Image by Geesje Philippi on Flickr. Creative Commons Licenced
If there’s one thing I dread being a car driver in winter it’s the windows steaming up inside. It seems like I constantly have to wipe the inside windows free of condensation, or run the air conditioning to help clear it. It’s doubly worse when there’s more than one person in the car, and short of telling my partner to stop breathing there’s not much I can do to stop it from happening. Well, at least that’s what I thought anyway. Of course there are ways, but are there ways that save me money or stop my teeth from chattering as I drive around with my window open? Let’s take a look at some of the ways you can be free of condensation in the car and actually see where you're going.
Before we start though, if the condensation is really bad when you climb into your car and you can't see a thing then please DON'T start driving. Make sure you can see the road clearly before setting off; otherwise you could get into an accident. If you're worried about being late for work or an appointment because you have to spend time waiting for your windows to be fog-free, then simply set off earlier. A few extra minutes in bed just aren't worth sacrificing yours and others safety.
Open the Window
Condensation occurs when hot air (i.e your breath) hits the cold surface of the glass, steaming it up. Opening the window will allow this hot air to escape instead of being trapped inside your car. The problem is that if it’s freezing outside then you're going to feel chilly driving with the window open (especially when you're zooming down a motorway), so make sure you wrap up warm and wear a good pair of gloves. In summer the warm air coming from outside will help heat the windows up, ensuring that condensation can’t form in the first place.
Image by Phil King on Flickr. Creative Commons Licenced.
If you ensure that you have your windows down a few minutes before you leave the car then the condensation won’t have time to build up as it would if you parked up without having your windows open a few minutes before. It won’t get rid of your problem completely, but it may not be as bad when you come to use the car again.
Run the Air Conditioning
It’s easy to run your air conditioning for a while so that the warm blast of air will clear the condensation (and keep you nice and warm too). The problem is that running the air conditioning all the time can suck up your petrol; so much so that I spend twice as much refuelling the car during winter simply because I've been running the heaters too much. If you want to clear it using this way it’s best to keep it on its lowest setting, and run it for a few minutes before you set off. That way you’re not using as much petrol and it won't steam up again as it does if you keep turning it on and off. Ensure that the air is pointing directly at the windscreen for it to work to its full potential, and turn off the re-circulate air setting as you’ll just be adding to the problem.
Leave the Car in a Garage
Obviously this isn’t an option for everyone, but if you do have a garage then park your car in there at night. As the air inside a sheltered building is warmer it will help prevent damp inside your car, thus avoiding the dreaded condensation.
Keep the Car Interior Dry
Remove any wet clothing or other wet materials from the car before you get out. It’s not the biggest cause of condensation out there, but something wet inside the car will contribute towards damp. Check your seats aren't wet either, and dry them if need be. If you tend to be quite wet when you sit down in the car then using a seat cover will help.
Buy Anti Fog Spray
Car supply shops will sell anti-fog or anti-mist spray that you can spray on to your windows, creating a barrier that prevents against condensation build up. We have actually found a really good one recently so decided to update this section of the article and it's called Rain X Anti Fog Glass Treatment
. We found it really easy to apply and is long lasting too.Another small update: After trying out the Rain X Anti Fog and being impressed with what it does I noticed they had another product too. If you live in the UK like I do you will know that the rain can come and go and it's a real pain to drive in. This Rain-X Rain/Water Repellent Glass Treatment
really does wonders for improved visibility.Check for Leaks
It can be hard to find where air or water might be creeping into your car, but this could be a cause of condensation – especially in older cars. Check the footwells, under carpets and boots to see if there are any signs of moisture. If you find any of these areas then there will be somewhere nearby that will need patching up.
