Reddit reviews Hopkins 532 Mallory 26" Snow Brush with Foam Grip (Colors may vary)

If you live somewhere cold, buy these three things for your car before it gets cold. I use all three of these pretty regularly half the year.

http://www.amazon.com/Kinco-Pigskin-Leather-Gloves-Weather/dp/B0026KXR0C/ref=pd_sim_lg_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=1Q5V7HG3R7GZSFC91NYF

http://www.amazon.com/Snow-Joe-SJEG01-Scraper-Brass/dp/B00GO46L54/ref=sr_1_1?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1413674060&sr=1-1&keywords=brass+ice+scraper

http://www.amazon.com/Mallory-532-Snow-Brush-Colors/dp/B000BPLNXC/ref=sr_1_1?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1413674104&sr=1-1&keywords=snow+brush+car

>Are taxis shady?

Kinda. Could be worse. Yellow Cab handles most of the city. I think Uber moved in a little less than a year ago.

>Is Jesus gonna bother me on Saturday mornings? / Of particular interest is the influence of the evangelical christians on the makeup and actions of Colorado Springs as a city.

Nope. Springsians keep to themselves. We have the whole FOTF crowd but the culture is nowhere near as religious as most of the south, don't worry.

>What's the vibe there?

Tons of military. A lot of younger folk. The city is starting to pick back up after all of the industry leaving thanks to the tolerable rent (which is rising fast). There really isn't a ton to do if you're used to LA, SF, or SD. The drive up to Denver takes only an hour, two in traffic, so you can always head up there to do anything.

>What are the things you'd only know if you live there?

The northeast of the city is good. The more south you go, the rougher it gets, but the Springs does not have a ghetto in the sense of other cities.

This was made a few years ago but covers it.

If you've never been in a cold climate, you will want some things - a good coat (it can get below zero), a light coat (for when it's 80F but it'll drop down to 40F by quittin' time), snow boots, snow gloves, one of these, one of these, and one of these (kept in your car).

>What problems does Colorado Springs have that I should be aware of?

We have an alarming number of "homeless" like /u/RetiredFett noted. Most of them are bullshitting. For some reason a lot of people love to give them money so I don't really blame them for taking advantage of idiots.

Our road maintenance is (or at least was) complete garbage. The government can't figure out how it works, so much of the city is covered in potholes. Admittedly it's because of Colorado's odd weather - it can be below freezing at night but 80F and raining in the day, day after day, so the water seeps into the road, freezes, and destroys it. But you might want to consider a AAA membership in case you blow a tire.

Our public transport is for shit. I don't know if it honestly exists. You can get a cheap shuttle to the Denver airport for $50(?) if you don't want to park up there, but the economy parking is cheap enough that if you're going anywhere for less than a week and a half, it's cheaper to just drive and park.

I've worked in the amazon affiliate business for a decade now, and I don't see an affiliate code in there (ref=sr_1_1 is not an affiliate/referral code. It's just internal amazon click tracking garbage [as are most of the other arguments] -- I believe in this case it indicates OP clicked on a internal amazon search result)

But just in case,

http://www.amazon.com/Kinco-Pigskin-Leather-Gloves-Weather/dp/B0026KXR0C/

http://www.amazon.com/Snow-Joe-SJEG01-Scraper-Brass/dp/B00GO46L54/

http://www.amazon.com/Mallory-532-Snow-Brush-Colors/dp/B000BPLNXC/

Problem solved.

You would use a brush. You could buy an ice scraper that's about a meter long, and on the other end there's a brush ( ~6" x 1").

Edit: here's a similar one to the one I mentioned. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BPLNXC/ref=cm_sw_r_other_awd_bmhHwb2NF00NW

Ice scrapershave a brush on one end to brush the snow off your car and (surprise) a wedge on the other end to scrape the ice off your windows. There's absolutely NO reason to just bang on the ice like a moron.

His ice scraper isn't the same as the one I linked but you can clearly see there is a wedge for scraping ice on it by the grip.

If you have a car, make sure you get all-season tires rather than summer tires, make sure there's anti-freeze in the radiator instead of plain water, and fill the washer fluid tank with winter-weight or all-season fluid to keep it from freezing.

