The morning is sometimes an obstacle course, especially in the winter. We do our best to get to work on time, getting up early, taking a quick shower, before checking the weather and finding temperatures are dropping. The last thing we would probably want to deal with is the foggy windows of our car. But with the help of just three very common materials, we no longer have to worry about this problem that steals our precious time in the morning.
When the outside temperature is significantly lower than that inside the passenger compartment, the water contained in the passenger compartment air creates the condensation on the glass. A windshield covered with condensation is not only annoying, but above all it is dangerous. The fogging tends to reduce over time and activating the air from the car dashboard, but in reality, to prevent the car windows from fogging up, this ingenious and inexpensive DIY system is all that is needed.
And igroscopic materials
Hygroscopic materials are those materials that are able to absorb moisture from the air (unlike hydrophilic materials that absorb liquid water). Many of us use moisture-wicking salts at home. Among the hygroscopic substances there are certainly kitchen salt or paper, textile fibers or silica gel. The litter boxes of cats for example, they contain hygroscopic material to absorb feline urine and eliminate bad smells.
To prevent the car windows from misting up, this ingenious and inexpensive DIY system is all that is needed
All we need to overcome this problem during the cold season are three things: a sock, a roll of duct tape, and some cat litter.
For our purpose, some types of cat litter boxes work better than others for this trick. Non-clumping or silicon crystal bedding seems to work better than the traditional clay bedding. When it comes to choosing socks, we opt for gym socks, as we need a material that is as breathable as possible. And fortunately, the type of tape doesn’t matter.
Here’s what to do. We need to pour the litter inside the sock. To keep the cuff of the sock open during this operation, let’s help ourselves with the roll of adhesive tape. We insert the roll so as to keep the cuff of the sock open. We take the cat litter box and fill the sock to about where the ankle would start. At this point we remove the roll of tape and tie the sock at the level of the litter. We can also slip it all into a second sock for added strength.
The condensation that is created in the car will be absorbed by the litter, solving our problems of the misted windshield.
If we don’t have a cat or don’t want to buy a cat litter box, another hygroscopic (moisture-absorbing) substance would need to be found. Moisture absorbing salts can also be used with their container, placing them in the area of the passenger compartment where the air circulates.
