Discovering your car windows are frozen shut when you need to open them just to back down the driveway is no fun. As if winter wasn’t already bad enough, now you have to delay your departure because you can’t see well enough to back out. What do you do?

Cold, stuck car windows are not abnormal in the winter. Fortunately, there are things you can do to safely address them. And by safely, we mean getting the windows open without damaging anything.

The first and best suggestion is to warm up the car for 5 to 10 minutes prior to departure. Let the car get warm enough for the heater to blow hot air, then turn on the defroster and let it run a while. If warming up the car doesn’t solve the problem, there are other things you can do.

Deal with the Ice

Cold, stuck car windows are usually the result of ice forming around the rubber seals. Try using an ice scraper to break the bond between the rubber and the glass, but be very careful when you do this. Use gentle strokes to nudge the edge of the scraper just underneath the rubber seal. Don’t use hard, violent strokes that could damage the rubber.

If you have a bottle of wiper fluid handy, you can pour a small amount on the bottom seal and along the two sides of the window. This may be enough to melt the ice if it’s not too thick.

If you still can’t get the windows open, don’t try to force them. Scrape the windows as clean as you can and then wait until they thaw out. Finally, apply an anti-freeze product from your local auto parts store so they don’t freeze again.