This Surprisingly Obvious (yet Effective) Trick Prevents Your Kitchen Windows from Fogging Up in Winter

You’re cooking dinner on the stovetop, and you peer over to your kitchen window and realize it’s completely fogged up. Window fog — or, scientifically speaking, condensation — can be annoying to look at and deal with. If you don’t deal with it ASAP, accumulation of moisture in any area of your home can also pose potential harm to your space. Water can easily collect on the window and drop down to your sill or floor, causing water stains, mold, or even rotting down the road.

Before you nip this common winter problem in the bud, it’s important to understand why, exactly, it occurs. Condensation can happen anytime there’s excess moisture. It’s common in the colder months, when you’re probably running your furnace. When the warm air inside meets the cold windows, moisture can form. It can also happen when you’re cooking — again, warm air or even steam hits a colder surface, resulting in fog. 

It’s best to respond quickly when you notice foggy windows, wiping them down with a towel. That way, the moisture won’t have time to drip down the windows and wreak havoc below. But as with any potential household problem, prevention is much more efficient. 

There are a couple ways to prevent your kitchen windows from fogging up, from running a dehumidifier in your kitchen to cracking your windows when you cook. The cold air may help balance out the temp in your kitchen, preventing moisture from accumulating. Running your fan when you cook can also help prevent fog, as can sticking a layer of adhesive insulating film over your windows in the winter months (this may also help you save money on your utility bill by keeping your home warmer). 

You can also keep an inexpensive-but-effective secret weapon in your kitchen drawer: Anti-Fog spray (yes, the same kind you may have used on the inside of your car windows). A spray like Rain-X Interior Glass Anti-Fog works by attracting and then dispensing moisture, ultimately preventing fog before it has a chance to hit. All you have to do is spray a layer on the inside of your kitchen window, let it dry fully, then buff it with a microfiber or paper towel. 

One caveat: Reviewers on Amazon note that the product can leave streaks on windows if you don’t clean them first. So before you spray it, grab some of your favorite glass spray and wipe the windows down. (Doing this on a sunny day can help you see more clearly whether the window is actually clean.) Then, enjoy your fog-free windows!

Have you found a hack for beating kitchen window fog in winter that you swear by? Tell us about it below in the comments!