Also, a good ice scraper/snow brush is handy.

There are these really fancy things we use for this exact issue

/u/Mynthe, make the snow go away.

Seriously, actually, please do. There is always snow here. You probably need this, but if you're used to snow, I hope you have one already. (Mine stays in my car year-round, as I have seen snow in every month but July.)

This is what I usually do:

- Make sure to have a ice scraper (I like this one) and shovel

- Salt around your car before the ice sets in

- If you drive, at least go the speed limit

- Buy snow boots (I got mine at either walmart or kohls). If you can't get snow boots, put plastic grocery bags over your shoes before you go outside.

- Make sure to give your car a couple minutes to warm up before leaving

- Someone mentioned it before but I'll say it again: If you don't feel comfortable driving, don't. The less people on the road, the better.

Here's my routine. Should I do anything else?

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I just clean off all the debris around the wheel and the board with a basic snow brush like this.

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https://www.amazon.com/Mallory-532-Integrated-Scraper-Handle/dp/B000BPLNXC/ref=sr_1_4?crid=2HU6FZCEDUJV&keywords=snow+brush&qid=1562084249&s=automotive&sprefix=snow+%2Cautomotive%2C247&sr=1-4

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And let the board air dry on a basic rug like this.

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https://www.amazon.com/MAYSHINE-Non-Slip-Machine-Washable-Absorbent-Microfibers/dp/B071QXGNJG/ref=sr_1_41?keywords=bathroom+rug&qid=1562084402&s=gateway&sr=8-41

It depends on what kind of car you drive and if you drive it much. 99% of people who park their car outside don't do anything at all. It does not get that cold here in Lincoln. Don't get me wrong it does get cold but not that cold. To have cold temperatures that would require engine heaters you have to go way north like North Dakota, Minnesota or Wisconsin and even then probably not. The only issue I know is diesel engines can benefit from a heater and that would only be occasionally. There will be ice and snow. It can be difficult for smaller cars to get around especially on side streets. You need to get a good window scraper. Something like this. You'll appreciate having the longer reach and brush to get snow off. I know way too many people who have something like this. It's hand held and can't get all your windows. They're the same idiots you'll see driving around with a tiny circle scrapped off that they can barely see through yet they're driving at regular speeds on icy roads.

In my experience, we tend to not get huge amounts of snowfall like that very often; if we do, it's an anomaly, and things clear up on the roads pretty well. One thing to keep in mind is that, because Ohio does get snow during the winter to the tune of a couple of inches at a time, we're pretty well prepared to handle it. Roads are salted if it's known that snow/ice is coming, and plows are ready to go. As I said before, large snowstorms generally have everything non-emergency closed down until the roads get cleared.

I would highly recommend that you buy an ice scraper if you don't already own one. You'll get plenty of use out of it even on days it doesn't snow, and you'll regret not having one if you don't.

Here's your scraper. Get ALL THE SNOW off ALL THE CAR. Brush the car, scrape the windows. Let the defrosters do a few minutes of the work for you.

You've heard that the snow blows off into the car behind you...but so does ice, which could break windshields and rearview mirrors if it comes off your car at the right speed and trajectory. That's why some areas fine you for not clearing snow off your car. Also make sure you're topped up: too little gas (under 1/4 tank) and your tank might freeze.

Got a closet? A coat tree in the hall? Put your coat there. A jacket might be too lightweight for the polar vortex you may experience soon. You should have designated places at work to hang your coat. Check near the exits. Don't let it drip all over the floor while it's on your office chair.

Walkways: do you live in an apartment? Maintenance should have you covered there, although you'll still need a shovel for your parking space. Older neighbors? Check on them and offer to shovel their space while you're doing yours. There's a fuckful of weight in wet snow and the extra effort it takes to shovel it could give them a heart attack if they're too zealous about getting rid of it. If you own a house, don't shovel the snow back into the road - it'll come back to haunt you later. Use nearby space in your yard to pile it up.

