The $3 Fix For Your Foggy Windshields (The Japanese Way), by Kazu the Car Guy on YouTube. 9 min 54 s.
- Video length
- 9 min 54 s
- Time to do it
- 20 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 7
What you need
Steps
Mix equal parts 70% isopropyl alcohol and distilled water in a spray bottle. If your tint is less than a month old, or your installer said no alcohol, use distilled water only.
Spray the inside of the windshield and wipe in up-and-down strokes with a folded microfiber towel. Work in overlapping sections so you cover the whole pane.
Follow straight away with a second, dry microfiber towel and buff the same area until the haze is gone. The dry towel lifts the film instead of smearing it.
Clean the outside glass with side-to-side strokes. Using a different direction on each side shows you at a glance which side a streak is on.
Wipe each wiper blade along its full length with a cloth dampened with the alcohol mix. This pulls off the black gunk that makes the blades skip and streak.
To clear fog fast, switch the vents to fresh air, turn the A/C on, and crack the two front windows about an inch.
Aim the vents at the side windows and leave the A/C running until the glass is clear. Only then switch back to recirculated air.
Tips and common mistakes
Dirty glass fogs worse even though the amount of water is the same, because the film gives moisture something to cling to.
Streaks usually come from the towel, not the cleaner, so keep one towel for wiping and one dry towel for buffing.
The inside film comes from dashboard plastics, heater dust and your hands, so clean the glass about once a month.
Never spray the alcohol mix near the dashboard electronics or let it sit on fresh tint.
Questions
Why does my windshield fog up so fast?
A film of oily residue on the inside gives moisture something to cling to, so the glass fogs sooner and streaks more. Cleaning that film off makes it clear faster.
Can I use this mix on tinted windows?
Not on tint that is less than a month old, and not if your installer said no alcohol. Use distilled water only in that case.
Do I still need the A/C when it is cold outside?
Yes. The A/C dries the air, and with fresh air coming in and the windows cracked it clears fog faster than heat alone.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
