My car doors froze on me tonight!

[nyrnyr1994]

I was leaving work around 2 AM, and I reach to open my car door, frozen solid. So I go back inside, get a pitcher of hot water, and thaw the door open. And I figured, ok, no problem, I'll drive home now.

No, it couldn't be that easy. Since I poured water onto the doors, they had frozen again by the time I get home. Luckily I was able to open the window, and had to pull a reverse "Dukes of Hazzard" move to get out of the car.

Only me....

[LosinIt]

1. A woman I work with was also frozen out of her car tonight.

Must be those tiny lake effect snowflakes we were having. She came back into the office and got a big strong man to wrestle it open. She thought maybe she would use hot water, but I warned her about it freezing again on her. This is too weird.

[revcarol]

2. Next time have some WD-40 in your purse.

And there are a couple of commercial products that you spray a small spray on and they don't refreeze.Got used to this in Alaska, and in Dallas, where they have ice storms.

[necso]

3. Neighbors' house doors getting stuck.

We have been having this weather where first it is humid and rainy and then it gets cold... repeatedly.

Exposed house doors/frames swell up and then freeze shut.... a real treat.

I would recommend graphite or a similar non-drying lubricant for car door locks and white grease or the like for other moving parts. Treating door edges with some freeze preventative or water "shedder" sounds like a good idea but I haven't tried it. With car doors I can generally rely on breaking up the ice and brute force. Carrying a good soft plastic scraper (try drywall knives) with you is useful, but be careful, small particles of dirt underneath the ice may scratch the finish when you scrape the car. I also find that a good wax job helps to shed rain and snow.

[no_hypocrisy]

4. When my car doors froze, I had to open the trunk, push down the panel

climb into the back seat and then the front seat, complete with console-stick shift. And with a severed anterior cruciate ligament (essentially a torn knee). Geez.

[hippiechick]

5. Carry a lighter for when the lock freezes ...

Sometimes holding your key over a lighter (carefully) will heat it up enough to allow you to unlock the door.

Gas stations and retail stores carry the 'lock de icer' stuff you can spray in to dry up any H2O that may freeze after a snow or rain.