You're making your way home in the chilly rain, and suddenly you can't see out of the windows of your trusty sedan. Your car's windscreen and windows fogging up can be frustrating as it impacts your ability to see the road. So how do you defog your windshield? In this discussion, we look at what causes fogging up on the windows, and how to deal with this common problem.
Why Does My Windshield Fog Up?
A few things to know about window fog and what causes the inside of your car to become misty:
- Foggy windows are caused by condensation forming on the inside of cars windows.
- Condensation is caused by warm air coming from your breath, body heat, and even wet clothing.
- Your car's windows are the most susceptible to condensation during cold weather, where the cold air outside cools the windows and the warm, moist air on the inside condenses.
So, now that you know what causes condensation on the inside of car windows, here's how to defog your windshield and windows when it does happen.
How to Defog Car Windows
During the winter season or perhaps when you are driving in icy rain, you'll notice fog the windows. Often in bigger cars, say a Chevy Suburban, this happens at the front of the vehicle where the passengers are sitting, and smaller vehicles like hatchbacks often fog up quicker all around. The best way to clear these foggy car windows is with a steady supply of dry, hot air. Activate your car's air conditioning and turn up the heat, once the temperature from the AC has increased, select the windscreen vents, and watch the magic happen. Cold, fresh air will actually have the same effect, so if you don't have a working AC, crack a window and set your vents to circulate air from the outside instead of recirculating cabin air, this will diminish the humidity within the cabin and clear up the windows.
Wiping the windows down with a dry cloth or your sleeve isn't very effective as you'll likely just gather the moisture that's there and spread it around. Plus, because the temperature in the car wouldn't have changed, the condensation will just reoccur. Your breathing will also simply counter the efforts.
How to Stop Your Car Windows from Fogging Up in Winter
There are several ways to prevent the windows of your car from fogging up:
- Regularly clean your windows. Moisture derived from the previous bout of mist, as well as dirt particles on the glass, make it a lot easier for condensation to form during the right conditions. This is why it's important to clean the outside and inside of your car's windows using car-specific products and a lint-free rag, and let the windows dry properly afterward.
- Use an anti-fog treatment. That's usually the best answer to "how to stop car windows from fogging up in winter." These types of products coat the vehicle's windshield and windows with a thin, transparent film that prevents moisture from sticking to them. There are several anti-fog windshield products available, so you will just have to find the brand you prefer. If you don't have any anti-fog products around and need something available and cheap, you can try using shaving cream. Spread it over the window, making sure to not touch any other surfaces in your car, wipe it away with a towel. Test it out with a cup of hot water, the steam should roll right off.
- Remote start. If you're lucky enough to have a remote start system in your vehicle, you can use it to turn your vehicle on and activate the AC heating before even entering it. This will dry up the air within the cabin and mitigate any potential condensation from occurring once entering the vehicle.
Conclusion
A foggy windshield can be a serious safety hazard during driving, which is why knowing how to get rid of fog on your windshield quickly is so important. Fortunately, by using one or all of these very simple tips provided, condensation forming on the inside of your car's windows should be easily dealt with.