Foggy windshields are a thing in Central Florida throughout the year. Whether it's the humidity in the summer or the cold air in the winter, this driving hazard is something that Clermont drivers have to learn how to deal with more often than not. Toyota of Clermont is here to help; we have a quick guide on how to defog your windshield based on what's causing the fog in the first place!
Why does your windshield fog up?
Before we can talk about how to defog a windshield, we need to discuss what makes it fog up in the first place. It all comes down to the air temperature outside the car and whether there's moisture inside or outside of the glass. Here's how our Clermont auto service techs explain it.
- When it's hot outside and the humidity is high (so pretty often here in Clermont), there's a lot of moisture in the air outside of the car. When this moisture hits the cool glass of your windshield and windows and reaches the dew point (the temperature point at which fog forms), it causes fog on the outside of the glass. This is especially true if you've cranked the A/C to cool the cabin of your car down, or if you're driving in the rain.
- When it's cold outside, the moisture inside of your car hits the cool glass of your windshield and windows and causes fog on the inside of the glass. This moisture inside of your Clermont Toyota can come from your breath, wet shoes, wet umbrellas, and any other moisture trapped inside the cabin, especially overnight.
How to defog your windshield efficiently
So now that you know why fog forms, let's talk about how to defog your windshield. Remember, a foggy windshield obstructs your field of vision and prevents you from seeing your surroundings clearly, which puts you at a much higher risk of getting into a car accident. Here's how you defog your windshield quickly and efficiently.
- When it's hot outside, remember that the fog is on the outside of the glass. This makes it pretty easy to clear - just turn on your windshield wipers and roll down your windows to wipe away the fog and condensation. You can also turn your A/C off for a few minutes to help clear the glass faster.
- When it's cold outside, the fog is on the inside of the glass, which makes it a little more challenging to deal with. There are several steps you'll need to take to defog your windshield in this situation.
- Crank your heat and turn on your defroster to temporarily clear things up. Your goal is to get moisture out of the car so the fog will disappear.
- Next, turn on your A/C on high for a minute. The cold air will help to pull the moisture out of the cabin.
- Turn off your recirculating feature so the same moist air doesn't keep getting pulled into the cabin - instead, fresh, cold air from the outside will be pulled in to further dispel moisture.
- Open your windows to let humidity out of your car and more fresh, cold air in.
- Keep your car clean, including the glass. Moisture sticks to dirt, so if your windshield and windows are dirty, you're more likely to have fog.
- Stay on top of routine car maintenance, especially when it comes to your A/C, heater, and defroster. The techs at Toyota of Clermont can help you with this.
- Wipe off your shoes before you get in the car when it's cold out to get rid of some of the moisture.
- Shop the Toyota of Clermont parts store for a defogging solution for the glass in your car. You want one that's specially formulated for the interior and one for the exterior - our specialists can help you find what you need.
- You can also try a DIY method - shaving cream. Some drivers swear that if you put shaving cream on the inside of your windshield and then wipe it away, the glass won't fog as easily when it's cold out.
Have questions or need to shop for products to defog your windshield? Call Toyota of Clermont today at (352) 404-7001 or stop by. We're just off the Florida Turnpike at 16851 State Road 50!
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