So don't use hot water.
On the one or two days a year (more like one or two weeks out of the year) that I have a frosty windshield (sorry about that guys, but I choose to live in southern California) I use a spray bottle with rubbing alcohol to help break up the ice. It works well for me. I have taken the bottle with me when I have traveled to Utah in the winter and it works there too. You do need to brush off the loose stuff first though. People in Utah really looked at me strange when they saw me doing this though, but it works.
A bottle of rubbing alcohol cost is about $1.00. With a little bit of care, it will last for several days, although you could use up an entire bottle in one day if you really wanted to. The alcohol gets the ice slushy real quick so that it is easily removed with the an ice scraper or the wipers.
