Question: Solutions to Windshield Fogging in Winter?

[SallyCat]

My car gets condensation, frost, and sometimes ice on the inside of my windshield in the winter, and it takes an annoyingly long time to defrost. I'm pretty careful about keeping the inside of the car as dry as possible, but with putting skis in there, there's always going to be moisture.

I put the a/c on high and have it set to allow fresh air in (vs. recirculating) and I try not to have to touch or wipe the inside of the windshield because that seems to leave a mess of streaks later on.

I was wondering if anyone can recommend any tricks or products to get the inside of the windshield cleared as quickly as possible? I've heard suggestions about things like cat litter, silica packets, etc. but before I launch a full clear-window campaign, I thought I'd ask for ideas.

My car is old, so I don't have remote-start or anything fancy. I don't know what it is about this particular vehicle that the moisture is so persistent and tenacious; it's worse than other cars I've had, I think. Thanks for any tips!

 

[santacruz skier]

Saw on the weather channel last night several ideas for defogging windshields with condensation. Filling a sock with kitty litter and leaving on your dash was one of the ideas. Also applying shaving cream to windshield (don't know if I would try this one) was another idea.

 

[SallyCat]

I can see how the cat litter would work; I may go that route. I am currently nursing a geriatric cat with bladder-control issues, so my preference would be to compartmentalize the litter-adjacent and litter non-adjacent facets of my daily life.

 

[ski diva]

Do you dry your skis before you put them in your car? I often keep my skis in my car overnight, and I've found that wiping them down first helps. Plus it's good for your skis, too.

 

[SallyCat]

Do you dry your skis before you put them in your car? I often keep my skis in my car overnight, and I've found that wiping them down first helps. Plus it's good for your skis, too.

I do, though I find that it's hard to get all of the snow out of the bindings, so I'm sure there's moisture on them when they sit in the car. In the long term, I'd like to get a roof box to mitigate the issue.

 

[Susan L]

Have you tried cracking the window open just a tiny bit? We switch between defrost and AC when driving in cold/snow and when the windshield starts to fog up, we open the window just a tiny bit to balance the moisture/temperature. Works every time.

 

[Jilly]

I can't say that I've ever used the A/C in winter. I've actually had to use the defrost only a couple of days this week. Crack a window too.

Try the kitty litter or some other desiccant. You need to remove the moisture in the car.

 

[RachelV]

... I am currently nursing a geriatric cat with bladder-control issues, so my preference would be to compartmentalize the litter-adjacent and litter non-adjacent facets of my daily life.

As someone whose cat used to have bladder control issues, this resonated with me deeply. It got to the point where I’d smell phantom cat pee at my desk at work and would have to talk myself through all the reasons that was impossible.

 

[Jenny]

Cat pee is NOT a nice smell, phantom or otherwise!