De misting car windscreen - help

mrsdwhite

I passed my test last year at the grand age of 30! My parents don't drive so I have not learnt any tips or tricks with cars over the years.
I was lucky to have use of DH's vectra until spring this year when I bought my own little run around Ka 2001.
DH's vecra was a lot newer than my Ka and had air con, my Ka has a little engine that takes ages to warm up. This means that now the weather has turned I end up sitting for 10 minutes with the engine running waiting for the windscreen to dry out.
I have a de misting cloth but that doesn't seem to help with the moisture. I'm guessing a normal cloth will smear the windscreen? Any tips that I can try to make it quicker or easier to deal with?
It might seem obvious to you but like I say, I've not grown up around cars!

Badrick

Try a little neat washing up liquid on a dry cloth rubbed on and buffed off when inside windows are dry, they shouldn't steam up for a few days afterwards.

shammyjack

Keep an old towel in the car , spread it over the top of the dash up to the screen and use a cheap silicone squeegee that you can buy in Home Bargains or similar for under £2. 2 or 3 swipes with that and your screen is clear .

SpikyHedgehog

I only passed this year at 44, so 30 is like a spring chicken lol!

And having managed happy obliviousness about how to manage a car in winter despite my parents having had cars for much of my life, & Errant Husband having a car, I will be reading this thread with interest :-)

I remember when my parents had a car that didn't heat very well, & so expect to need layers including gloves in a car.

And my advice on de-icer is 'don't go to m0rris0ns at half seven in the evening after 2 frosty mornings & expect to find any on the shelves...' Luckily, the garage did have some :-)

I've got a chamois pad that I wipe the inside of the car with. I did see some things in the better ware catalogue designed to absorb the moisture from the car to reduce misting up, but don't know how effective they are?

jk0

When my car is icy, (rather than just dewey) I pour a kettle of boiling water over the windows.

I know some people say this might break them, but I've been doing it for 30 years, and no problem so far.

This makes the windows slightly warmer, so they don't get fogged up. Don't get hot water near the door locks, as you will gradually strip the grease off them, and make them stiff.

NoGoodNamesLeft

I keep a window squeegy thing in the car to dry the windows with.

Brambleberry

Very warm tap water in a 4pint milk jug works for warming up the screen. To reduce the risk of cracking the screen, pour it onto the roof just above and let it run down.
Another trick I used to use was two 2l pop bottles filled with warm water, screwed tight and rested/propped on old towels on the dashboard for half an hour before starting the car.
For really cold days here, where ice forms on the inside, I have a tiny 12v plug in fan heater to help things along.

savingqueen

I just use a microfibre cloth to dry my windscreen, won't be wasting my petrol running the engine! I like the idea of laying a towel (I would use something microfibre as it dries quickly) and then a couple of swipes of a squeegee.
Re icy windows, I stick a couple of hotwater bottles on the dashboard and that helps to shift ice on the windscreen.
A blob of blue-tack on the lock stops it freezing over.

rosie383

Some great tips. I'm definitely going to try the bottles of warm water. I would advise caution against using boiling water on the windscreen though, as tempting as it is. I too have done it for years until my neighbour did it and the windscreen shattered. Expensive lesson to learn.

mrsdwhite

Thanks for the tips everyone! I very nearly bought a squeegee today but dh kind of looked and said, 'it's worth a try I guess,' which made me think it wouldn't work.
Think I will get one. I don't need to drive for work as I live at work and refuse to drive on the school run as I hate parking by the school so it's not a time issue, but I hate leaving the engine running just to dry the window!

i.love.baking

Badrick wrote: »

Try a little neat washing up liquid on a dry cloth rubbed on and buffed off when inside windows are dry, they shouldn't steam up for a few days afterwards.

Will have to try this, i get quite a lot of condensation on my windscreen (had a massive leak last year which has made my car quite damp!) when the weather was really cold last year I was chipping ice off the inside!!

I might try getting one of those moisture trap things where the beads turn to liquid in the bottom. don't know if that might work a bit for you?