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macro photo of a snow flake
macro photo of a snow flake
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Life

Remember the “orange juice”

Brooke Johnpier
The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at SBU chapter.

It’s 7:30am, and you’re getting ready to head to work. You’re all buttoned up in your winter gear, and you trudge through the snow to get to your car that has about six inches of snow on it. You get inside the car, turn the heaters and defrosters on and get the snow off your windshield only to discover that there’s a layer of ice still there. Just on the cusp of warming up, you have to get out of your comfy seat, grab your scraper, and clean the windshield, becoming cold once again. Once this is done, you finally head to work. But what if I told you that you didn’t have to scrape your windshield? 

The secret is called De-Icer. My dad, other mechanics I know, and myself like to call this “orange juice”, as it’s an orange liquid that looks just like Sunny-D. De-Icer is a type of windshield washing fluid (the same stuff that you use to clean your windshield when it’s dirty) that contains certain chemicals that melt ice. When sprayed onto the windshield, the chemicals are immediately activated and work efficiently, breaking the ice down and eventually making it a mushy liquid that can be pushed off by your wipers. This is a given, but it obviously makes it so that you don’t have to get out of your car. And, if the ice is really thick on your windshield, give it a big ol’ shot of De-Icer, let it sit for a solid five minutes, and wipe those wipers. Guaranteed most of the ice will come off. 

So, where can you get this handy-dandy liquid? The answer is anywhere. The cheapest place that has De-Icer is Walmart. It’s like four dollars a gallon. But, if you don’t like Walmart or don’t live near one, most other places (the local hardware store, some grocery stores, gas stations, etc.) should have it. The prices might be a bit more there, but the highest I’ve ever seen was nine dollars a gallon. A bit pricey, yes, but trust me when I say that you won’t regret it. Don’t worry if the label on the jug doesn’t say “De-Icer” on it. As long as the liquid is orange, you’re safe. 

If you’re reading this article and want to switch to De-Icer immediately, but still have some of the normal windshield washer fluid (blue) in your car, don’t worry. Use all of the liquid that is inside the car up. This won’t damage the mechanism at all (unlike draining your car out of gas, oil, or other vital fluids) and you will be able to fill the container back up with De-Icer and use it immediately after. If you (or anyone you know) doesn’t know how to fill it up, that’s perfectly okay. Take the containers to your mechanic and kindly ask if they would fill it up for you. They most will say yes. 

So, if you want an easier life this winter, remember the “orange juice.” 

Brooke Johnpier is a contributor to the SBU chapter of Her Campus. She writes about the more "manly" topics of the site, including automotive, motorsports, mechanical, technical, DIY, and anything hands-on. Brooke is also using this platform as her personal blog, of which she will talk about more personal things that she feels the world should hear about. Besides Her Campus, Brooke is a part-time motorsports journalist for Speedway Illustrated, a columnist for Race Pro Weekly and Dirt Track Digesr, and a staff writer as well as a social media promoter for The Podium Finish, where she is interning. Brooke is also a writer for TAPinto Greater Olean, WSBU The Buzz, and PolitiFact NY. Brooke is also involved with St. Bonaventure's literary magazine, The Laurel. Brooke is currently a sophomore at St. Bonaventure University where she is majoring in Sports Media with minors in Native American and Indigenous Studies & English. You can also find Brooke working as an assistant in the Koop Lab and upstairs in the office, making her money. In her free time, Brooke loves reading, going to the local racetrack, riding four-wheelers, working on cars, and riding in tractor trailers. Brooke is a music lover, and will talk about most any genre, especially her favorites which are rock and rap. Brooke is also a percussionist, a published author, and a women's rights activist. Brooke is also a member of several lineage organizations, and currently holds a national position in one of them. As well as writing for campus media, Brooke is involved with Faith in Fiction, Jandoli Women in Communication, the History Club, College Democrats, and the Indigenous Student Confederacy. A fun fact about Brooke is that she was the only female to ever be in the top 5% of the Automotive Technology class at the trade school she attended in her junior and senior years of high school.