De-Ice Your Keyholes With Hand Sanitizers
Dealing with frozen car locks is one of the most annoying difficulties winter brings for owners of vehicles. When you’re rushing or dealing with severe weather, this can especially be troublesome. Although professional de-icing treatments exist, a common household item—hand sanitizer—can be a quick and easy fix for this frozen situation.
Hand sanitizer’s great alcohol concentration helps it to be successful in de-icing car locks. Usually ranging from 60% to 95%, most hand sanitisers include a noteworthy percentage of ethyl alcohol or isopropyl alcohol. Because alcohol has a lower freezing point than water, it can remain liquid at temperatures well below freezing. Applied to a frozen lock, the alcohol in the hand sanitiser rapidly and effectively melts the ice.
As a de-icer, just dab a tiny bit straight on your key or the keyhole. As it melts, the liquid will run into the lock mechanism. Apply, then gently work your key back and forth to distribute the hand sanitiser around the lock. Usually, you should feel the lock mechanism starting to release a few seconds later.
Although this approach is usually safe for vehicle locks, it should only be used seldom. If used too much, the alcohol in hand sanitiser can possibly dry out the lubricants in the lock mechanism. Applying a lock lubricant can help to guarantee that the mechanism stays well-maintained after you have effectively unlocked your car.
Although hand sanitiser is a great emergency fix, for frozen auto locks prevention is always better than cure. These are some avoidative actions you could do:
1. Before winter starts, lather your locks with a silicone-based lubricant.
2. Where as least practicable, keep your car under a carport or in a garage.
3. Cover your car to keep the weather off of it.
4. Under extreme conditions, think about covering your door locks with rubber.
Additionally worth noting is that hand sanitiser can help with other winter-related vehicle problems. It can help, for example, de-ice frozen side mirrors or windscreen wipers in a pinch. It should never be applied on the windscreen itself, though, since it can break the glass or leave residue compromising view.
Although hand sanitiser is a great emergency de-icer, always be ready for winter driving conditions. Along with other winter emergency supplies including a blanket, torch and snacks, keeping a correct de-icing solution in your car will help you be ready for whatever winter brings.