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It's the time of year where just getting your car off your driveway can become a chore in itself, especially in the early mornings when it's still cold and dark and you have to spend ages chipping away at a sheet of thick ice across your windscreen.

What's even worse is when you think you've scraped it all off, you jump behind the wheel, and the realisation hits you that the inside of your car windscreen has frozen up too, which happens when condensation forms inside the car, then freezes.

But according to experts at LeaseCar, there is a cheap and easy way to stop your car from freezing over, inside or out, in the first place, which will put an end to battling with the ice scraper (or an old debit card) every time you set off for work.

The experts say a simple white vinegar solution, such as the bottles you can find in the condiments aisle of any supermarket like Tesco, Asda, Morrisons and Sainsbury's, will work a treat to prevent ice and frost before it forms.

Leasecar says: "While a typical ice scraper can help remove some surface-level shards, it can take around 20 minutes to remove the problem entirely.

"But using an ice scraper to clear the vehicle can have you standing for 15 to 20 minutes which can be a nightmare to deal with while on a tight schedule.

"The time it takes to de-ice a windscreen can cause many to miss appointments and be late for work all thanks to a change in the weather.

"That's why we advise using items commonly found at home such as... white vinegar to shorten the time it takes to de-ice a windscreen.

"A mixture of white vinegar and distilled water mixed in a spray bottle can help prevent ice from forming in the first place the night before."

This is backed up by appliance maker Karcher. It also stresses that you can make your own homemade deicer using white vinegar and this works on ice that's already formed too.

It says: "You can also make a cheap and effective de-icer yourself. To do this, mix three parts vinegar to one part water and transfer to a spray bottle.

"Then spray the mixture onto the frozen windows.

"The disadvantage of this home remedy is that it only works on thin layers of ice. The vinegar can also attack rubber seals, plastic, and paint."

If you want to try something less harsh, you can opt for salt solution as a deicer instead.

Leasecar adds: "Sprinkling salt onto the windscreen will help to dissolve the ice with a chemical reaction without causing any cracks. For mirrors, put the salt on a sponge and soak it in warm water before wiping."