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This article was updated to clarify confusion around silicone spray.

Ask Wirecutter, an advice column written by Annemarie Conte, explores the best approaches to buying, using, and maintaining stuff. Email your biggest product-related problems to askwirecutter@wirecutter.com.

It’s winter, which means droves of people either forget or intentionally avoid removing snow from their vehicle’s roof. This snow can freeze and become a flying projectile that can seriously injure (or kill!) other drivers. How can people safely clear the snow from their cars?

It’s unlikely that anyone is intentionally trying to harm other drivers by not properly clearing the snow off their cars. I realize that’s cold comfort when you’re dodging 75 mph projectiles on the highway. My suspicion is that it comes down to two factors, neither of which is an excuse: 1) lack of time and 2) lack of proper tools.

The high-and-tight snowpack is not a cute look and is, as you point out, extremely dangerous. I’ve had my windshield cracked more than once as a result of an ice chunk flying off someone’s car, and it’s terrifying. In fact, “ice missile” laws exist in several states for this very reason.

And it’s not just treacherous for those behind you. “When you begin driving and your car warms up, that mountain of snow will slide forward when you hit the brakes and block your windshield,” said John Paul, AAA Northeast’s Car Doctor, in an email interview.

A few years ago meteorologist Derek Kevra couldn’t take it anymore. In a TV-news segment, he gave a tongue-in-cheek step-by-step on how to remove snow from a car. He told me in an email that he still loves that piece, but if he had to do it over again, he would modify his snow-removal process for maximum effectiveness.

Well, Derek, I’ve got your back (and S.C.’s and everyone else’s), because I dug deep, and now I present to you all the Wirecutter-approved car-snow-removal method. I recommend passive-aggressively dropping the link to this article in your local Facebook group and NextDoor thread to spread awareness.

You might be dashing out on a quick errand or running late for a meeting, but trying to do the job with bare hands just means you’ll likely get cold quickly and rush to finish. Gloves or mittens, winter boots, and a warm jacket are musts.

If you’re one of those lucky folks with a remote starter, this is its big moment (make sure your tailpipe is clear before you get in the running car, to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning). Run your defrosters on medium to help de-ice the windshield, but don’t turn them or the heat on full blast—if your windshield has a chip, the sudden temperature shift could cause it to crack.

If your car door is frozen shut, check all of them to see if one opens more easily than the others. If you have a hatchback, you can try climbing through it to the front seat if you’re able (not the most elegant solution, but it works). Most important, Paul said, never yank on the door handle. “Rather, take your hand and bang around the edge of the door to loosen up any ice, then try opening the door,” he said. I once saw a guy who did CrossFit competitions pull the door handle off a truck because he thought it was unlocked when it was, in fact, locked.

Efficient at clearing ice and sweeping snow, this model is robustly built, works on any size of vehicle, and has thoughtful design details that set it apart from the rest.

*At the time of publishing, the price was $27.

This is not the time for the short-handled scraper you bought at the gas station. “I always used the cheapest one I could find,” said Wirecutter senior staff writer Tim Heffernan, who wrote our guide to the best ice scraper. “But a proper scraper-plus-snow-broom turned out to be a life-changing tool, and they’re only a few dollars more.”

Tim uses the Hopkins SubZero 80037, the top pick in our guide. It extends up to 5 feet and has both a brush side and a squeegee side. “The broom/plow head is made of metal for strength, but all edges are covered in plastic, rubber, or the nylon bristles—it has never scratched our car,” he said.

If the roof is high and difficult to reach across, you may be tempted to bring out a small step stool, but you need to make sure it’s stable and won’t slip out from under you. That’s why the long length of the scraper is extra important.

After a lot of snow has fallen, many of us have witnessed (or, ahem, been) people who use a regular old broom to shove a large quantity of snow off the roof. We do not recommend that. The sharp bristles meant to clear dirt can scratch your car’s paint. Senior staff writer Doug Mahoney prefers the BirdRock Home Snow Moover and Ice Scraper, which pushes snow with a foam pad: “With the foam, I don’t have to worry about damaging the car. I also like that the foam doesn’t hold snow like the bristles of a brush. Snow-filled brushes just melt all over the inside of the car.”

And finally, I’m not going to tell you not to use a leaf blower to get rid of all that snow, but it does feel more like a party trick than an actual tip.

The Snow Moover’s quick-drying foam brush pushes a lot of snow, the tool disassembles for compact storage, and one piece can work as a handheld scraper.

*At the time of publishing, the price was $37.

Any snow that has fallen off the roof may have stuck to the sides of the car. Use the brush or squeegee end of the Hopkins SubZero to knock it down onto the ground. Clear the mirrors, headlights, and license plates while you’re at it. For safety!

Now you tackle both the front and back windshields, taking time to lift up those wiper blades so you can properly clean underneath and around them. We recommend good old elbow grease and the scraper end of any of our picks. Start at the top edge and scrape using a back-and-forth motion. If the ice has frozen into a solid sheet on the glass, just keep scraping away at it and let the defroster help you. Don’t hit the ice with the scraper, because doing so could crack or chip the windshield. The internet is rife with advice to create an alcohol-water solution to spray on the windshield to help melt the ice. This (or a commercial spray de-icer) will work, but note that any product that contains alcohol will also strip the wax from your paint. Similarly, a saltwater solution will rust any bare steel it touches. Never pour hot water on the windshield, as it can crack the windshield.

Take a final lap around the car, and you’re ready to get in and go. Use the brush (or your boot) to remove any chunked-up slush-ice that has settled behind your wheels—this will stop it from flying into the car behind you. Once you’re driving, if snow and ice are stuck there, your car may vibrate a bit since it’s out of balance. Parking in the sun will help to melt away any remnants.

When you get to your destination, make sure to turn off your wipers before you shut off the car. “If you just shut off the car while the wipers are on, when you restart the wipers will want to cycle on and off. If the windshield is frozen or covered with snow, the wiper motor or wipers can be damaged,” said Paul.

Getting rid of road salt and sand is especially important to prevent rusting and scratched paint. Wash your car regularly in the winter and don’t skip the undercarriage. One Wirecutter staff member looks for car wash deals and then makes a point to take their car weekly.

While I get the impulse to rush the job in order to get to where you’re going, doing it right—and with the right tools—is critical. Not just for your safety but that of everyone else around you.

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