Olive oil not a windshield cleaner By Tom & Ray Magliozzi/ Car Talk Sunday, February 7, 2010 Dear Tom & Ray:       Not wanting to scrape the ice off my car’s windshield, I looked around the night before a big storm for something to put under the wipers to keep the ice off.       I contemplated my alternatives, then it came to me - Filippo Berio Extra Virgin Olive Oil!       I smeared Filippo Berio on the windshield, and the next morning, the snow slid off the windshield like a greasy zeppole!       True, I noticed a haze on the windshield when the snow stopped, but I figured it would wash right off.       Wrong!       The stuff has adhered to the glass as if it’s baked on. What should I do?       - Tom             RAY: It’s people like you who make great discoveries, Tom. You’re not afraid to experiment, and once in a while, you’ll hit upon something that will benefit all of mankind. But this wasn’t one of those times, Tom.             TOM: No. Filippo Berio Extra Virgin Olive Oil has many excellent uses - my brother uses it as a hair tonic - but windshield cleaner isn’t one of them.             RAY: You’ve probably cooked with olive oil. When you’re done, you put the frying pan in the sink. And if you then let it sit and cool off for a while, you’ll find a hardened, whitish layer of congealed grease stuck to it. That’s what’s on your windshield.             TOM: If you had done this during one of those midsummer snowstorms, Tom, it might have worked. But the cold temperature is what congealed the oil and did you in.             RAY: So, how do you get it off? Well, with a frying pan, you can use steel wool - not a good option for your windshield. You also can use hot water and soap, and try to “un-congeal” it. This would be best done in a heated garage.             TOM: If he had a heated garage, he wouldn’t be in this mess in the first place!             RAY: Good point. How ’bout we suggest he just drive in reverse until late June?             TOM: Here’s what I’d do, Tom: Run the defroster with the heat on high for a good 20 minutes before attempting to remove the grease. The warmer you can get the congealed oil, the easier it will be to remove.             RAY: If soap and water are not up to the task, try a 50-50 mixture of water and methanol. It’s a mild solvent that’s safe for glass, and it’s pretty good at cutting grease.             TOM: And if all else fails, there’s always the glass-cleaning tool of last resort: the hammer. Good luck, Tom.             Dear Tom & Ray:       I’m a sports fan who never misses a football or baseball game.       I also do a lot of RV-ing, so I spend a lot of time in my 1995 Chevy High-Top Conversion Van model G20, which has a TV screen for the second- and third-row passengers.       In order to indulge both my sports and RV hobbies at the same time, I’ve set up a large mirror on the second-row seat back so that it reflects the TV screen’s image. I adjust the van’s rearview mirror so that I can see the TV image reflected on the large mirror behind me.       This way, I never miss a touchdown play or game-winning home run while I’m driving.       My problem: Since the conversion from analog to digital TV, I can no longer do this, because I can’t find a 12-volt digital converter for the TV. Can you help me?       - Art             RAY: I have a better idea, Art. Why don’t you mount a TV right where the hood ornament belongs? Then you can watch the game and the road at the same time!             TOM: I wouldn’t go any wider than 60 inches, though. Any bigger, and you’ll really eat into your gas mileage.             RAY: We can’t help you with this, Art. I mean, we can - but we won’t.             TOM: The reason we won’t is to keep you from killing yourself or some other people on the road.             RAY: Unless that’s part of the plan, Art. In which case, while you’re doing time for vehicular homicide, you can watch all of the games that you want in the prison common room.             TOM: Of course, you’ll have to fight off all those sex offenders who want to control the remote.             RAY: This is a bad idea, Art. When you’re watching TV, you’re not watching the road. And at 70 mph, you’re traveling 100 feet per second!             TOM: Get yourself a Sirius XM satellite radio receiver for the van instead. They’ve got packages that provide live radio feeds for every baseball and football game. Listening while you drive is a lot safer than watching.