From the battery to the tires to the fluids you use, cold weather can affect a lot of different parts on your car. One of the most universal problems that drivers face in the cold: a foggy or frosty windshield. We’ve all been there—it’s Monday morning and you’re running just a little behind. You get in the car, turn on the engine, and are greeted by an obscured windshield. In this post, we’ll give you a few tips to help defrost and defog your windshield and make this winter a little more bearable.
Defrosting Windows
If your front or rear windshield has a layer of frost, there are a few things you can do. You can turn on your car’s defrost setting and wait for it to melt. You can use a scraper to manually remove the frost from the windshield. Or you can spray a defrosting solution on your windshield.
There are defrosting sprays that you can purchase, or you can use a homemade defroster. You just need a spray bottle full of 1/3 water and 2/3 rubbing alcohol (isopropyl). Combine the water and alcohol, mix it, and then spray it on your windshield. Rubbing alcohol freezes at a much lower temperature than water, so you can even keep the spray bottle in your car without fear of it freezing up on you. Once the frost has melted, you can brush it off with your windshield wipers.
Never pour hot water on a frozen windshield. The extreme temperature difference will make the glass expand and possibly crack. A broken windshield is much worse than a frost-covered windshield, so be sure to avoid using hot water.
Defogging Windows
Frost isn’t the only thing that can obscure your vision when you’re driving in the winter. Often times your windshield may fog over, whether or not there’s frost. Try the following next time your vehicle’s windshield is foggy:
- Turn on your vehicle’s heat—If your vehicle comes with a defogging setting, turn that on as well.
- Turn on your vehicle’s air conditioning—That might sound funny after the first step, but the air conditioner system in your vehicle will help to dry out the air, removing fog more quickly.
- Turn off air recirculation—By pulling in cold, fresh air from the outside, your vehicle will have even more dry air.
- Open your windows—Like turning off recirculation, opening the windows can allow the dry air from outside into your vehicle faster, getting rid of the humid air causing the fog.
Preventing Frost & Fog from Forming
Both frost and fog form on your windshield because of excess moisture in your car. To reduce that moisture, try keeping a sock full of kitty litter in your car. The litter will soak up the moisture in the air and keep your car drier, lowering your chances of frost or fog.
If you’re able to, park your car in a garage with the windows rolled up as much as possible. If you don’t have garage parking available, try covering your windshield with windshield guard, a beach towel, or some rubber matting. Covering your windshield can keep the frost from forming directly on the glass, and you can just shake off the cover before putting it away to drive.
Call Restored Auto, LLC for winter maintenance.
If your defogger isn’t working, if you need your wiper blades replaced, or if you’re having another winter maintenance issue, call Restored Auto, LLC. We’ll work to diagnose your vehicle’s problem and address it thoroughly so you can get safely back on the road. Call us today to schedule an appointment!