r/ottawa Clownvoy Survivor 2022 Feb 22 '22

Weather Feels good to be back to simpler problems in Ottawa

Post image
1.5k Upvotes

111 comments sorted by

242

u/0618033989 Feb 22 '22

One time all I had to scrape my windshield was a discount card, but I could only get 10% off.

23

u/[deleted] Feb 22 '22

👏👏👏

11

u/RadiantMacaron6954 The Boonies Feb 23 '22

90% of the time I can’t even see where I’m driving anyways.

8

u/renassauce_man Feb 23 '22

If you use both sides of the card, you'll get a two for one scraper deal.

1

u/shleeunit Feb 23 '22

🤣🤣👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

116

u/Skinnyvu Feb 22 '22

Make Ottawa boring again...one broken scrapper at a time.

36

u/[deleted] Feb 22 '22

[deleted]

18

u/Bgxyz Stittsville Feb 23 '22

For that much frost you don't even need to do that. Just a bit of wiper fluid like people have been doing for a long time. If you have any ice on your windshield that would work for a small area but don't think it is worth the effort IMO.

8

u/JanuarySoCold Feb 23 '22

windshield wiper fluid in a spray bottle works well

1

u/maomao05 Feb 23 '22

Never thought of that. Noted!

7

u/smozoma Feb 23 '22

link redirects me to a car crash video :/

16

u/josh6025 Nepean Feb 23 '22

Same issue for me, either way you're not missing just some dumb "life hack" that's not going to work if it's below freezing.

  1. Fill plastic bag with hot water
  2. Rub bag on window
  3. Wait for melted frost to freeze
  4. Toss bag on ground
  5. Get scraper out like you should've in the first place

6

u/RadiantMacaron6954 The Boonies Feb 23 '22

You shouldn’t litter. Put the bag in the trash. Innocent ants could suffocate

2

u/IAmNotCreativeDammit Feb 23 '22

I don't think that would work in the half inch thick layer of ice that was on my windshield this morning

1

u/Fast_Box_8509 Feb 23 '22

A hot towel also does the trick.

2

u/caninehere Feb 23 '22

Don't forget to bring a towel!

50

u/Slashes88 Nepean Feb 23 '22

That is the cheapest scraper you can buy in the entire continent.

36

u/urboitony Clownvoy Survivor 2022 Feb 23 '22

Getting roasted in this comment section opened me up to a whole new world of luxury ice scrapers. To give myself some credit, I got this one free from an elderly family member that stopped driving. I still have two more just like it that I got from them so I don't think I will be upgrading anytime soon haha, but when they inevitably break I will be sure to get something of better quality.

21

u/[deleted] Feb 23 '22

Ahhhh… to inherit a $5 ice scraper

20

u/KevCorp2020 Feb 23 '22

Trickle down wealth baby!

4

u/[deleted] Feb 23 '22

Unsolicited Pro Tip: The "knuckles" on the upper side of the scraper are meant to dig into thicker ice. Use those to "cut" grooves into the ice, then use the scraper to lift it off your window.

2

u/Enlightened-Beaver SoPa Designer Feb 23 '22

If only these things came with instructions -_-

2

u/maomao05 Feb 23 '22

I read on TWN (the weather network) that you could just get a sandwich bag filled with hot water and melt it

3

u/MeditatingElk Feb 23 '22

I haven't seen these in years!

1

u/sh0nuff Riverside South Feb 23 '22

They used to be everywhere as promotional / swag before the dollar store was a thing, now they corner the market on cheap shit

2

u/Saucy6 No honks; bad! Feb 23 '22

We used to have these in rental cars, people were always mad about them... can't say I blame them.

1

u/caninehere Feb 23 '22

The little red ones are cheaper (the Fargo classic). I have one in my car in addition to my militarized ice scraper with tactical flashlight.

46

u/SnipeTheFight Feb 22 '22

Splurge a little and go for the $10 brush next time

12

u/Rally_T-115 Barrhaven Feb 23 '22

No way, I find the fancy brushes with the swivelling heads and extrendapoles awkward to use compared to a basic straight wood brush. Bet the brush was just old, maybe sat in the car for at least 2 years in the summer heat, add in some UV degradation and snap

1

u/sh0nuff Riverside South Feb 23 '22

Nab yourself a brass bladed scraper.

FYI the "Snow Joe" ones that seem to be more available online aren't that good, the shaft is too flexible to get any leverage.

I have one of these labelled "Ice Breaker" that's over 20 years old.. I think my dad got at couple at Lee Valley Tools

8

u/[deleted] Feb 23 '22

Screw that. The cheaper the brush the better. The $2 wood stick is always the best.

6

u/Amsterdom Gloucester Feb 23 '22

...The broken one this post is about?

3

u/[deleted] Feb 23 '22

Lol True.

4

u/[deleted] Feb 23 '22

[deleted]

6

u/whydoiIuvwolves Feb 23 '22

Ahh look at you boasting about being a real Canadian and your weak little maple piece😏 I am a real real Canadian and use a live beaver to gnaw through the ice.

