Why do car windows sweat, and how to deal with excess moisture in the car

  • Jan 14, 2022
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Drivers face the problem of fogging windows not only during the change of seasons. And although this is the main reason that the moisture that accumulates on the inside of the glass almost completely blocks the view, there are a dozen other reasons why car windows fog up.
Drivers face the problem of fogging windows not only during the change of seasons. And although this is the main reason that the moisture that accumulates on the inside of the glass almost completely blocks the view, there are a dozen other reasons why car windows fog up.
Drivers face the problem of fogging windows not only during the change of seasons. And although this is the main reason that the moisture that accumulates on the inside of the glass almost completely blocks the view, there are a dozen other reasons why car windows fog up.

1. The main sources of moisture in the car

Air humidity leads to fogging of car windows Photo: ukranews.com
Air humidity leads to fogging of car windows / Photo: ukranews.com
Air humidity leads to fogging of car windows / Photo: ukranews.com

Why do car windows sweat? The well-known physical effect is to blame for everything - air condensation. And this happens only with a sharp temperature drop or with an uncontrolled increase in the concentration of moisture in a closed unventilated room, in our case - in the car.

The sources of moisture here can be the following factors:

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  • The natural humidity of the surrounding air, which can increase to 90-95 percent with the advent of spring or autumn.
  • The air-gas "cocktail" exhaled by passengers and drivers, which is most often oversaturated the content of water, fats and other biological vapors that can provoke the formation condensate.
Try not to drink in a moving car so that the liquid does not spill / Photo: popmeh.ru
Try not to drink in a moving car so that the liquid does not spill / Photo: popmeh.ru
  • Wet things left in the car, accumulated moisture on the rugs, on the carpet, liquids spilled by passengers, most often children, on the car seats. In this regard, always be aware of what you leave in the car when you leave it. Do not allow passengers to drink while driving, and if it is vital - for example, on long trips, it makes sense to make regular rest stops.
  • Leaking coolant pipes. Antifreeze is an alcohol-containing product, therefore, getting into the car interior, it immediately begins to evaporate and condense on the windows.

The interior of the vehicle must always be kept dry. Moisture has an extremely negative effect on the fasteners of the structure, the metal itself, fabric and foam parts. seats, as well as electrics and electronics - one of the most expensive items of expenditure when repairing a car.

2. The main causes of fogging of car windows

Why do car windows sweat? / Photo: automobile-zip.ru
Why do car windows sweat? / Photo: automobile-zip.ru

If we talk directly about the causes of fogging of windows in a car, then there are many more of them. For example, a drunken company of passengers will certainly cause instant fogging of windows, and even a stove operating at maximum mode will not always be able to cope with this problem effectively.

Do not forget that foggy car windows always cause increased attention from traffic police officers. To quickly dry the air, turn on the air conditioner. Cold and dry air will flow from the air ducts, which will quickly solve the problem.

Another common reason for the accumulation of moisture on the windows is a violation of the tightness of the closed car doors. The reason for this is dried out or completely torn sealing gum.

Carefully inspect all car doors for fatigue or malfunction of the rubber seals, replace if necessary with new ones, and the problem should be fixed.

Dirty cabin filter / Photo: ak1310.ru
Dirty cabin filter / Photo: ak1310.ru

A clogged cabin air filter is a common cause of car windows sweating even though the heater is running at full blast. Do not be lazy to change an important part of the car about once every 10 thousand km. km or at every oil change together with the air filter. Then, if there are no other obvious causes of fogging, the problem will not return to you for at least another six months or a year.

Keep in mind that there is no causeless fogging of glasses. If this happens for no apparent reason, remember if you recently installed soundproofing. If so, where exactly did you install it - in a specialized service or in a garage workshop?

If in the garage, then, most likely, you simply blocked access to the ventilation ducts, which is why natural ventilation in the car does not occur, and the windows begin to fog up. It's time to contact a certified specialist to fix the problem.

There are dozens of "old-fashioned" ways to deal with the fogging of windows in a car. For example, rub glass with salt, citric acid, make a magic elixir or dance with a tambourine while reciting an ancient spell. This is, of course, a joke, but if you do not identify and eliminate the real cause of fogging, all your actions will be at least pointless, and some of them are even dangerous to life and health passengers.

