If you have a foggy windscreen first thing in the morning, you’ll likely be cursing, because you’ll want to be getting on your way to your intended destination. However, you’ll know you can’t just rub your windscreen with a cloth and get on with it, because you’ll be staring at streaks for the foreseeable future.
Plus, you might not want to put the air conditioning on, because it will make you chilly, which you won’t want early on before you’ve even had time to get warm properly. And you don’t want to just drive, because you could land yourself with a fine or even points on your license.
One man, who does car detailing, however, has shared a little-known defogging method which he has used without any issues for “over a decade”.
Ryan, who posts on TikTok as @ryanthedetailer, captioned his video: “Streaky or foggy windshield? Here’s the best trick for streak-free windows with a product you probably already have at home!”
He said that it works perfectly for foggy windows or windows that you just can’t seem to get properly clean.
Ryan reckons that the product also has “a million other uses” for cleaning and maintenance of other things.
He said: “My secret is diluted isopropyl alcohol, which is readily accessible in stores and online, and in my opinion, is better than any glass cleaner you’ll find. A couple of sprays on a rag, clean it, and then buff it with a second dry towel, and your windows will be streak-free once again”.
In the comments, people said that they were going to try it because their “windows look just like this”.
Others asked whether it would be tinted window-friendly – as some in the comments were adamant that it would not.
Ryan replied: “It will work fine on tinted windows. I haven’t had a single problem in 15 years. It’s diluted, as long as your tint isn’t falling apart already, there won’t be a problem”.
However, we’d recommend doing a patch test before covering your car in the product. This way, you can see how your vehicle reacts to it.
Somebody asked whether it needed to be diluted 50/50, 50% isopropyl and 50% water. But Ryan said it could be even less.
He added: “Honestly, you could even go less! If you buy 99% even like 20-25% volume should work really well. If you find you need more strength, you can add more, though.”
Somebody said that this was the “best, affordable and straightforward advice,” saying that the next time they experienced foggy windows, they’d be trying this.
It’s worth keeping the advice in mind – as the RAC warns that driving with an unclear windscreen is against the law.
The motoring organisation echoes the TikTok user’s advice, stating: “If your car has air conditioning, make sure it is switched on. Use the air-con in conjunction with the heater.
“Hot air will dry the glass a little through evaporation, but the air will then cool down and condense on the glass once more, so make sure the air-con is on to keep the atmosphere inside dry. If your windscreen is iced over, then the heat is obviously more necessary. But in this instance, you might want to scrape the outside of your windscreen clear first”.