Keep your Windscreen Clear in Winter
We all love the variety of the seasons in Canterbury, and we are lucky to experience hot summers and cold winters. The seasons do not come without their challenges, and from a motorist point of view cold winter starts can pose problems. One common problem experienced is that of a frozen on the outside, fogged up on the inside, windscreen. It is important that you keep your windscreen clear in winter, to ensure you can see effectively during your journey,
We’ll deal with the 2 issues separately, firstly let’s look at defrosting the outside.
Defrosting the outside of your windscreen in winter
The tips below can be used to help to ensure your windscreen is frost free for those cold winter morning journeys.
- Plan ahead – if you can, a good idea is to place an old sheet/sack or some cardboard over your windscreen the evening before a frost is forecast. This will stop any ice forming on your windscreen in the first place.If this isn’t possible and you wake up to ice on your windscreen, try the following:
- Use lukewarm water – pouring lukewarm water onto your windscreen will melt the ice. Remember to use your windscreen wipers as soon as you have poured the water to ensure it doesn’t refreeze! Never use hot water as the change in temperature can cause the windscreen to crack.
- Buy a plastic scraper – use a plastic scraper that’s designed for use on windscreens to remove any stubborn ice patches. Don’t use metal or other implements that aren’t designed for the task as they may damage your windscreen.
- Use de-icer – Keep a bottle of de-icer in your car to spray on the windscreen if it’s frozen. You can then use your wipers or a plastic scraper to remove the excess water/ice crystals. You can buy commercial de-icer or make your own using a mixture of ⅓ water and ⅔ isopropyl alcohol/methylated spirits.
Following the steps above can help to keep the outside of your windscreen clear in winter. Next, we’ll look at the inside of your windscreen and how to keep it fog free.
Demisting the inside of your windscreen in winter
It’s winter and you hop into your car after defrosting the outside, to be met with a foggy window. Why does this happen? It’s related to the amount of moisture in the air; cold, low pressure air cannot hold much water vapour. When you enter your car and breathe in the enclosed space, most of the water vapour cannot be held in the air and instead ends up as condensation on the cold glass surfaces. As you’re usually facing your windscreen this is where it gets most foggy.
Read below for tips on how to reduce this:
- Use your air conditioner – if you have a modern car, use the demist/defrost function on the air conditioner. This will ensure the air it lasts out is at the right temperature. If you don’t have an air conditioner and use the fan heaters in your car, make sure you start off with cold air – as you need to dry out the air inside the car before to remove the fog. Blast the air conditioner/fans on their highest setting as you need to cover as much of the windscreen with dry air as possible.
- Make sure your windscreen is clean – Use a glass cleaner to remove any dirt or debris from the inside of your windscreen. Dirt on the windscreen gives the moisture something to cling onto, removing this will make it less likely that your windscreen will fog up and an added bonus is that you’ll be able to see through the window better!
- Don’t re-circulate air – You need to draw the cold, dry air in from outside your vehicle. If you re-circulate air from inside you won;t get rid of the moisture.
- Lower the moisture level – If your coat or boots are very wet, consider storing them in the boot of your car so they don;t contribute to the moisture in the air in your vehicle.
- Don’t wipe – This may be a quick fix, however it can often lead to smears on your windscreen and doesn’t solve the problem of the moisture in the air.
- Consider using a preventative spray – if condensation is a big problem for you there are a number of sprays on the market that can be applied to the inside of you windscreen,
It is important that you keep your windscreen clear in winter, as driving conditions can be poor on cold wintery days and you need to be able to see properly for your whole journey. Remember to also defrost and demist your wing mirrors, side windows and lights as they are equally important in keeping you safe.
If you find yourself in need of a repair or replacement of your windscreen remember that Fast Autoglass offer guaranteed workmanship on all auto glass repairs and replacements in Christchurch and Canterbury. We offer a high quality, fast and efficient service and have expertise in a range of auto glass solutions. We have a workshop that is centrally located in Christchurch and we also offer a convenient mobile service. Contact us for all your auto glass repair needs.