Drivers across the UK are being urged to put washing-up liquid in their cars before Thursday as more snow is forecast.
The Met Office has issued two separate weather warnings for snow and ice covering parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland on Monday and Tuesday, but weather maps show more snow is expected later this week for large parts of the UK. Met Office weather maps show snowfall over parts of Wales, the West Midlands and South East England late on Wednesday evening, with snow becoming more widespread in the early hours of Thursday in these areas, as well as parts of South West England. Weather maps show that snow will have cleared in these parts by Friday, but some snowfall may affect parts of northern Scotland, North East England and North West England in the early morning.
With more wintry weather on the way this week, drivers are being warned to expect some disruption on the roads and icy patches on some untreated surfaces. Met Office advice recommends allowing extra time for journeys and to keep essentials like an in-car phone charger, torches, de-icer and an ice scraper inside vehicles in case of delays.
The chilly conditions also mean drivers can expect to be battling with condensation in cars this week, as it forms when warm, moist air inside the car meets the cold surface of the glass, causing water vapour to condense and form droplets, and this tends to be more pronounced in bouts of very cold weather.
Condensation generally forms overnight when outside temperatures are lower, and the colder the outside temperature is, the more dramatic the temperature drop when warm air hits the glass, which leads to fogging. Condensation and fogging can take a while to clear, which can be very frustrating ahead of a morning commute, but there is a simple remedy you can use to tackle the problem – and all you need is a bit of washing up liquid.
According to experts, 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!