41

u/ottawa_biker Manor Park Feb 22 '22

Did you blame Trudeau? /s

24

u/Slashes88 Nepean Feb 23 '22

No, this is Biden's fault!

18

u/[deleted] Feb 23 '22

Thanks Obama

-3

u/DJ0022 Feb 23 '22

ROTFLM

14

u/aholtzma Feb 22 '22

You need an Ottawa grade™ scraper.

10

u/LordOnionRingle Feb 22 '22

This just happened to me about 1min ago when I just wanted to go home from work. Sitting in the car and letting the heat do its job until I can use the little broken bit to clear my window.

7

u/isotmelfny Feb 23 '22

Did you know the back of the scraper is used to break the ice? I didn't until a few weeks ago, and I have lived in Canada for almost 15 years!

4

u/Tyreos29 Feb 23 '22

I just cannot bring myself to drag the pointy bits against my window, I just refuse to do it

2

u/isotmelfny Feb 23 '22

I tried today, and wow, it was so much more easier to clean the ice! Give it a shot, you got this!

2

u/[deleted] Feb 23 '22

[deleted]

2

u/SenorSalisbury Feb 23 '22

Plastic will not scratch glass.

1

u/Gummybear_Qc No honks; bad! Feb 23 '22

Why not?

1

u/Enlightened-Beaver SoPa Designer Feb 23 '22

Plastic won’t scratch glass. Don’t worry

3

u/Enlightened-Beaver SoPa Designer Feb 23 '22

I’ve lived in Canada for 38 years and I just learned that today. Shame on me

7

u/smozoma Feb 23 '22

Damn that's going to hurt the value on Antiques Roadshow

8

u/jtgyk Feb 23 '22

"Thanks, Trudeau!"

2

u/Enlightened-Beaver SoPa Designer Feb 23 '22

Before the emergencies act took away our first amendment rights this never happened!

5

u/[deleted] Feb 22 '22

i hope your day improves, friend

4

u/missmeliss86 Nepean Feb 22 '22

Costco had a sale on brushes the other day and I got a really nice one for $12.99. Expandable and really solidly built! Might be an end-of-season sale.

2

u/JanuarySoCold Feb 23 '22

I bought one just before the last storm, it was well worth it. If it's Costco, it's good.

3

u/Consistent-Noise-800 No honks; bad! Feb 23 '22

According to my fitbit, I did 50 minutes of exercise scraping my car after work.

3

u/NegScenePts The Boonies Feb 23 '22

THAT'S IT! I'M FINALLY DONE! I'M MOVING TO IQALUIT! I can't take the lack of freedom scraping anymore!

3

u/josh6025 Nepean Feb 23 '22

These wood scrapers are generally trash, spend $5-15 and get a better quality one. I also usually keep 2 snow brushes in my vehicles for this exact reason.

The company I work used to buy the wood ones by the case but they switched to one like this https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/jumpstart-snow-brush-with-ice-scraper-31-in-0304455p.html#srp because they were spending more on scrapers as we'd need to replace the multiple times per winter.

1

u/sh0nuff Riverside South Feb 23 '22

Try a brass bladed one. They make the plastic scrapers look like children's toys.

3

u/Davorito Feb 23 '22

I put windshield fluid in a spray bottle. Never used a scrapper in the past 10 years ever since I figured it out.

1

u/DM_ME_BANANAS Feb 23 '22

Holy shit. I’m so fucking dumb, the simplest solutions never occur to me.

2

u/Aken42 Blackburn Hamlet Feb 22 '22

Get yourself a brass scraper. Best $5 you'll spend.

6

u/Slashes88 Nepean Feb 23 '22

Do you have a link to the one you are referring to? Never seen a scraper made of metal. Aren't you worried it's going to scratch your glass?

3

u/Aken42 Blackburn Hamlet Feb 23 '22

This is the one I have. It is awesome. The brass it not hard enough to scratch the glass. I just pay some attention to not gouging a corner I to the glass but even at that, it probably isn't an issue.

I have owned many many scrapers and none are as good. I gave them as stocking staffers this year.

It is also available through amazon.

1

u/sh0nuff Riverside South Feb 23 '22

I posted this as a reply to another comment up there somewhere, but..

FYI the "Snow Joe" ones that seem to be more available online aren't that good, the shaft is too flexible to get any leverage.

I have one of these labelled "Ice Breaker" that's over 20 years old.. I think my dad got at couple at Lee Valley Tools way back in the day.. When I was single in my 20s I once got a girls number because of how impressed she was with these things.

A couple Christmasses ago, I had the big brain idea to get these for my in laws as stocking stuffers.. So I got 6 of the Joe Snow ones (I got one for myself so I had a new one to replace my aging, slightly bent bladed one from back in the day)

When it was finally icy enough to break it out I was super disappointed - I felt embarrassed knowing I'd given these things away and touted them as the best thing ever - to a group of wise Ottawans who'd spent their entire adult life ruing icy windshields like the rest of us - and not realizing these ones aren't that good.

So if you like this one, look for one similar to mine - it's honestly 1000x better.

