A windshield that’s foggy on the inside is frustrating– especially when it becomes foggy while you’re driving, or right before your morning commute. If your defrost setting doesn’t work quickly to clear up the fog, driving can become hazardous because of your reduced vision.
In this situation, you might be tempted to reach out and wipe away the condensation with your hand– but if you do, you’ll surely regret it, since touching the glass with your bare hand will most likely leave oils behind on the glass. The next time you’re driving at night, or even the next time your windshield fogs up, you’ll see those fingerprints and wish you hadn’t done it!
Why does the inside of my windshield get dirty?
Aside from oily fingerprints on the inside of your windshield glass, the glass can get dirty in other ways, as well.
This is a particularly important problem to address, because any buildup on the windshield reduces your vision and can even become a hazard while driving.
One way your windshield glass can get dirty: residue from smoking cigarettes.
Have you ever seen a house that someone smoked in for many years? Chances are good that the walls and ceilings in that house were covered in a yellow or brown residue from years of cigarette smoke.
This same phenomenon happens in your car, as well. There are plenty of reasons why you shouldn’t smoke, but smoking in an enclosed space like your car is particularly harmful– for you, your passengers, and for your car itself.
Even if you don’t smoke, your windshield can still get dirty over time. You’ve probably noticed that your car’s dashboard can get pretty dusty every so often; that dust is in the air in the rest of your car as well.
Combined with humidity in the air and condensation, the dust can create a film on the inside of your windshield, which makes the windshield look foggy even when it’s not!
What can I do to keep the inside of my windshield clean?
Cleaning the inside of your windshield is a little trickier than washing the rest of your car, because you really need to make sure that there aren’t any smudges or missed spots that might obstruct your vision or just distract you while driving.
Luckily, there are a few tips and tricks that’ll help you keep the inside of your windshield sparkling clean all year round.
Microfiber cloth
Using a microfiber cloth to clean the inside of your windshield will give you better results than any other type of wipe or cloth.
The reason why microfiber cloths work best is simply because the fibers are tiny enough to trap dust, bacteria, and anything else that might be missed by a paper towel or similar cleaning product.
Wait for a cloudy day
Typically, using your favorite brand of glass cleaner along with a microfiber cloth on the inside of your windshield will do the trick, wiping away all of the dust and haze that’s accumulated on the glass.
However, if you follow this one extra trick, your glass will end up looking better.
Just wait for a cloudy day to clean your windshield (or do it at night, or at least when your car’s completely in the shade).
The reason for this? Direct sunlight beaming down on your windshield can cause the glass cleaner to dry before you’re finished cleaning, which can result in smudges, smears, and streaks on the glass.
Call in the windshield experts
For windshield smudges and haze, you can easily address the problem yourself by following the tips above. But for windshield chips, cracks, and other damage, it’s time to seek out the services of a qualified glass technician.
If you’ve got a windshield problem that needs to be addressed, give Fast Glass Service a call today!
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