Clearing foggy windows

Shaving cream, people use it to keep their bathroom mirrors from fogging up. However, use the AC in defrost and outside air with the heater on high, it should clear the windshield pretty quickly.

On many cars…the AC comes on automatically when the defrost is on. One of the main features of AC is it clears foggy windows.

Basically the front windshield fogs up bad, almost like I have seen in cars of heavy smokers. I don’t smoke and no one has smoked in my car since I bought it, but I did buy it used in 2010 so the previous owners may have been heavy smokers. Once the engine warms up and such and the defost on it will clear the window over time but does take a bit of time for that to happen. If I try to wipe the inside window off with a dry towel it will go away but come back.

Do you use any products like Armorall - that put a coating on the dash to make it look nice an shiny. Because many of those products have excessive off-gassing. This can easily fog the windows also.

Once the engine warms up and such and the defost on it will clear the window over time but does take a bit of time for that to happen.

As many posters already said…“If you have AC…then use it.” It’ll clear up the windows a LOT FASTER. One of AC’s functions is to remove moisture from the air. Less moisture means less fog.

I have an AC, although it really doesn’t work very well. Seems that this model of car, the first one put out by Kia has had AC issues, and I have never spent the monies on it to get fixed. Don’t use armorall.

That explains a lot of it. No a/c means poor defogging. If you’re not going to fix the a/c, the first thing I would do is make sure the inside of the windshield is absolutely clean. It can take several cleanings. I would use newspaper and a window cleaner, “Invisible Glass” works well.

The OP has left the building. We get a lot of that.

Happy holidays everyone.

My plan is to give it a good cleaning this weekend with some windex and such and see what happens…

Without a working AC you will never be happy with the results. There is nothing you can do that will clear the windows…nothing. Let me repeat that…nothing.
ACs in general will last nearly the life of a car. Most problems people have with them is they don’t use them enough year round and the seals begin to leak. The best thing you can do is take it to an AC shop and have it checked. It may only have to be recharged if it’s not dehumidifying the air. If you do get it working, use it. Have you ever tried to use the AC with the heat on and defroster and fan on?
I cannot believe that a car company builds a car that doesn’t have at least a competent AC. It would be a death wish as every car, including yours is desigened to function properly with it and without it, you ain’t going to be be happy with the results you get just cleaning it. A working AC is a safety item when it comes to keeping windows clear. That’s my spiel, sorry for the rant. Happy holidays.

The Kia Sedona mini van had a number of issues in it’s first year. One being that the doors will automatically lock when they feel like it, the airbag light never goes off, the AC units had to be replaced numerous times and the cooling lines to the back end rusted out quickly. Overall I have not had much issue with mine, the AC never got very cold so I just never used it and in the summer just open my windows.

My windows will defog once the car warms up and I turn on the defrost, what I am trying to do is prevent them from fogging up before hand. I just assumed there was some kind of chemical mix window solution on the market that either eliminated or reduced window fogging.

My windows will defog once the car warms up and I turn on the defrost, what I am trying to do is prevent them from fogging up before hand.

You can’t.

Interesting, I use to have some cream stuff that I could put like on my glasses lens or the mirror in the bathroom to keep from fogging up and worked real well, but can’t seem to find that anymore so just wondered if there was a comerical item that did the same…

A/C will help tremendously, but I’ve never had a problem keeping the windows clear without it. Make sure that the blower is not on recirc. and it usually clears the windows up fast.

As to a/c lasting the life of the car, I have had and worked on numerous cars where the compressor had burnt out or the clutch has quit. What do we consider the life of a car? There are several 10+ year old GM and Ford vehicles in my family, and only one of them is on the original a/c system without any major repairs and still works. I have a hard time believing that lack of use was the problem, we use a/c most of the year.

The only thing you can do ahead of time to keep your car from fogging up.

Glycerin is what is used to stop a bathroom mirror or glasses from fogging up and for years it was pitched at county and state fairs as a miracle product that they would demonstrate with a whistling teakettle on glasses and a mirror. It is still available at almost any drugstore, but no longer really cheap.

I don’t know if this RainX product works, but why not try.

What works wonders on wiping fog is using a whiteboard eraser. No streaks and the fog stays gone the entire drive. Of course this sounds bigger than your average problem though

A lot of youall are talking about not using the a/c in defrost mode.
yet, on most veheicles, you don’t get to pick and choose.
if it’s in defrost…ever…the a/c compressor is on and 99% of users have no clue.
hence, with a non working a/c, the o.p. will never get good defogging.

bottom line ;
fix the a/c

You might try some of this stuff fro Rain-X;

http://www.rainx.com/product/glass-and-cleaners/rainx-anti-fog/#.Ur4Nc7Szk8I

Racers (cars without defrosters) use this stuff to keep their helmet visors or windshields fog-free.

I’ve tried it in my racecar, it works OK

I agree wholeheartedly with Ken Green’s comments.
I thought everyone was aware that the A/C compressor operates when Defrost mode is selected (except…perhaps…for very low temperature situations), but perhaps I was wrong with that assumption.

The bottom line is that until the OP (pick one or more)…
fixes the A/C…
stops using the recirculate function…
checks for/remediates heater core leakage…

his problem will not be abated.