Winter in the Midwest is more than mere cold, as it’s next-level frozen—so cold that your nose hairs freeze when you breathe. But Midwesterners don’t even flinch and instead of freaking out, they have a set of impressive hacks for surviving ice & snow, which helps them out a lot. Surprisingly, people in the South are starting to borrow their tricks, especially after getting hit with their own surprise snowstorms. Here are ten of these incredible hacks.
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Putting Kitty Litter in the Trunk for Traction
Many Midwestern drivers throw a bag of kitty litter in the trunk—the rough, gravelly kind, not the clumping stuff—because if you get stuck, you can just sprinkle a bit under your tires to get moving again. The kitty litter gives your wheels some traction, and that extra weight in the back also helps to balance your car. Some people even keep a small scoop or empty coffee can in the trunk just for spreading it, and if you’re on a hill or driveway, it gives you just enough grip to actually move without spinning in place.
Using Floor Mats to Escape Ice Patches
Speaking of ice, black ice is easily one of the most dangerous kinds of surface conditions, and Midwesterners know all too well about it. To avoid it, many of them recommend taking those floor mats out and putting them under the tires, even though it might look silly. Doing so beats calling a tow truck when your car’s stuck, and just one mat is usually enough to give your wheels something to grab onto. Just make sure you press lightly on the gas once the mats are in place, as slow helps keep them from shooting out behind you.
Lining Windows With Bubble Wrap
When it gets frosty, many Midwesterners spray some water on the windows and then put bubble wrap on them, flat side down. It’s another kind of insulation that could be particularly useful for Southerners with older windows, as it’ll help their energy bills from spiking after sudden cold fronts. Best of all, it’s cheap and easy to remove in spring—you could even cut the wrap to fit each pane exactly, so it doesn’t look messy. You can still open the curtains over it, too.
Storing Car Battery Packs Indoors
Midwesterners have a sixth sense for dead batteries, and you’ll see them hauling their portable jump starters & batteries inside when it’s below zero. Doing so keeps them warm enough to work when it’s time to drive, and, after a few freezes, many Southern drivers caught on. They don’t want to deal with any more mornings where the car won’t start, and they’ve also started fully charging them every few weeks, especially during stretches of really cold weather.
Heating Car Keys With a Lighter
Frozen locks are all too real, and up north, people who still use actual keys just flick a lighter under the metal for a second or two before sliding it in. It’s enough to melt the ice without frying your lock—Southerners with older cars learned this one the hard way during sudden cold snaps. You only need to warm the key briefly, so don’t overdo it or touch it right after, as you could burn yourself.
Keeping an Old Rug in the Entryway For Boots
Mudrooms are sacred in the Midwest, and if you don’t have one, a thick, beat-up rug near the door does the job—it catches all the snow & slush off your boots before it goes on the floor. Nobody wants to mop up a puddle every time someone comes in, so it’s no surprise that many Southerners have started following this trick, too. Some people keep an old towel rolled up next to it to stop anything from sliding underneath, while others include a boot tray for the extra-messy days. You can shake the rug out or hang it up to dry between storms.
Packing Ziploc Bags of Rice in Boots Overnight
But that’s not all for wet boots, as many Midwesterners skip the fancy boot dryers by filling up a Ziploc bag with rice and putting it inside the boot. They’ll leave it overnight to pull out the moisture without making a mess, and it works like a charm after tromping through snow. The rice works faster if your boots are already off and at room temperature—just remember that you don’t need to fill the whole bag. Simply put in enough to absorb the dampness inside the toe area.
Using Hand Warmers to Keep Pipes From Freezing
Disposable hand warmers are more useful than most people realize, as in the Midwest, people wrap them around pipes in basements or under sinks when the temperatures drop. They stay warm for hours & can keep the water flowing, which Southerners started copying after their pipes burst during winter storms. You could even tape them on with painter’s tape or tuck them under old socks for extra hold, and it works best in spots where heat doesn’t reach, like behind cabinets or outside walls.
Spraying Cooking Spray on Shovels
Many Midwesterners spray their snow shovels with a quick blast of cooking oil before heading out because it stops the wet snow from sticking to the blade. Instead, it slides right off and makes the job a lot faster—some people in the South started doing this too, once they realized snow is way heavier than it looks. You don’t need much, just a quick swipe across the blade with a paper towel after spraying works fine, but avoid using it on wood handles because they get slippery quite quickly.
Parking Facing East for Morning Sun Melt
If you park outside, follow the Midwestern trick of turning your car to face east when you know snow or ice is coming because this way, the morning sun helps melt the windshield naturally. It won’t clear everything, of course, but it softens the ice just enough to make scraping it off a lot easier. Make sure to check weather apps the night before and park accordingly—it’s a small move with quite a good payoff.
Disclaimer: This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.
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