3. A set of useful tips for motorists

How to prevent fogging of car windows / Photo: automobile-zip.ru
How to prevent fogging of car windows / Photo: automobile-zip.ru

For quick drying of the interior, use silica gel granules, after packing them in a cloth bag or gauze. A handful of desiccant is able to absorb enough moisture and solve the problem of fogging windows in the autumn-spring periods.

You can buy “magic” chemistry both as a silica gel-based cat litter in any pet store, and in the form of packaged granules on Aliexpress. It is worth noting that with abundant humidity, for example, due to a malfunction of the car’s heating unit or an unpressurized interior, it will be pointless to use silica gel.

In winter, fogging of windows with their further freezing can be associated with water-filled car mats. It is recommended to wait until the mats are frozen, and only then shake the ice out on the ground.

If you don’t have time to wait, and you don’t want to meet the glass frozen from the inside again, roll up the snowball and put it on the mat. The snow will absorb excess moisture, after which it can be thrown back into the snowdrift.

Before getting into the car, it is better to shake off the snow from the shoes / Photo: pixabay.com
Before getting into the car, it is better to shake off the snow from the shoes / Photo: pixabay.com

In general, in order to prevent moisture from accumulating on the rugs, dust off your shoes yourself and ask your passengers to do the same! Elementary respect will help solve one of the reasons for the fogging of glasses once and for all.

Equalizing the temperature inside and outside the passenger compartment also effectively helps to deal with freezing of glass. To do this, after the end of the trip, leave the car doors open for 15-30 seconds. The air in the car will cool, but not condense, because excess moisture will be released into the street. It is not recommended to resort to this method if there is a heavy snowfall.

Carefully inspect the atmospheric air intakes, which are located in the area of ​​the windshield wipers. Sometimes this may require opening the hood. The openings can become clogged with autumn leaves and other debris that must be regularly cleared from the ducts to restore air circulation in the cabin.

By the way, the fogging problem can be completely ridiculous if, for example, you have turned on the air recirculation mode, but you didn’t notice. This often happens when the driver changes to another car, where the location of the buttons is not yet familiar to him. Accidentally pressing the fan button can provoke a lot of questions from the driver, but to solve the problem, it is enough to return the air circulation to its place.

Greasy coating on the windshield in the car / Photo: cardinator.ru
Greasy coating on the windshield in the car / Photo: cardinator.ru

It has already been said that when breathing, drivers and passengers dilute the atmospheric air in the passenger compartment with fatty formations, which, together with moisture, condense on the windows. And even if we effectively eliminate the causes of fogging of windows, the greasy coating will eventually become so thick that it will seem as if the windows are fogged up.

If you haven’t cleaned the windows for a long time, such a coating can be easily confused with antifreeze. If the stove is leaking, there will definitely be a specific sweet smell in the car interior. In addition, the ever-present static effect constantly attracts the smallest dust particles to the inner surface of the glass, creating the illusion of fogging, which is essentially ordinary dirt.

In order not to fall for the trick of another physical phenomenon, regularly wipe the car windows at least 3-4 times a month anti-static wet wipes or treat with LCD cleaning spray, wiping the glass dry with microfiber. All this can be purchased at any hardware store. The cost is around 100 rubles, and the effect exceeds all expectations!

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Microfiber for wiping car windows / Photo: kosmetiksavto.ru
Microfiber for wiping car windows / Photo: kosmetiksavto.ru

Note! If the glass is already fogged up, neither the spray nor the wipes will bring the desired effect. Wait until the glass is completely dry and only then proceed with processing.

Well, one last piece of advice. On the inside of the windshield, you can stick a special film that will not allow the glass to freeze to critically low temperatures. temperatures, which is why moisture condensation will go less intensively, and with small temperature drops it will be completely possible to avoid. Paste glass only in specialized services, otherwise there is a risk of losing visibility if the technology is not followed.

The fogging of car windows is due to water condensation. But water must be removed not only from the interior of the car, but also
from the gas tank.
A source:
https://novate.ru/blogs/030921/60389/

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