Your response to the guy with wife using the A/C for defogging is greatly disappointing. My husband has been doing this for years while I shiver in the passenger’s seat. It works to clear the windows, but it does nothing to warm my toes. Here’s my solution that works great in my 1996 Jeep Cherokee: set the control lever to DEFROST and set the temperature to the far left, cold, blue setting. The windows will clear quickly. Then gradually move the temperature lever to warm. P.S. My husband is a fanatic about bird poop and lovebugs, so he washes my car every week even when he’s right.
You don’t have to turn off the heat to defrost the windows. You can both heat and air conditioning at the same time and you won’t have to freeze.
Even with it in the heating position, when you turn it to defrost the a/c compressor comes ON. This is normal and serves the purpose of de-humidifying.