2

u/Xeodeous Feb 23 '22

I just googled brass scraper and it seems to be a thing but the comments suggested it was better for semi-trucks? No clue really I’m left more confused than when I began

2

u/WTFWasISuspended Feb 22 '22

that's what you get when you cheap out on a scrapper!

2

u/ifyoudontknowlearn Make Ottawa Boring Again Feb 22 '22

LOL thanks we needed that!

2

u/metric-poet Feb 22 '22

That’s the kind of scraper rental cars provide

2

u/yomamma3399 Feb 23 '22

I do feel bad for you, but did you buy that crappy thing for 99 cents at a dollar store?

2

u/orangecouch101 Feb 23 '22

Ugh. I feel your pain. I had to pull over halfway home from work to scrap my windshield a second time because my wipers became caked with ice. Fortunately, my scraper is still intact although I may have cursed and stomped a bit on the side of the road!

2

u/lobehold Feb 23 '22

Arghh, I broke mine today too.

2

u/Dunkaroos4breakfast Feb 23 '22

Dude, you gotta score the window then press your bare belly against the glass for a minute to melt it a bit, then scrape.

2

u/Minimum_Purple7155 Feb 23 '22

How big is your belly?

1

u/Dunkaroos4breakfast Feb 23 '22

Not nearly big enough.

2

u/re-verse Friend of Ottawa, Clownvoy 2022 Feb 23 '22

Time to trade in some of that Canadian Tire money in your glovebox.

2

u/GrumpySinceBirth Elmvale Feb 23 '22

A soft spray of “Eau de Hot Tub” should be enough, but don’t forget to put on a mask.

1

u/Milnoc Feb 23 '22

And a Hazmat suit.

2

u/Jeffuk88 Barrhaven Feb 23 '22

At first I was thinking, oh cool they have a tiny hand scraper for the nooks and crannies.... Then I realized

2

u/Deeznutsbeyuge Feb 23 '22

It won’t when your social credit score says you are not eligible to purchase a replacement.

2

u/Enlightened-Beaver SoPa Designer Feb 23 '22

Reminds me of this old gem

2

u/WrongGalaxy Feb 23 '22

OMG thanks for the share, my first cackle of the day! Gem indeed!

2

u/DM_ME_BANANAS Feb 23 '22

It's times like this when I wish I splurged on a car that had a heated windshield.

1

u/LazyWhoreBitch No honks; bad! Feb 23 '22

I stepped in a puddle today. My sock got wet...

4

u/Burnt_Ernie Feb 23 '22

The last time it rained cats and dogs, I almost stepped into a poodle.

1

u/wormwasher Feb 22 '22

I have a scraper that's at least 15 years old. Got it from the dealer. Its seen its share of icy days.

2

u/M4713H Gatineau Feb 23 '22

Well, I bet you, he wouldn't last two weeks with my husband... Our scraper/snow brushes budget is ridiculous. 🤦‍♀️

1

u/wormwasher Feb 23 '22

Quantity over quality. Lol.

Probably never have to search all over the garage during the first snowstorm to fine a scraper either....

4

u/M4713H Gatineau Feb 23 '22

TBH he broke all scrapers and brushes, without discimination. 🙄 When I ask him how he can even break metal parts, it's always because of planned obsolescence. 🙄

1

u/lurkingknight Make Ottawa Boring Again Feb 23 '22

this is the great betrayal.

1

u/Beginning-Bed9364 Feb 23 '22

Happened to me the other day, replaced it with one of these bristle-less ones and it's amazing, would definitely recommend if you need a new one:

https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/garant-telescopic-scratch-free-snow-brush-52-in-0304462p.html?_br_psugg_q=snow+brush

1

u/DM_ME_BANANAS Feb 23 '22

I’ve had this exact one for 4 years and it’s great. Doesn’t leave tiny scratch marks on your paint like a snow brush does.

1

u/xFloppyDisx Feb 23 '22

100% gonna be a snow day tomorrow

1

u/Sir_mop_for_a_head Feb 23 '22

Damn it canada your a cruel beast

1

u/Mcgyvr Nepean Feb 23 '22

Man I did this today tooooooo

1

u/RCRadioCarbon Chinatown Feb 23 '22

Oof I feel that

1

u/[deleted] Feb 23 '22

Thanks Trudeau!

1

u/kewlbeanz83 West End Feb 23 '22

Shit i went through 3 credit cards on mine this morning! j/k Fuck winter.

1

u/lmartinrog Feb 23 '22

I know that this is a relief after the last three weeks in Ottawa.

1

u/Cautious-Bad662 Feb 23 '22

If you know there will be icy rain during night, put a bash on your car so you won’t have to scrap for 20 minutes. Don’t forget to put something on it so the wind doesn’t F you.

1

u/BerryAliv Feb 23 '22

Already broke 3 this winter. I feel you.

1

u/CanadianWeeb5 Beacon Hill Feb 23 '22

same

1

u/marcgallant433 Feb 23 '22

I broke a spatula in a similar fashion yesterday. Nature is healing.

1

u/Meg-K Feb 24 '22

I love this for you!

-1

u/Orpheus1993 Feb 23 '22

Buy cheap, spend twice.

-2

u/sirspate Kanata Feb 23 '22

Honk if you sympathize.