A Cincinnati Winter with Frost Free Windows in 3 Easy Tricks

This year you can get through a Cincinnati winter with frost free windows by trying these 3 simple tricks.  Two of them use common household items that you most likely already have around, and one of them really just requires additional action on your part.  You can use all three tricks together or separate depending on your windows and your home.

Trick 1: Rubbing Alcohol for Frost Free Windows

To quickly remove any frost that has appeared on your windows use rubbing alcohol to remove it.  Simply fill a spray bottle full of the rubbing alcohol and then spray it on the frost.  Once the rubbing alcohol makes contact with the frost it should easily wipe away.

Removing the frost before it melts is important in preventing water damage to the window sill and the wall below.

Trick 2:  Reduce Condensation = More Frost Free Windows

When the moisture level in your home is high and the windows are colder than the air, it shows in the form of condensation on your windows.  This condensation ends up freezing and becomes frost when the outside winter temperatures bring the window glass to freezing temperatures.

To keep the frost from forming in the first place, you need to prevent condensation by keeping the humidity inside your home low.  You can decrease the humidity in your home by:

• Properly ventilating your bathroom when you take a hot shower or bath.
• Making sure dryer vents are secure and venting outside of the home and not keeping anything in the home.
• Opening windows
• Not using a humidifier
• Using faucet aerators

Trick 3: Frost Free Windows with a Salt Solution

We used to use salt to melt the ice on sidewalks, to keep those walking on our sidewalks safe from the thick frost.  So why not use it on your windows as well?

To use, you simply create the solution below.  After it has cooled, dip a clean sponge in the solution and wipe the glass in your windows with it.  Dry immediately after you have wiped the windows down so that the solution does not have a chance to dry on the glass.  The solution should prevent frost from forming on your windows at all.

Solution Ingredients:

1. Boil 2 teaspoons of plain table salt with 4 cups of water.
2. Keep the lid on the pot while you boil the mixture for 15 minutes.
3. Allow to cool to room temperature before you use.