Sick of scraping ice off your car? Rumor has it a humble spud is the solution. Here's what we found out when we put it to the test.
Can I Really Use a Potato to Keep Ice Off My Windshield?
Updated on Nov. 25, 2024
Now that winter has settled in, I have to get up 10 minutes early every morning to scrape the ice from my car windshield. Or do I?
There’s a rumor that rubbing a potato on a windshield in the evening prevents ice from forming overnight. Hmm. Sounds too good to be true. But since I happened to have a couple of potatoes that were otherwise bound for the compost pile — and mornings hovering around 20 degrees — I decided to give it shot.
I also asked a couple of experts for their take on whether rubbing a potato to stop ice on a windshield is a valid hack. Here’s what they said, plus the results from my experiment.
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Potato De-Icing Hack, Explained
The claim is that rubbing a sliced side of a raw potato on a windshield at night will prevent ice from forming. This hack has been touted everywhere, from USA Today to the Farmers’ Almanac. “In the morning, you won’t have to scrape! Simply rinse and use your wipers to clear the windshield when you hit the road,” wrote the latter.
How Does It Work?
The way this hack claims to work is that the juice from the potato contains sugar, which creates a thin layer on the glass on which ice is less likely to form or adhere.
Do Potatoes Really Prevent Ice on Your Windshield?
Yes, in theory, say both Thomas Patterson of the Glass Doctor and Chris “Moose” Pyle, an automotive expert at JustAnswer.com. “A potato will help to keep ice buildup on your glass and mirrors,” says Pyle. “It does work but, also leaves a residue, and it has to be done every day.”
For my experiment, I opted to try it on just a portion of my windshield so I could see the difference between the potato-treated glass and the rest of the windshield. In the photos, the potato treatment is on the lower left (passenger side).
In my case, it didn’t prevent frost, but it did cause the crystal structure to be less durable. Ultimately, that helped the potato section defrost slightly more quickly — but not enough to be worth the effort of chopping up a potato every night. However, this was not the most scientific of studies, so I imagine the effectiveness of a potato in preventing ice on a windshield also depends on the overall thickness of the frost, the rate of temperature change, relative humidity and other factors.
Ellen Flowers, travel editor at The Perennial Style, also experimented with this hack. She heard the tip while traveling in Finland, and decided to give it a try. It worked a little, but not as well as she had hoped, she says; kind of like what happened to me.
“Still, it taught me an important lesson about winter survival; it’s not always about finding the perfect fix, but about being resourceful and making the best of what you have,” she says. “Whether it’s a potato, a windshield cover or a good ice scraper, the real secret is learning to embrace the cold with a bit of creativity and practicality.”
Are There Better Alternatives?
Yes. “Although the sugars in the potato will create a barrier that does, in fact, prevent ice buildup and fogging of the glass, there are much better solutions,” says Patterson. He recommends using a hydrophobic coating designed to prevent ice buildup, which is also compatible with newer automotive safety system technologies such as optical cameras.
Pyle also recommends covering the windshield at night with an unfolded cardboard box, “which you can pull off in the morning and store in the car until the next evening,” he says. “Once the box wears out, buy something you want from Amazon and get a new box: win-win.”
He also suggests:
- Rain X, which will help prevent water from sticking to the glass long enough to freeze;
- A $20 waterproof fabric windshield cover; or
- Spray deicer, which dissolves ice and helps to prevent re-accumulation.
If you don’t feel like buying a pre-made deicer, Brandon Hartman, founder of RV Heating Warehouse, suggests DIYing a batch by combining vinegar and water, or rubbing alcohol and water, in a spray bottle.
About the Experts
- Chris “Moose” Pyle is a master-certified technician with 20-plus years of automotive experience. He has also worked as an expert for JustAnswer.com since 2006.
- Thomas Patterson is Director of New Product Development and Technical Training at Glass Doctor. He has been in the glass business for 45 years and worked on thousands of vehicles. Glass Doctor is a Neighborly Company, with more than 300 retail locations.
- Ellen Flowers is Travel Editor of The Perennial Style, a publication focusing on travel, fashion and beauty; curated by a team of passionate sisters on a mission to inspire wanderlust.
- Brandon Hartman is founder of RV Heating Warehouse, an eCommerce company specializing in high-quality heating systems and replacement parts for RVs.
