Foggy Windshield? Here’s How to Fix It
Foggy windshields aren’t just annoying, they’re dangerous. Anything that limits a motorist’s field of vision while operating a vehicle can result in severe injury or death for the driver and those around them on the road. If your car’s windshield is prone to fogging up, take the following steps to ensure a clear view while driving.
Why Does My Windshield Fog Up?
Your vehicle’s windshield fogs up due to a disparity between the cabin’s humidity and the humidity outside. When the air is dryer outside than the air inside of the vehicle, water beads up on the inside of the glass, which impairs a driver’s vision.
Most often, motorists find themselves with fogged windows in the winter when the air is much drier outside. However, if you have any issues with your auto glass, including a window that doesn’t roll up, you may have to handle fogged windows all year.
Top Four Reasons Why Your Windshield Fogs Up
There are four main reasons why your windshield is persistently foggy.
1. Heat
The most likely reason for a foggy windshield is a disparity in temperature between the vehicle’s cabin and outside. Hot air holds more moisture than cool air, so the side of the windshield that has the warmer air will likely be the source of condensation.
2. Humidity
Humidity refers to the amount of water in the air. When more than one person is in a vehicle, the windows fog up quicker due to multiple people breathing.
3. Surface Tension
Water’s surface tension (a chemical property) means that water is more likely to join or adhere to other water molecules than it is to a surface like glass. This property means that water beads up on the glass’s surface, making it hard to see.
4. Condensation
Condensation on the glass can cause issues with a driver’s field of vision. On warm, humid days, condensation may form at the windshield’s base where the outside air meets the cool air coming from the air conditioner inside of the cabin.
How to Defog Your Windows While Driving
There are four steps to defogging your windows.
1. Turn On the Heat
The first step to defogging your windows is to turn on the heat. This process will dry the air within the vehicle’s passenger cabin.
2. Turn On the Air Conditioning
Next, turn on your vehicle’s air conditioning. While it may seem to make the windows foggier at first, it works in much the same way as the heater by removing moisture from the air.
3. Turn Off Air Recirculation
After running both the heater and the air conditioner to remove moisture from the cabin’s air, turn off the air recirculation. This feature allows the vehicle to circulate the air already within the cabin. To speed up the process of eliminating moisture from the air, turn the air recirculation feature off. The faster the driver can get the temperature and humidity as close to each other both inside and outside of the car, the faster they’ll be able to defog the windows.
4. Crack the Windows
While this may cause the driver and their passengers to be uncomfortable for a few minutes, it’s probably the quickest way to create an equilibrium between the vehicle’s cabin and the outside air. This equilibrium will help to defog the windows quickly so that the driver can stay safe and have a clear field of vision.
How To Prevent Foggy Car Windows
No one wants to be in a situation in which they can’t see while driving. To help prevent the car’s windows from fogging up, take the following steps:
1. Clean the Glass
Use a high-quality microfiber towel and an ammonia-free cleaner to clean both sides of the windshield and windows.
2. Degrease the Glass
Next, use an alcohol-based surface cleaner. Alcohol-based surface cleaners remove oil and lubricants from surfaces, and this process will help rid the glass of any grease.
3. Apply an Anti-Fog Product
After completely cleaning the glass, apply an anti-fog product to the inside of the windshield. First, spray the anti-fog product onto the manufacturer-provided applicator and wipe the glass with vertical strokes. Then, wipe the glass with horizontal strokes. Let it dry as recommended by the manufacturer, usually between two to five minutes.
4. Buff the Glass
As a final step, buff the auto glass surface with a clean, dry microfiber towel.
How Can Collision Auto Glass and Calibration Help?
Our mission at Collision Auto Glass and Calibration is to provide our customers with world-class service, trust, and integrity. Our technicians have decades of combined experience, and we will use the latest state of the art quality materials and procedures to replace your automobile’s windshield, back glass, or door glass. Whether it’s a rock chip repair or auto glass replacement, Collision Auto Glass & Calibration will rise above the industry’s highest installation standards. We are dedicated to continuous improvement as the industry evolves. Call today to get started!