Well, about 2 months ago I was starting to get prepared for those wonderful Illinois winters we have. I purchased the usual de-icer windshield fluid and a windshield scraper for ice. The scraper, like most, also has a brush for removing snow. Like this:



I noticed the bristles where made of nylon. I also remembered reading an article about why you should never dry with a bath towel because they usually have nylon threads and will cause swirl marks when you dry your car (microfiber ftw). Anyway, I tested the brush on an inconspicous area of my spoiler as if I was removing snow. When I checked the paint I noticed fine scratch marks from the brush. This is something you will want to keep in mind if you use a brush like this. I know alot of us go to great lengths to keep the swirl marks away and this is a hidden enemy.

So I bought one of these:



Works much better for removing alot of snow AND there is little risk of scratching since it is a strong foam.

 

Interesting, so the photo above is essentially a strong foam squeegee to push snow off the windshield?

 

Yep, or any other part of the car. It doesn't matter if you use a brush on the windshield since it doesn't scratch as easy. In fact I still keep the scrapper for ice on the windshield. However, the foam 'plow' is good for getting snow off the roof or other areas I dont want to scratch.

 

Heh. I've had a Sno Brum (same as pictured device) for years up in Rochester, NY. It is invaluable for clearing snow off the car. A bit of a pain to store due to the odd shape though.

On a side note: People who don't clean the snow off their cars infuriate me. Almost as bad as people who don't pay attention while on the road.

 

I was persuaded to buy one of those by a guy at VIP who said they used them exclusivley at a dealership he once worked at...No super storms yet in Maine but it made short work of the little we have had...

 

Snow brushes are evil, but a necessary one. They scratch your finish (particularly black finishes) though the squeegee thing looks interesting. If your car was dirty before it snowed, you're likely out of luck either way.

The only way to beet the swirlies is to wax the car in the fall, then again in the spring. I used to use a three stage system, but that would take me a couple of days to do and I've gotten lazy.

Barb

 

May I ask where did you get this?

 

Garage's FTW!!!!

Anything that rubs up against your car has the chance to scratch your finish. This is a good alternative but not 100% to not scratch your car. All it takes is one grain of salt or one the smallest piece of gravel to get in between this and your paint and you have a heck of a scratch.
I guess that's why I have a dual action polisher. No matter how careful you are with your paint its going to become scratched or swirled eventually. +rep to the OP though for a good alternative.

 

As a fellow driver in Rochester, NY I understand your frustrations. For some reason or another people around here just don't seem to get the whole "clearing snow from your car" thing.

 

Have smaller snow brush for windows and headlights and a soft snow broom for clearing off the roof and hood. Letting the car warm a bit before clearing the big stuff off helps to make things go smoother and you really don't need to use much force to get the snow off.

 

I built a 24'x36' garage to avoid having to clean snow off the car!

Before:


During:


After:


Snow:

 

I was driving home from work today, and some genius in an SUV had the back window and ALL passenger side windows completely blocked.

blassty: link Or just look around. Fantastic device. I typically...
wipe around the door with gloves
start car, defrost front/rear
snow brum room/hood/big mounds on windshield
Brush/scrape anything that remains (ice typically loose by now, but usually don't even need this step)

Of course, now that I have a garage, this activity is only relegated to daily snow while working Before that, I actually used the brum to "shovel" deep snow around the car to avoid wet pants. Quite sturdy.

 

Every once a while, I still see a crazy person who has only created a "porthole" through the snow on the windshield and not bother with the rest of the car!

 

moving ice crystals around on top of your clear coat is going to put microscopic scratches in it regardless of what you use.

 

I don't understand how you can feel safe driving your car with windows you can't see out of. That's why I always clear all my windows.

When I see cars with portals through the snow, I stay far away.

Can you get rocket launcers for the Fit? I could help clear their windows that way.

Barb
In the Great White Frozen North