I've used and collected various automotive glass cleaners over the years, as you do.. and then one day earlier this year I had the un-genious (sic) idea of taking all the randon quarter-bottles and residuals, and sticking them into one spray bottle.
Everything was fine for a while. The resulting witches brew was a tad green in colour but apart from that, it worked well and smelt the same as glass cleaners usually do...
But ever since the wet weather came along (so, June, in The Land that Time Forgot) the windows fog up like a *******. If there's the vaguest hint of fog or moisture or drizzle out there (which is nearly every day... ) the windows fog up and even the fan doesn't bother it. I have to resort to opening both front windows and cranking the fan to 3 or 4 to shift it. It's 'orrible thick condensation too - so much that it actually runs down the glass if I leave it. Even when I was a courting teenager, I never fogged up a car so much..![Big grin :D :D](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
At first I thought there must be water getting into in the car, so I hunted around under the carpets, in the drains, in the boot and inside the headling and door pillar trims.. but Gerrard (the Stilo) is dry as a bone and 100% water tight. More water probably gets in because of the open "de-misting" front windows than through a leak in the car's nether regions.
I tried replacing the cabin filter (it turned out that there wasn't one fitted, so that knackered my theory of a restricted air flow) and I stuffed myself into the footwell to check that all the heating, venting and air-directing controls were working (they all operate perfectly). So now I'm sure it's just regular condensation.. in fact, the more people in the car, the worse it is. There's a direct link to my sweaty, heavy breathing rugby-player mates and the amount of condo' I get.
My conclusion is that the "home brew" glass cleaner is a bit ginger and it's probably become hydrophylic. I have no idea how (in chemistry terms) but being in possession of a £10 Halfords gift voucher (Happy Birthday to me..
) I'm going to try a different, purpose made auto' glass cleaner. What's the glass cleaner equivalent of the Atacama Desert? Or some Product X thing that stops the moisture being attracted straight to the glass?
On the other hand.. anyone think of any other thing it can possibly be? As above, the car's ventilation system seems perfect and there's no dampness or smell etc. anywhere to be seen.
TIA.
Ralf S.
Everything was fine for a while. The resulting witches brew was a tad green in colour but apart from that, it worked well and smelt the same as glass cleaners usually do...
But ever since the wet weather came along (so, June, in The Land that Time Forgot) the windows fog up like a *******. If there's the vaguest hint of fog or moisture or drizzle out there (which is nearly every day... ) the windows fog up and even the fan doesn't bother it. I have to resort to opening both front windows and cranking the fan to 3 or 4 to shift it. It's 'orrible thick condensation too - so much that it actually runs down the glass if I leave it. Even when I was a courting teenager, I never fogged up a car so much..
At first I thought there must be water getting into in the car, so I hunted around under the carpets, in the drains, in the boot and inside the headling and door pillar trims.. but Gerrard (the Stilo) is dry as a bone and 100% water tight. More water probably gets in because of the open "de-misting" front windows than through a leak in the car's nether regions.
I tried replacing the cabin filter (it turned out that there wasn't one fitted, so that knackered my theory of a restricted air flow) and I stuffed myself into the footwell to check that all the heating, venting and air-directing controls were working (they all operate perfectly). So now I'm sure it's just regular condensation.. in fact, the more people in the car, the worse it is. There's a direct link to my sweaty, heavy breathing rugby-player mates and the amount of condo' I get.
My conclusion is that the "home brew" glass cleaner is a bit ginger and it's probably become hydrophylic. I have no idea how (in chemistry terms) but being in possession of a £10 Halfords gift voucher (Happy Birthday to me..
On the other hand.. anyone think of any other thing it can possibly be? As above, the car's ventilation system seems perfect and there's no dampness or smell etc. anywhere to be seen.
TIA.
Ralf S.