How to Stop Car Windshield From Fogging Up

We’re now entering that time of year where you might notice, when the temperature is right, that your car windshield is fogging up. This can happen especially in the morning, and it can be frustrating and dangerous when your view becomes obstructed. There are ways you can stop your car windshield from fogging up, however, and we’re here to show you how.

What Causes Your Windshield to Fog Up in the First Place?

To understand how to combat a foggy windshield, it’s good to know what causes the windshield to fog up to begin with. Thankfully, the science behind it is pretty simple.

Whenever there is excess water in the air, it has the potential to condense on your windshield if conditions are right. When the air outside your vehicle is colder than it is inside, it tends to increase the humidity. Before you do anything else in the car, the temperature can increase from body heat and breathing, which can also increase the humidity, just as anything else with moisture in the car can.

[Read more: How to prepare your car for winter]

Best Way to Defog Your Car Windshield

So, what can you do about it when it happens? Fixing the problem should be pretty simple, but first, there are some things we recommend you don’t do. For one, don’t try to wipe down the inside of the windshield, especially while driving. This will only lead to streaking and won’t do much to solve the problem.

You should also make sure your heating and cooling system isn’t set to recirculate, which will simply recycle the humid cabin air instead of bringing in fresh air. With this set properly, all you need to do is turn on the defrosters. These are the vents directed toward the front and rear windshields. You’ll probably want to turn the temperature to warm, but if the car still needs time to warm up, there is nothing wrong with turning the defrosters on if the air is still a little cool.

There may be some products on the market designed to prevent windshields from fogging up, but we recommend you contact your preferred car service provider for their recommendation with these. In most cases, however, stopping a car windshield from fogging up is easy enough that most will find the steps above to be satisfactory. Be sure to return to the Mazda of Lodi blog for more automotive tips.