The UK is being battered by a blast of arctic air as vast areas of the country endure plummeting temperatures and snowfall. Yet, thousands of drivers will still be hitting the roads to travel from A to B.
With this comes the challenge of de-icing vehicles, though not everyone may have de-icer to hand for defrosting windscreens or car doors that can freeze solid.
But one expert has revealed an alternative solution for accessing your vehicle when door locks have iced over. And it's likely sitting in most people's pockets.
According to Cinch's motoring expert Ben Welham, hand sanitiser can be used to defrost car doors during cold weather, reports the Express.
He explained: "This hack works surprisingly well. The alcohol content of hand sanitiser does the job nicely, so it's a brilliant backup if you run out of de-icer on a cold day."
Icy car windscreens can also prove troublesome amid the freezing conditions currently gripping the UK. But experts say a "magic" button in cars could be the answer.
The defrosting tips emerge as Britain faces a spell of bitter weather. With this in mind, the Met Office has advised drivers to carry several essential items in their vehicles before departing, including an in-car phone charger.
The Met Office issued an amber warning for snow and ice earlier this week. In a statement, their chief forecaster Neil Armstrong warned people to be braced for a frozen weekend.
Neil warned: "With Arctic air now covering most of the UK very cold weather will continue through the weekend, with minus double figures overnight in places and daytime temperatures struggling to rise above 0°C for some.
"It looks like this cold spell could last well into next week and wintry hazards will continue with more weather warnings likely. It is therefore important people keep up to date with the latest forecast and warnings and plan ahead."
Meanwhile, George Fiddes from Transport Scotland chimed in: "Particularly cold weather is expected this week which is likely to impact driving conditions in the areas covered by the yellow warning, so our advice to motorists is to plan your journey, leave extra time if needed and drive to the conditions."
