggest, then why not just use water to begin with? Then it will be just a 1-step process.

At one time or another, yes, we've all splashed gasoline at the filling station. That's why you see a lot of cars who rusts there first. On the occasions that I've that done that, I immediately wash that area and re-wax it.

Dulling the clear coat IS a Bad Thing[tm]. It doesn't stop there though. The alcohol doesn't disipate. It continues down to the metal (gravity> and settles on the metal, causing rust after some time.

So you're saying to use the alcohol to melt the ice then water to remove the alcohol. Why not just use the water?

Yeah, and it sucks bigtime. Haven't you seen cars where people haven't cleaned it off right away? Rust or at minimum, a horrible looking streak.