Trying to drive through fog can be rather tough. However, things can get even tougher when you have to deal with foggy windows. As such, it’s helpful to know how you can better clear up your windows…
How-to Clear Up Foggy Windows: Fix Visibility
What causes fog
Foggy windows are caused by two main things: temperature and the air’s moisture content. When it’s cold, the moisture inside your car will turn to condensation if the temperature is below the dew point. This then causes the moisture to build on your windows, which then makes them fog up and hard to see out of.
On the other hand, hot days see the opposite happen. Instead, it’s the air outside of the car which is cooled by something like your car’s AC system. This causes it to fall below the dew point, and then create fog on your windows.
For cold days
On cold days, there’s a couple things you can do to prevent or clear up foggy windows. For starters, you can turn on the defroster and turn the heat up. This helps clear up any fog in order to let you see through your windows. Then, you can turn the AC on to help pull some of the moisture from the air. Cracking the windows, a bit also helps to bring in some of the colder, dryer air into the car, stabilizing the temperature.
You should also turn off your car’s recirculation system, if it has one. This system makes your car’s heat or AC use air already inside the car instead of air from outside. However, you want to bring in some of that outside air so you can reduce the chance of any fog developing.
For hot days
On hotter days, your goal for clearing up foggy windows is the same: to get the temperature inside your car close to that of the outside temperature. First, use your windshield wipers, as most of the fog will be on the outside of the glass. Then, turn your AC down to the lowest level that’s still comfortable. If this doesn’t work, you may need to turn it off completely.
This should be enough to clear up the fog. Still, it helps to turn off the recirculation system and crack the windows just in case. Getting that outside air in will help prevent your windows from fogging up again on your drive.