# Winter visibility: screenwash, wipers and ice scrapers

*2026-10-20 · autotools*

In winter, safety often comes down to how well you can see through the glass. Salt spray, slush and ice can turn a windscreen hazy within minutes, so it pays to sort out three things before the cold sets in.

## Swap summer screenwash for winter fluid

Summer screenwash freezes at the first sub-zero temperatures. Ice in the reservoir and hoses can damage the washer pump or reservoir and block the jets.

* Use a winter fluid with a freezing point suited to an Estonian winter – at least −20 °C
* Dilute concentrate as the label says: the more water, the higher the freezing point
* If there's still summer fluid in the reservoir, spray it out as far as you can before adding winter fluid
* You can check the freezing point with a refractometer – the same tool used to test coolant

## Check your wipers

Worn blades leave streaks, squeak and judder across the glass. Check the rubber before winter: if the edge is cracked, rounded or has gone hard, it's time to replace the blades. Wipe the rubber now and then with a cloth dampened with screenwash.

* Don't use the wipers to clear ice – it wears the rubber and strains the wiper motor
* If the blades are frozen to the glass, free them before switching the wipers on

## Clear ice and snow properly

Clear the whole windscreen before you drive, not just a small patch in front of the driver. Keep the scraper edge clean so sand and grit don't scratch the glass. Never pour hot water on the glass – the sudden temperature change can crack it. A long-handled scraper with a brush also lets you push snow off the roof, so it doesn't slide onto the windscreen when you brake.

See [screenwash](/en/c/screenwash) and [ice scrapers](/en/search?q=j%C3%A4%C3%A4kaabits).

## Products in this article

- [Moje Auto Washer Fluid winter screenwash concentrate](https://autotools.ee/en/products/moje-auto-washer-fluid-talvine-klaasipesuvedeliku-kontsentraat) — €5.31
- [Virage Brush-scraper, 65 cm](https://autotools.ee/en/products/virage-jaakaabits-harjaga-65-cm) — €7.11
- [ROOKS car refractometer for battery and technical fluids](https://autotools.ee/en/products/rooks-auto-refraktomeeter-akule-ja-tehnilistele-vedelikele) — €26.91