Running out to your car in the nick of time only to discover frosted and fogged up window glass is not a fun way to start the day (and explaining the reason why you are late to work to your boss is not very fun either). With the unpredictable fall weather and winter lurking just behind...it’s time to stop pressing your luck. But never fear! We’ve got a few tips on how to fight that fog and frost and get you back on your way fast this fall & winter season. 

How to Defog Your Windshield When It's Raining 

  • Turn Off Recirculate Air. When your windows are foggy, you need to get fresh air to quickly take care of the issue. Known as “Fresh Air Mode”, this button located on your dashboard is one of the easiest and quickest ways to defog your windshield in cold temperatures. The button has a car with an arrow that points into the car. Once turned on, this feature pulls in fresh air from outside but does not lower the temperature inside the car. Rather, the temperature is gradually balanced and the fog across your windshield will disappear. You will have to make sure that the “Recirculation Mode” is turned off which is the button with a car and a circular arrow inside it. This function recirculates the air inside the vehicle by closing the air ducts in front. 
  • Decreasing the Temperature Inside the Car. This might not be the best option, especially for those who try and stay away from the cold. But, if your windows are fogged up, you can simply lower the temperature inside the car to match the temperature outside. You can do this by either decreasing the air-condition temperature or by increasing the fan speed to lower the temperature inside. Once the temperature is reduced, the fogged-up glass windows and windshield should clear out. However, you will need to carry an extra layer of clothing to keep yourself warm
If you want to assist the above-mentioned methods and help prevent fogging up in the future, one of the best things you can use is a dehumidifier bag (or a couple of them) and place it on your dashboard near the windshield. These bags are filled with silica balls that absorb moisture from the air. If you can’t find a dehumidifier bag, you can put a handful of silica balls in a sock and place it in your car. 

How to Defrost Your Windshield Fast 

Obviously, one of the best ways to defrost your windshield is to turn on the defrost setting on high heat in your vehicle. But what else can you do to quickly defrost your windshields?   

  • Press the A/C Button. This may sound counterintuitive to the whole heater thing, but really what you’re doing is activating a setting on your car’s A/C system that helps dry the air within your vehicle faster with the help of the coils in your A/C system. 
  • Turn Air Recirculation Off. Just like with foggy windows, you need fresh air to enter the car as well to help with defrosting your windows. Winter air is cold, and as it does not hold much moisture, it is dry. Bringing it into your car ups absorption capacity to more quickly dry the saturated air trapped within.  
  • Crack your windows. This helps exchange the humid air in your car with dryer outside air, speeding up the defrosting process (this is a similar method to turning off the air recirculation mode in your vehicle).   
We have one last tip for defrosting your windows. This one takes a bit of pre-planning; but it is well worth it! All you do is take a simple mixture of 2/3 cup Isopropyl or Rubbing alcohol mixed with 1/3 cup cold water (DO NOT USE HOT WATER). Simply pour this mixture into a spray bottle and mist your windshield & windows with it & watch the frost clear up! And here is the best part. You can use this method ANYWHERE because the solution will not freeze (rubbing alcohol has a freezing point of -128 degrees Fahrenheit). This mixture can easily be stored in your car, allowing you to spray away windshield ice anyplace, anytime of day! 

We hope that you find these tips useful. And as always … safe journeys on your trips around town. Big City Cars is located at 4910 Lima Road, just down from Costco. Or give us a call today at (260) 212-1111. We look forward to helping you get into a quality preowned vehicle that fits your lifestyle & budget.