Guide: Pro-tips to Demist Your Windscreen
Who’s never left the house in a hurry, rushing to get to work as soon as possible, sat in the car and found that the windscreen was misty?
Even though it can be frustrating, this phenomenon is quite common and can happen several times a year. If you constantly suffer from this, we’ve got good news for you. There are ways of demisting the windows without having to use your hands.
This guide will walk you through the step-by-step process of demisting your wind shield and even add in a few secrets, so you can do it quickly.
Contents
- What is the mist on the windscreen, and why does it happen?
- How can I demist the windows?
- How to prevent the windscreen from misting?
What is the mist on the windscreen, and why does it happen?
The mist you can find on your windscreen in the early hours of the morning on a cold day is mostly condensation. This happens when your warm body heats up the cold air present in the cabin, turning it into moisture.
This moisture needs to dissipate but due to the car's structure, windscreen and windows preventing it from leaving the area, it permeates onto the wind shield giving the foggy aspect that prevents you from seeing outside.
Driving a car in this condition is illegal due to the danger that involves taking a car onto the road without being able to see what’s coming ahead.
How can I demist the windows?
Trying to demist the windows can be a bit tricky, specially if you don’t know which car features to use that will help you get the condensation off. Here are some options you can use in order to clear the visibility on your wind shield:
Make sure your heater is in the correct setting
People’s first instinct when they get into the car in cold weather is turning on the heater. Turning the heater on full blast at once could actually help to create the mist that will permeate the glass surfaces.
The correct thing to do is turning on the heater at the coldest temperature and slowly change it to a hotter setting until you find a pleasant temperature that won’t create moisture in the air.
You can turn on the heater to the maximum temperature, and it will help demist the windows eventually. You just need to be aware that this process may take a little longer, and you may want to add the extra minutes to your commute time.
Make sure the heater setting if facing the windscreen and not to the driver/passengers.
Use your air-con at the same time
In the beginning of this article, it was explained that the shock between cold and hot air create moisture in the air that permeates glass surfaces. A balance in temperature is key to get rid of the mist on the windows.
The best way of doing that is by having the air-con on as well as the heater. The air-con will help remove the moisture from the air which will help to demist the wind shield.
If there’s ice on the windows, the heater will need to overpower the air-con and a scrapper may also be needed.
Use Your Windows
If you don’t have air-con you can roll down your windows to have the same effect demisting the windscreen. If anything, using the dry cold air from the outside will help clear the glasses faster because this is a much more efficient way of getting rid of the vapour/moisture in the vehicle, which speeds up the process.
How to prevent the windscreen from misting?
The best way of preventing the mist is to keep the windscreen clean. There are quality window cleaners available on the market, but the best ones contain a mixture of water, soap, alcohol and glycerine.
These ingredients are used in most defoggers, so they are efficient when it comes to keeping glasses clean.
Find more pro tips with Evans Halshaw
We all have to deal with misty windscreens at some point. The best way to demist the glasses surfaces of a vehicle is by keeping them clean and balance the hot and cold air to get rid of the moisture in the air, at the same time that you find a pleasant temperature to be in.
At Evans Halshaw’s blog, you can find more driving advice with valuable articles and tips to help you make the best out of your vehicle.
