To prevent glasses from sweating: 6 practical tips

Why do glasses become opaque?

Car windows fog up when the air inside is warmer than outside and is saturated with moisture. In the same way, a glass bottle with a drink from the refrigerator fogs up.

The humidity in the cabin rises when several people get into the car in wet clothes. That is why the windows are mainly fogged up in the rain. And the air exhaled by passengers contains a lot of moisture, which also settles on the windows, covering them with an opaque film.

So what can be done to prevent this?

1. Heat the stove properly

It is necessary to direct the entire flow of air to the glass and turn on the heating at the highest temperature. When the engine is still cold, the efficiency is low. Therefore, it is worth increasing the rotational speed of the heating fan.

Air conditioning helps a lot in the fight against fogging (obviously on those cars where it is and works well). It is enough to turn it on for a minute or two and the glasses will become transparent.

Check that the air recirculation is not activated. In this mode, the air is taken from the cabin, where it is already humid.

2. Turn on electric heaters

All modern cars have rear window heating. Turn it on for rear vision – even heavily fogged glass will clear quickly.

Windshield heating is already installed even on budget models, for example, on Lada Vesta. True, this option is often found only in expensive trim levels, and when replacing cracked glass, many of the savings are the usual – without heating elements.

3. Check the air

The heating system draws in air from a niche under the windshield called the air box. It collects leaves, tree seeds, just dirt. In the rain this “garden” will be wet. The air passing through the box is humidified and the glass fogs up.

The advice is simple: once a year, remove the wiper lines and plastic liner and clean the box. Then the air in the cabin is cleaner and drier.

Air should not only enter the cabin, but also leave easily. For this, all cars have slots in the trunk trim and holes with flaps under the rear bumper. It is important not to fill these gaps with things that prevent air from escaping. Otherwise, the glass will sweat more.

4. Fix leaks

The windows fog up intensely when water gets into the car. For example, due to leaking glued glass, a leaking sliding roof, old door seals.

Soundproofing and floor mats can be dampened by a leaking heater core or faulty air conditioner evaporator drain.

If the bottom of the car is corroded in places due to age or technological plugs have been lost, water will enter from below.

5. Apply tuning

Owners of some cars are putting the finishing touches on the ventilation system in the trunk (more details here)

Improves interior ventilation and thus reduces the risk of fogging Slightly lowered side window. But at the same time, raindrops can get into the cabin. They are well protected by the liner at the top of the doors.

If the rear window heating fails, you can temporarily place a 12-volt fan heater on the parcel shelf. It drives heated air and effectively cleans the glass against fogging.

6. Use Chemistry

Various anti-fog agents work effectively, which are applied to the inner surface of clean and dry glasses. But usually they don’t last long. The coating wears off when the sliding windows move and is gradually washed away by micro-droplets of water, which in any case settle on the glass.

There are also some simple folk remedies. The cheapest way is to wipe the glass with a cloth dipped in soapy water. The only drawback is that it cannot be applied to cold glass, as the composition can freeze.

There is also a frost-resistant homemade defogger. In 10 ml of ethyl alcohol (sold in a pharmacy), add a few drops of dishwashing liquid. Antifreeze can also be used instead of alcohol. These compounds are easy to apply and work great.

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