How to demist your windscreen correctly

Tina Playle - Mar 28 2022 4:35PM
How to demist your windscreen correctly img

It’s that time of year where car windows get a little mistier. Now, safety is and should always be your top priority, so knowing how to demist your car windscreen correctly is essential to being able to see clearly on the roads. Master this as a learner driver, and you’re laughing!

Step 1: De-ice your windscreen.

There’s no point working from the inside if you haven’t got rid of the ice on the outside! In these particularly colder months, always make sure you take the time to clear your windscreen of any ice. Grab your ice-scraper and get to scraping!

Step 2: Using the fans to demist your windscreen.

Now you’ve got your cardio in for the day by scraping that ice off your windows, it’s time to get in the car. With all those different buttons on the dash, it can be like operating a spaceship control panel. But this is what you should be doing. First off, use your heater but start it off cold. Make sure the heater blast is directed towards the windscreen.  Then slowly increase the temperature. Here’s the sciencey bit – even though the air from your heater feels cold at first, it’s warmer than the cold windscreen. Therefore, it will dry and heat up the glass to reduce the water on it. If you feel too cold though, you can use the heater on a warmer setting, however it may take longer to demist. Graphic explaining how to demist your windscreen, Firstly get  rid of ice on the outside, turn the heater on - cold first then warmer - then open windows or use air con to dry the air.

Step 3: Use air-con or your windows to reduce water vapour.

The next step is to dry out the atmosphere in your car to reduce water vapour in the air. If you’re fancy, your car might have air-con, if you’re less fancy, you’ll have to use your windows for this one. By using air con or the dry cold air from outside means that you’ll be reducing the chances of your car getting all steamed up.

Step 4: Warm up!

Once you’ve cleared the windscreen of ice, mist and steam, you can heat the car to your ideal temperature and be on your way!


Of course, if you have a “climate control” feature on your car, that will also do all the handy work for you. But it’s always good to know how to do it manually if technology fails! Remember, stay patient and never drive when your vision is impaired. These are essential skills you’ll need when you’re driving after passing your test. For more tips on staying safe on the roads, or for regular driving test tips, follow us on social media: InsureLearnerDriver Facebook | InsureLearnerDriver Twitter | InsureLearnerDriver Instagram