How To Stop Your Car Windscreen Freezing On The Inside
Winter in the UK can be a miserable time, especially for commuting or general travel, with frosted screens, frozen door handles and icy roads to contend with. One thing that can be even more frustrating, is having a windscreen that is frozen on the inside, find out how you can stop this happening!
How to stop a windscreen from freezing on the inside
Remove any sources of moisture: Wet coats or umbrellas, and even moist floor mats introduce moisture into the cars interior
Dehumidify: Remove the remaining moisture in your upholstery. A powered dehumidifier is best, but a passive gel type or even cat litter in an old sock will help
Use the AC: Your car's air conditioning helps filter out moisture too, most cars will turn this on when using your demist function
Check for leaks: If the screen is still freezing, check for sources of water ingress from rain, predominantly around window and door seals.
Insulate the screen: Use a cover or an old bed sheet to insulate the windscreen overnight, this prevents the cold temperature from turning the moisture into ice
What causes your windscreen to freeze on the inside?
A frozen windscreen on the inside is caused by excess moisture inside the car, often introduced by wet clothes or a leak somewhere around the window/door seals.
This moisture condenses on the glass and then is turned to ice when the outside air temperature drops overnight.
If you can't find any leaks and don't keep wet jackets inside your car, check the climate controls are not set to recirculate, this can cause your breath to build up moisture inside during driving, which then freezes overnight.
How to remove ice from inside your windscreen
To remove ice from inside the windscreen, it’s best to allow the car's heat to defrost the ice inside your car, as scraping can cause smudges and marks after it has defrosted. When doing this, use some cloth or towels to absorb the water, as allowing it to run down into your dashboard may well cause issues.
If you don't have time to wait for the ice to defrost, using a small scraper is possible, but needs to be done with care to avoid covering the inside of your car in frost.
If your windscreen has frozen on the inside, it’s important to fully clear this before driving, as it will affect your visibility.
Can you use a de-icer inside your car?
Don’t use any kind of aerosol or spray de-icer inside your car, the fumes given off will not be good for you. Also, the chemical solution could damage electrical components or upholstery inside your car.
Is it normal to have ice inside your windscreen?
Having a frozen windscreen is perfectly normal throughout the winter, but if you drive your car regularly it shouldn't freeze on the inside as often.
It can be an indication that you have a leak, so if it’s happening repeatedly, and you have tried all the suggestions in this guide, it might be time to get some help from a mechanic, or if your car is within warranty, your dealership.
Get Expert Help
If your car has niggling faults like we’ve talked about in this article, and none of the solutions have worked for you, it may be time to get some professional advice on the problem. Bumper allows you to split car repair costs into interest-free monthly payments. Find out more here.
Find a service partnerAuthor - Joseph Law
Joseph has been writing about cars for over seven years and writing for Bumper for over two, blending his passion for automobiles with a talent for storytelling.
Joseph has written about engineering and cars for Autozilla, Komaspec, and several engineering manufacturers. When he's not writing or tinkering with one of his five cars, Joseph dreams of owning an Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale.
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