One of the biggest annoyances of parking outside during winter is having to clear car windows every morning. Fighting ice and condensation adds time you just don’t have to a drive already fraught with cold and (possibly) a lack of caffeine. And it’s important that you do fully clear your car’s windows before setting off – you could be fined £1,000 if the authorities think your car is too misted up to drive safely. So, here’s how to demist your car windscreen and make winter driving easier.
New cars tend to be well-equipped to clear their windows at the touch of a climate control button, but older cars often require some assistance with the process. Here are some top tips with the best winter products for managing the moisture in your car, getting you on the road as quickly and safely as possible.
Use the demist button
Among the buttons for your car’s climate control there’s one showing a curved rectangle and three squiggly arrows. That’s the button to demist the windscreen. Turn the engine on before pressing it.
In most cars, the demist function whacks up the fan speed and temperature to the maximum and directs pretty much all the airflow to the windscreen. It usually takes a minute or two to clear. But there is another way of slicing the demisting onion.
A number of car manufacturers including Volkswagen, Jaguar and Ford fit their cars with a heated windscreen. The button (which has the same demisting symbol) turns on heating elements embedded in the glass. It clears mist more quickly and can melt ice on the outside. Note that a heated windscreen is often linked to heated door mirrors.
Turn the blower on to demist the windscreen
Not every car has a demist button. If that includes yours, you can use the heating system’s blower to achieve the same effect. First, make sure the airflow is directed towards the windscreen. Then, turn the engine on and gradually increase the heater’s temperature and fan speed over a few minutes as the engine warms up.
If you put the fan on maximum speed before the engine is warm, you’ll just supercharge cold air into the car, which actually makes the misting worse. Don’t be tempted to leave your car unattended while the engine is running; opportunistic thieves have been known to nab them.
Demist your car windscreen while clearing the outside
It does take a few minutes for mist to clear from the inside of your car’s windows. Our advice is to turn the engine on and get the demisting process going first, then clear the outside of the windows of any condensation with a squeegee. Also clear the door mirrors and the reversing camera lens, if your car has one. By the time you’ve finished, the inside of the windows should be clear.
Some cars, including many electric cars, have a pre-heating function. This allows you to remotely turn on the aircon to demist the windows and heat the interior before you get in, by using an app on your phone. The electric cars that offer this function need to be plugged into a charger at the time, so you don’t lose any range.
Point the side vents to demist the side windows
Your car’s windows can mist up while you’re driving. There’s a lot of moisture in your breath which condenses when it touches the windows, generating more mist. This can be a particular problem with the side windows, which you’re closest to.
To get around this, make sure the air vents at the sides of the dashboard are angled towards the windows. They’ll at least clear an area big enough for you to see the door mirrors, if not the entire window. The best way of making sure the side windows don’t mist up is to have the aircon set to a high enough temperature to dry your breath out. Somewhere around 20 degrees should do it.
Don’t wipe your car windows to demist them
There are all sorts of cloths and sponges that claim to be able to clear mist from your car’s windows. Some of them are reasonably effective, particularly microfibre cloths, but wiping a window can actually slow down the demisting process. That’s because the small droplets of condensation become big droplets as you wipe, and they take longer to evaporate. If it’s the outside of your windscreen that needs de-icing, use a quality ice scraper.
It smears whatever dirt and grime is on the window, as well, potentially reducing visibility even more. In which case, the windows will need a polish as soon as possible.
How do you stop your car from demisting overnight?
Placing a sheet over a car’s windows is an old trick to stop them icing, but it doesn’t necessarily stop condensation developing inside. However, you could spray the inside of your car’s windows with rain repellent, which causes water to bead off glass rather than collect on it. It’s intended for use on the outside but, in our experience, it’s also pretty effective at reducing condensation on the inside. If that doesn’t work well enough for you, you could invest in a car dehumidifier.
How long does it take to demist a car?
The time it takes to demist your car can vary depending on several factors, like how cold and damp it is outside and your car’s ventilation system. On average, it can take anywhere from two to ten minutes to fully clear your windows. Use your car’s air conditioning, even in winter, as it dries out the air and helps shift condensation, for quicker results.
As mentioned earlier, cars with heated windscreens or advanced climate control systems can get the job done even faster, so if your car’s equipped with those features, it’ll make your winter mornings much smoother.
Can I demist my windows without using the heater or AC?
You can crack a window slightly to let in some cold air, which will help equalize the temperature inside your car and clear moisture. But let’s be honest — it’s nowhere near as quick or effective as firing up the heater or AC to sort out the misty windows.
