Autumn and winter mean getting out of bed early and having to face defrosting your car in the cold and dark to ensure it is safe to drive. After standing shivering while you scrape frost and ice off your windscreen, it can be frustrating to get in your car for all the windows to steam up.

Fogged-up windows on a chilly winter morning are not just annoying, it is also illegal to drive your car with reduced visibility, and could land you with a fine and points on your license. We have a look at how to avoid this and four tips to help clear misted windows.

Once you’ve defrosted the car, ensured that you have removed all frost, ice, and snow from your windows, you will likely have to clear condensation from the windows before you set off, because anything that prevents the driver from having a clear view of the road is against the law.

Failing to remove condensation could land you a £60 fine, or three penalty points on your driving license.

Why does the inside of your car get so much condensation?

Condensation occurs when the temperature inside is colder than the temperature outside. During the night, the outside temperature drops to its lowest point, while the interior of the car remains slightly warmer.

When the outside cold air meets the warmer air inside the car, water vapour in the air turns to water, making condensation.

Here’s how to get rid of condensation from inside the car

1. Turn the air conditioning on

If your car has air conditioning, then turn it on and set it to cool when you get in the car, and then turn it up as the condensation clears. Make sure that vents are directed towards the windscreen and windows.

If your car doesn’t have air conditioning, open the windows for a few minutes to make the inside car

temperature match the outside air.

2. Keep the inside of your car clean

Dirt and dust particles inside your car will help to attract moisture, so by keeping the inside of your car clean, you will help to reduce the chances of your car windows steaming up.

Microfibre cloths are particularly good at removing dust particles from your windows, but if you don’t have any handy, newspaper can also work well.

3. Make a homemade dehumidifier

To help remove moisture from the air in your car, you can use a dehumidifier. But it is also relatively simple to make one.

One popular hack suggests filing an old sock or tights with cat litter and leave that in your car. The litter draws moisture from the air and absorbs it.

If you don’t fancy turning your car into a cat toilet, you can buy a mini dehumidifier for your car: the technology is the same, but without the litter tray associations.

4. Don’t leave anything damp in the car overnight

If you’ve got a soggy umbrella, a damp coat or a wet towel in the backseat, this will make the car damper and contribute to condensation inside the car.

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