Its for snow. Theyre on the back end of a lot of ice scrapers. Like this

Brace yourself. And don't be like me and skimp on the snow scraper. Don't buy one for 50 cents at the thrift shop and expect it to do for you what this does. You might, just might, be relegated to using a credit card as an ersatz ice scraper, and then you may lose street cred.

Bonus points if you get some of these, in an icy winter, you will be the only one not slipping onto your hip and dinging yourself up. With them on, you can walk at almost normal speed without fear of eating dirt.

Depends on if you're dealing with snow or ice. I'd suggest investing in 3 tools:

1. A scraper/brush combo
   
2. A windshield snow cover
   
3. De-icing spray
   
   I have a very simple scraper/brush combo:
   
   https://www.amazon.com/Mallory-532-Integrated-Scraper-Handle/dp/B000BPLNXC
   
   You may need a longer model (they sell extendable versions) if you have a tall car, like a van or SUV. They sell a thing called a "snow broom" for pulling the snow off more effectively; this one telescopes out to 28 inches:
   
   https://www.amazon.com/SnoBrum-Push-Broom-Extendable-Telescoping-Scratching/dp/B010MFYL02
   
   I have a windshield snow cover, which includes side mirror covers:
   
   https://www.amazon.com/FROSTBLOCKER-Winter-Windshield-Mirror-Protects/dp/B07HFHDH8Q
   
   You just peel it off when you're ready to leave! Pretty nice. Also, they sell de-icing spray to help kickstart the process, if things are really iced over:
   
   https://www.amazon.com/Prestone-AS247-Trigger-Spray-Windshield/dp/B01D8SRWOW/
   
   You can also get it as a windshield wiper fluid, or alternatively, get a year-round version:
   
   https://www.amazon.com/Prestone-AS658-Deluxe-Windshield-Washer/dp/B019W8CNBO/
   
   This is the general idea for clearing off your car:
   
   
4. Get outside early to allow yourself sufficient time to prepare your car before leaving for work/school/errands/etc. Set an alarm if you have to. Make sure you have a good pair of thick winter gloves, so your fingers don't freeze! You may want to invest in a remote-start system to help the car warm up easier, because then it can start the melting process without you have to leave your home or office. The modern remote starts can be operated indoors from your smartphone, over a wifi or cellular connection, so you don't even have to get close & aim it!
   
5. Get the car started & turn on the heat to the front & rear windows. This will help in melting the snow or ice & also warms up the engine, which helps melt the ice & snow on the hood of the car.
   
6. Start by brushing off the roof of your car. The top-down approach is easiest because the snow & ice can fall off the car first, preventing double the work later if you were to start with the car's body or the glass. Also, in my state, it's a $120 fine if they catch you driving without clearing off your roof.
   
7. Scrape off all of the windows next: the front windshield, the rear glass, the side windows, and the side mirrors. In my state, it's a $92 fine if you are driving around with an "obstructed view". If you skip scraping off most of the windows AND don't clean off your roof, that's a $212 fine total if you get pulled over (not to mention being unsafe!).
   
8. Finally, clear off the body with the brush. The engine will have helped warm up the hood, so the snow & ice should be easy to slide off. The biggest thing to realize is that you want to use the scraper on the GLASS and the brush on the PAINT. Sometimes you'll have to crack some ice on the body to get enough to grip to scrap off, but see if you can use your fist to crack it first, that way you don't risk scraping the paint itself.
   
   If you live in a slippery area, get some YakTax. It's basically a slip-on spiderweb design that fits over your existing shoes & has coils that act as snow cleats so you can walk on ice & snow: (plus you don't have to wear boots to school or work!)
   
   https://yaktrax.implus.com/
   
   I'd also suggest keeping a few spare items in your trunk:
   
   

• Spare wipers, in case they break
  
• A small shovel
  
• Some kitty litter or a bag of salt for traction, in case you get stuck
  
• A blanket, in case you get stuck
  
  Parking outdoors in the winter isn't too bad if you're prepared - leave enough time to get everything warmed up & scraped off and do a good job & clean off your entire car so you can see out of it & so that pieces of snow & ice aren't flying off & hitting other cars. Try not to use the scraper on the paint either, just the brush!