Hycote De-Icer tested

Price: £2.49 (500ml aerosol)
Contact: www.hycote.co.uk

Clear ice from your screen and prevent it forming again – that’s what Hycote says its new De-Icer will do. But can it really save you time in the morning? We tried it on a frozen screen to find out.

We held the aerosol can 25cm away from the glass as the instructions suggest, and pressed the trigger. The powerful spray comes out of the can quickly, but the ice didn’t dissolve immediately.

Plus, we measured the spray pattern at 9cm in diameter, so covering your entire screen could take time.
We put our screen back in the freezer to replicate leaving a car on a driveway on a frosty night. After 12 hours we checked it, and ice had reformed over the treated area – so the product didn’t live up to Hycote’s claims.

Ultimately, this De-Icer will clear your car’s screen more quickly than an ice scraper, and won’t do any damage in the process. But in our experience, you get more fluid for your money with spray-on liquid de-icers than an aerosol like this.

Verdict

Rating: ★★
What is it?
Aerosol can of de-ider to clear your frozen windscreen this winter.
Problems?
Didn’t live up to the packaging’s promise on test, failing to prevent refreezing, not as cost-effective as a trigger pack
Why buy?
Really easy to apply, plus there’s no danger of doing damage to the screen with an ice scraper.