Handyman's 'Genius' Winter Pool Noodle Hack Is Back—Some Love It, Some Hate It

There are plenty of things you need to do to prepare your house for freezing temperatures. Anyone who's lived through true winter seasons knows this preparedness extends to (sometimes back-breaking) chores to keep your car and driveway usable. Whether it's taking time to de-ice the driveway or finding ways to protect your car from winter damage, winter preparedness is a time-consuming necessity. There's one hack that seems to go viral every season that claims to help with one small part of your winter prep goals: keeping your windshield wipers from freezing to your windshield (if you don't have covered parking). Every year, social media users share the same pool noodle hack they claim works like a charm to solve this winter problem.

While there are a few common kitchen staples that double as de-icers during frozen winters, your home likely has another item that can come in handy. The summer staple pool noodle is said to be able to specifically deal with frozen windshield wipers during winter, but it's not a universally loved hack. Some claim it works wonders, others find the hack so ridiculous as to be humorous. Supporter or critic, we want to give you the details to decide for yourself about this one.

Before you draw any hasty conclusions, let's break down the simple details of this pool noodle hack. Online personalities like @jmg8tor over on TikTok show how you can cut a pool noodle in half, slice it long ways like a hot dog, and then slip it onto your car's windshield wipers. He claims this will protect your wipers from freezing to your windshield, which can make your winter drives more difficult than necessary. While many users love this idea, saying it's genius, others aren't as hyped up.

On @jmg8tor's post, one commenter says, "Ummm. I think if you pull the wiper up off of the windshield as it was designed to do, that works too... just saying," with others humorously asking how the Florida-based TikToker knows anything about snow and ice. We'd note that though putting the wipers up could also work, not every car's wipers can be pulled up, and doing so can damage their springs.

There are many ways to deal with frozen windshield wipers, including heated wiper blades, a specific de-icing solution, or using wiper covers, but love it or hate it, this hack seems to be truly useful for some (and an inexpensive option). So whether you're using your pool noodle to DIY a cozy winter wonderland centerpiece with this pool noodle hack or to prevent your wipers from freezing, they could be a beneficial item to keep handy this winter.