anti fog solutions for windows?

So whenever the temps go below around 50 degrees or so we wake up and spend about about a half hour wiping the condensation off the windows with towels and the hair dryer before we can get underway. Anyone know of an anti-fog product or solution that would help? Running the electric heat will only help after the drying routine is done.

I just use a couple 12V fans, but once the water has condensed into big droplets, short of wiping it off with towels there isnt much or anything I know of

You have to start early as its forming with heat or breeze....or kerping the humidity down in the cabin...more fresh air, vent cooking, etc....

I bought a 12 volt defroster at Advanced Auto. It works pretty good to clear a single window pane. Enough to get underway.

A dehumidifier works great for this purpose. We have a 30 pint unit. It easily picks up a gallon or more of water per day on the PNW cool drizzly days. Great for mold elimination too. We have a Fridgedaire. .

What is the source of your high humidity? Do you use a heater that adds H2O to the air while heating? Do you cook with propane in the evenings, when the inside air is warm? If so, you will need to stay with the wiping program.
With a dry cooking fuel, electric or diesel stove, or best, a Dickinson or Fab-All diesel heater, the whole place can be warm and dry. When it cools overnight, that dry air is still dry, so no condensation.

Humans have a bad habit of breathing. That puts a lot of moisture in the air. Add a shower or two, cooking, washing dishes etc... and you can put a lot of moisture in the air.

I have a couple of 12v fans in the PH that helps keep the windows clear. If I have the power, I run one or two EvaDry Peltier dehumidifiers which helps a lot.

By product of combustion is H2O, that is why jets leave a trail.

Add a woman in the shower, even some guys, and even an industrial dehumidifier isn't going to keep up on a 30 or 40 something boat in those temps.

Unless as captain you turn off the hot water...

I use anti fog gel on my diving mask although many claim baby shampoo is more effective. Not sure if it would work on window.

psneeld said:

Add a woman in the shower, even some guys,

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You do that, and I don't think foggy windows will be the issue...

Conrad said:

You do that, and I don't think foggy windows will be the issue...

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Glad I wasn’t the only one.

Joy dishwashing soap.

Take a drop or two on a dry, clean cloth and coat the inside of the window with it. Window must be dry and clean, too. Take another dry, clean towel and buff the heck out of it until it's clear. Voila. No more fog.

Used this trick in Alaska for many years.

Cheers,

Dave

woodscrew said:

So whenever the temps go below around 50 degrees or so we wake up and spend about about a half hour wiping the condensation off the windows with towels and the hair dryer before we can get underway. Anyone know of an anti-fog product or solution that would help? Running the electric heat will only help after the drying routine is done.

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2 minutes 7 windows problem fixed

Good suggestions all. Two people, one golden retriever aboard a 42' trawler. Currently have electric heat, which is fine when plugged in but I won't run the genset all night so falling temps in the boat may be part of the problem. Really nice cast iron diesel heater on order from Navigator stove works in Washington state. We ventilate when cooking or showering, but haven't been able to stop breathing. The problem is only in the morning when we awake. Colder night time temps being the main culprit. Will try the Joy method first, then the Karcher vac. Also will keep moving south along the ICW until the problem goes away. By the way the boat has always ventilated very well, with zero mold or mildew smell. Thanks for the input.

Forget to mention the cookstove /oven is an old Princess 110 volt electric unit. No combustion by-products adding to the problem.

I use the Karcher Window Vac for inside and outside window cleaning. No streaks, no puddles. Great for clearing fogged windows. There are now a few similar products to compare on Amazon.

woodscrew said:

So whenever the temps go below around 50 degrees or so we wake up and spend about about a half hour wiping the condensation off the windows with towels and the hair dryer before we can get underway. Anyone know of an anti-fog product or solution that would help? Running the electric heat will only help after the drying routine is done.

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Joy soap on paper towel, wipe the windows and then clean off with fresh paper towel. Stops it cold. Try it cheap fix.

The window treatments described may work but if you still have condensation on the windows, use a squeegee quickly followed by a dry paper towel.

You know, there is a big difference between glass having a light fog of condensation on it and having larger water drops that slide down the glass. No amount of miracle anti-fog solution will prevent the latter. It's simply a function of atmospheric humidity meeting a cold surface. There are two ways and two ways only to prevent this: lower the humidity inside or warm up the windows. This second method is not easily accomplished, though snapping insulated canvas covers over the windows from the outside can help.

Your new diesel stove is really going to eliminate almost all the concern with this. Cold air is dry air; cold air holds little humidity compared to warm air, which can hold a LOT of water vapor. Many boaters underestimate the large amount of water that they exhale during sleep. Remember the days of fogging up the car windows when out on a date?

When you turn off the heat and turn in for the night under your snuggly down comforter, the inside of the boat cools off and all that exhaled moisture condenses on the windows. Of course, it condenses in all sorts of places you can't see, too. Mold and mildew ensue.

But with the new stove you'll just turn it down to its lowest setting at night. With the inside air kept relatively warm (it doesn't have to be summery inside), it will hold a great deal of moisture. It will also warm up the glass a bit, which will further reduce condensation. HOWEVER...when it's quite cold outside, you'll still have condensation on the inside of the boat.

So the real trick will be to use science to your advantage. As you and the admiral sleep, exhaling pints of water vapor, you'll want to pull cold, dry air into the boat. Warm this dry air up and it will "absorb" all that moisture. Then push the warmed air outside...it will take all that moisture with it.

In my boats I've always had wonderful success with this simple method. Assuming that we sleep forward (your mileage may vary), we draw in cold air astern with a small boxer-style fan. This pressurizes the interior of the boat. The diesel stove on its lowest setting heats the air. The warmed air moves toward the open vents at the bow, taking up buckets-full of moisture before leaving the boat.

It's amazing how dry the inside of the boat can be with very little effort.

Cat Crap. I'm not even kidding. $10 a year and the windows only need a wet cloth wipe down to clean them. It doesn't take much of the stuff buffed on.


https://www.amazon.com/EK-USA-Crap-...1a8ff7ba5cdc70a10054bf72ac3f18&language=en_US

Here is an organic solution so to speak, a potato is supposed to keep a window from fogging.

https://www.wikihow.com/Keep-Car-Windows-Fog-Free-Using-a-Potato

Watched a YouTube video recently testing 5 different auto interior glass anti-fog products. RainX Anti-fog, shaving gel, Johnson's baby shampoo, a sliced potato, and hand sanitizer. What worked was the RainX Anti-fog and the shaving gel. Haven't tried it but I will.