Households urged to put washing up liquid in cars from October

Households across the UK are being urged to put washing up liquid inside their cars from October to help prevent condensation.

Now that the autumn season is in full swing and the colder, wet weather is starting to set in, it means drivers will start to notice condensation forming on car windows, especially early in the morning. Condensation starts to become a problem in both cars and your home from around October once temperatures begin to drop. This is due to warm air inside your car meeting the cold surface of the windows, which then forms droplets of water as it cools and this can appear as fog or mist.

Condensation generally forms overnight when outside temperatures are lower, meaning you have to spend time faffing about in the morning trying to clear it. But according to experts, this problem can be avoided with the help of some washing up liquid.

Rubbing a thin layer of washing up liquid onto dry windows inside your car is a cheap and effective way to help prevent condensation forming as the liquid contains surfactants which reduces the surface tension of the glass, making it harder for warm, moist air to condense into water droplets.

Instead of forming a layer of water, the washing up liquid essentially creates a barrier that prevents water droplets clinging to the glass and causes moisture to remain in the air, or be more easily wiped away.

Experts at Home Things explain: "By taking a small drop of washing up liquid and rubbing it into the condensation-prone window with a dry cloth you can completely stop the issue all together.

"The washing up liquid forms a barrier on the surface of the windows, preventing the water from sticking. So in the space of just a few minutes, you can put a stop to the damp, mould, and mildew that wet windows can cause."

You can pick up a bottle of washing up liquid at Tesco for just 63p so it's a really cheap and easy way to tackle this common seasonal problem, but you will need to reapply it regularly as it's not a permanent fix.

Experts say it is best used in combination with other settings in your car, including using your air conditioning and your heater, as well as opening windows to promote air flow and using dehumidifying products like packets of silica gel to absorb excess moisture from the air.

Explaining how to use washing up liquid in your car, experts at Mick's Garage said: "Take one wet dish cloth, squeeze a good blob of washing up liquid onto it, apply in a circular motion to the whole inside of the screen, then take another clean, dry cloth and gently wipe off.

"The idea is to try and leave some of the washing up liquid on the screen while still getting a dry streak free finish. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by the results! Apparently shaving foam also works just as well.

"The technique above will greatly reduce the amount of condensation on the inside of your screen but it won't eliminate it altogether, you're still going to need to use the car's demister, but what are the ideal combination of settings you should use? Well let us tell you!

• Heat on full
• Air con on
• Recirculating air off
• Open windows slightly."