WASHINGTON — We’ve all encountered those viral videos online: clever tricks to remove ice from your car’s windshield. But do they really deliver results?

The conventional approach involves activating the defroster in your car, which gradually melts the ice and frost once the air heats up. However, it’s important not to leave your car unattended during this process.

To clear the windshield, you can use an ice scraper or switch on the windshield wipers after the ice has sufficiently softened. Be cautious, though—if the wipers are stuck to the windshield and are activated prematurely, it could damage the blades.

This classic technique requires some patience. For those seeking a faster solution, Erin Sullivan from WZZM decided to evaluate some of these popular social media hacks firsthand.

First, Sullivan tested a method using a sandwich bag filled with warm tap water. The hack says to fill a zip-up sandwich bag halfway with warm water – not boiling, but comfortably warm – close the bag securely and gently slide it over your icy windshield.

Sullivan used the method on a window that was so frozen solid that it didn’t really work, but “I’m sure it could work if there’s no ice on your car.”

This method involves pouring rubbing alcohol onto the windshield.

According to Glass Doctor, put two-thirds of a cup of rubbing alcohol and one-third of a cup of water into a spray bottle and then spray the solution on the windshield. Wait for the mixture to take effect before using an ice scraper or the windshield wipers to remove the softened ice and frost.

“I did notice this helped melt the ice just a little bit, but I can’t say that this life hack was life-changing,” Sullivan said.

This method is similar to the rubbing alcohol hack. Mix three parts white vinegar and one part water in a spray bottle, and spray the mixture onto the windshield. The acidity of the vinegar helps break down ice and frost. Then use a cloth, ice scraper or windshield wipers to remove the ice.

Don’t use too much vinegar, though; according to Auto Zone, prolonged exposure could damage the windshield’s protective coating.

On this hack, Sullivan said, “This did help with scraping ice off of the car’s windshield, but the smell was overpowering. And I do warn you, if you try this at home, you might inhale some of that vinegar. So, I do not recommend.”

If you have icy doors, you can put WD-40 on the rubber edges around the door. This can help prevent the door from freezing shut.

And for door handles, hand sanitizer can help de-ice the handles when they’re frozen shut.

This can seem like a quick fix, but pouring hot water on a frozen windshield can cause the glass to crack due to the rapid temperature change, according to AAA.

The answer to this is: yes and no.

There are benefits and risks either way.

Putting up your wiper blades after you’ve parked is the easiest way to prevent the wiper blades from freezing to the windshield.

Frozen wipers can become stuck to the windshield and could be damaged if they’re moved before the windshield is cleared of ice and snow. But lifting the wipers won’t stop the rubber from icing over.

AAA warns that if you put the wipers up when parked, then take them down to drive, this could cause the wipers to not be pressed as tightly to the windshield as they should be, though this can depend on the type of wipers.

Glass Doctor warns that if you lift the blades too high, this can cause damage to the internal mechanisms, including the motor.

An alternative is to wrap plastic bags or long socks around the wipers so they don’t freeze or to put a cover over the windshield.