Getting water on the outside of the windows is very easy to clean. If a rainstorm leaf drops of water on the window, you can rely on the sun to dry it off. However, if water gets on the inside of your window, it can be very confusing as to why it’s happening. Plus, how do you get it off?
Well, water forms on the inside of your glass when the glass is colder than the air around it. The glass cools down below the dew point, and it gets fogged up. Sure, you can wipe it off, but isn’t that just putting a band-aid on the problem?
Here are some safe and effective ways to not only remove moisture on the inside of windows but also to make sure your windows never fog up again!
Removing Moisture from The Air
Every single instance of condensation forming inside windows happens because the glass is colder than outside air. This also happens when there are high levels of humidity in the air. If this happens, then the water in the air sticks to that surface and forms a thin sheet of water.
While it might not seem like it, the windows are often the coldest spots in your home. Try touching a window on a hot day, and most of the time it doesn’t feel like the outside temperature. This is what causes the condensation on windows.
Buy A Dehumidifier
The purpose of a dehumidifier is to take moisture out of the air. If you purchase one and place it near the windows, then it will prevent those water droplets from sticking to the surface of the glass. No droplets and no condensation.
Additionally, if you have humidifiers in your home, turn them off on colder days to prevent the buildup of air. If you have to have them on, do your best to keep them away from the windows and don’t have them on longer than you need them on.
If you can’t invest in a dehumidifier, then there are a few other ways you can remove moisture from the air without trouble. They might require some tough lifestyle changes though, so be prepared for that.
Look At Your Plants
House plants often add to the moisture in the air by evaporation. Water ends up on the leaves of the plants whenever the plant takes in water from the soil. Then that water evaporates and goes into the air. That moist air makes it to your windows and causes indoor condensation on the windows.
There are also a few plants that reduce humidity by doing the process in reverse. They absorb water from their leaves and move it down towards their stems and roots, and these plants are so efficient at the process they act as natural dehumidifiers.
So you can buy Peace Lilies, Boston Ferns, or Tillandsias to absorb excess moisture from the inside of your windows. Plus, all these plants look rather nice as well, so they’ll be functional and decorative!
If you don’t have any plants that absorb excess water, then you can either move your normal houseplants away from the windows or put them outside where you won’t mind the excess air. The positioning of the plants is very important, and you’ll want to keep them away from other humid areas.
If you are the type of person that loves having plants, then you might have to choose between plants and cleaner windows!
Move The Air Around
If you are taking a shower and end up walking out into a cloud of hot steam that covers your bathroom mirror, then all that hot air will end up coating your windows once it escapes the bathroom.
To prevent excess humidity, you can either take colder showers to reduce the water in the air or try to move the air around. Turning on your bathroom fan, as well as other fans in adjoining rooms, can help dissipate some of the humid air away. Then that air doesn’t end up on your windows.
A cold shower might seem like a death sentence for some people, but cold doesn’t mean freezing. Even a lukewarm shower can rescue the humidity in the air.
Other Ways to Dry Out Your Air
There are a few other household changes you can make to make sure your home is kept free from humid air. While you won’t be able to eliminate it entirely, you can make sure it’s as low as possible.
Dry your clothes in a dryer or outdoors: If you air dry wet clothes in your house, all that water goes into the air.
Keep the ventilation going. Open doors, use your AC, and focus on areas like the kitchen and bathroom that are very humid.
Use your Fans: Make sure to turn on fans for a few hours every day to move the air around. Circulation is the key to a humidity-free home.
Having proper ventilation is also a key to removing moisture from your home, so also make sure to clean the filters of your air conditioner and furnace too. If they aren’t doing their jobs, then you won’t just have watery windows to worry about, but also health problems.
A Bigger Problem
If you have done all these things and there is still humidity inside your home, then there might be a bigger problem at work. Rather than cooler air turning into water from inside the house, air can be coming in from outside through a falling window seal.
If the window panel seal is falling, then you’ll need to have your window repaired by a professional. Simple fixes won’t cut it, and they won’t remove enough of the cold air to make a real difference in your foggy windows.
This is especially true if only certain windows are getting covered in water, as it could indicate the presence of a draft in the house. Make sure to locate the source of the draft, and then try to get it sealed as quickly as possible.
Replacing Your Windows
Finally, if things can’t be fixed or repaired, then you might need to replace your windows with new ones. If you’ve tried everything and the condensation just won’t go away, then make sure to call a window company and focus on getting your windows replaced.
It’s an option if last resort, but sometimes it can be the only option. Make sure to go with a company that you trust and soon you’ll have condensation-free windows that will be water-free for a long while!
Focus On What You Find
As you search for the cause of the condensation on the windows, make sure to focus on the environment in your home.
You might have to focus on making some new habits like taking colder showers or remembering to turn your fan on before you shower. Instead of laying clothes out on the table, you might have to hang them up.
But once you find the cause of the condensation, simply remove it and watch your foggy windows vanish! Then you can have peace of mind that not only are your windows clean, but your home is well ventilated too. Who doesn’t love that?
Reach out for window glass repair services in Ottawa. Contact the experts at 613-519-1317. You can also drop an email to ottawa@windowmedics.com.
