As the nights get cooler our morning commutes are more likely to include the annoyance of foggy windows. Let’s quickly look at the cause, simple fixes, and finally, some tips on ways to mitigate the worst of it for the long term.
What’s the Cause?
Without getting into thermodynamics, heat transfer and phase changes, it’s as simple as a difference in temperature and humidity between your vehicle’s exterior and interior. When you’re experiencing fog on the inside, it’s from your body heat and breath being greater than the external temperature. Conversely, this is why the outside of our windows fog when we pull our car from a cool garage on warm, humid mornings.
Quick Fixes in the Moment
Whether you’re headed to work or something far less time-crucial, having to clear windows is, at best, annoying. To avoid a harrowing drive as you attempt to navigate through small, de-fogged spots provided by our defrost vents, let’s look at a few tips that can get you SAFELY on the road:
- Defroster: Yes, we know, it’s in the name, but we couldn’t leave it off the list. An important addition to this though is the following point:
- Air Conditioning: Most modern vehicles automatically use the AC on the defrost setting, but not all, plus, some also provide an option whether it’s to be used or not. That said, if it's not too cold outside, using the AC with the heater can help remove moisture from the air, blasting the condensation away much faster.
- Cloth/Paper Towel & Glass Cleaner: We’ve all likely used our sleeves and even bare hands to wipe away fog when we’re in a hurry, but those of us who’ve done so have also experienced the frustration of the fog’s return with arguably just as difficult to see through smears. The root cause is that the condensation attaches itself to the oils and dust we’ve freshly applied to the glass surface. Hunting down the glass cleaner when you’re rushing may not strike you as a “quick” solution, but the extra minute you spend giving your interior windows a few sprays wiped away with a clean cloth will pay off with the results.
For the Long-Term
- Ventilation: If the weather allows, you can open your windows slightly to allow the circulation of fresh air. It’s not a fail-safe, as you getting in the car immediately changes the conditions, but at least you’re more likely to start with a clean slate.
- Window Defogger Products: If this is a common enough occurrence you have to contend with, it might be worth looking into the variety of sprays on the market that will knock this issue out.
- Regular Cleaning: As we mentioned, dirt and grime can trap moisture, so the cleaner the windows the less there is for the fog to “stick” to. Also, hey, it makes it easier to see even when there is no fog!
- Avoid Overloading the AC: We could write a scientific article on this alone, but overloading the AC can actually lead to excessive humidity, or more accurately, lead to the humidity in the vehicle with no option other than sticking to the windows. The short explanation is that air cooled by the AC leaves it unable to hold the humidity trapped within your cabin, so the moisture seeks the coolest thing to cling to, which is most often the windows.
We sincerely hope you managed to find a useful tip or two here, so as not to only save you time but keep you safe as well. No need to add the extra stress of restricted sight to our commutes! Take care out there.