How to prevent condensation

Condensation is the result of a water vapour in the air condensing on a colder surface. This can be frustrating when you can’t look through the front window. There are several ways to prevent condensation.

Use your airco

If the air inside the car is dry, there will be much less condensation. Your airco is capable of drying the air, this can differ slightly per system, so you might want to check with your dealer how to set the airco. In many cases you can already achieve good results when you turn the temperature down to the lowest setting and let it run for a while. Cold air from the airco system will have a lower relative humidity then warm air.

Check for leaks

Make sure you don’t have any leaks. Some car can leak moisture if the seals are worn or old. In some cases there might even be a hole somewhere that leaks moisture. Making sure you don’t have any leaks will help to prevent moisture to get in the car. It will also make other prevention technique more effective.

Dry the air in your car

There are several different ways to do this. You can buy a dehumidifier or use a product like a moisture absorber. A proven product that will help to absorb moisture is cat-litter crystals. Another product would be a Pingi. There are also commercially available moisture absorbers that you can get from the DIY shops.

Prevent getting in your car wet

A bit more difficult than the others, but making sure your clothes, coat, shoes, bag are dry will prevent moisture from getting in the car. If you or your clothes are wet, the moisture will evaporate and make the air more humid. This increases the chance of getting very humid air which will cause condensation.

Don’t take your dog in the car

Dogs pant a lot, and the air coming from their mouths is very humid. Eventually this will cause the humidity to rise and condensation can happen.

Warm the car before driving

Condensation will be much less of an issue if the air is warm. Putting a heater in the car for a while will warm up the car before use and less condensation will occur. However, this might not last long enough if the temperature drops after you get in the car.

Parking your car in a heated/dry garage

If your car is parked in a heated or dry garage, the air will be much less humid, and less condensation will occur.

Don’t forget that the humidity will rise when you get in the car. Your breath is humid, and will raise the relative humidity. Getting the air to become dry is 1 thing, but you will want to keep the air dry. If you keep the air dry, condensation will never be much of a problem.

Problems arising from a high humidity

Besides condensation, a high humidity can cause fungus to grow, insects to thrive and it can even cause corrosion in places underneath the dashboard or underneath the carpet. If left for too long, it can even leave a very unpleasant odour in the car that might prove difficult to remove.

Things to take into account

• Warmer air will have a higher humidity then cold air
• The air inside the foam from the seats also contains humidity, which is removed slower than the rest of the air in the car
• Wiping off the condensation from the glass will help, but if you leave the wet towel in the car, the air will get humid again
• Don’t forget to check your cabin-filter and the surrounding area. If it is wet, the car will suck in air through a wet filter and the humidity will rise greatly
• Air fresheners can sometimes also raise the humidity and cause condensation
• If you don’t have an airco, turning down the windows might cause a bit more air-movement and less condensation might occur. It will not fix it, but it might make it less of a problem
• The best way to control condensation and humidity is simply ventilation