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How to Keep Your Glass and Headlights Clear in Dubai Fog

Published 15 October 2026 · 5 min read

How to keep your windscreen, wipers, mirrors and headlights clear in UAE fog season, from inside film to morning dew.

You step out on a misty Dubai morning and unlock the car. The windscreen is milky on the inside and beaded with dew on the outside. Clear glass in fog season comes down to three things: a clean inside windscreen, wipers and washer fluid that work well, and clear headlight lenses and mirrors. Gulf News, citing National Centre of Meteorology data, puts UAE fog season at roughly September to February, with fog most frequent in December, January and February. Autumn is a good time to get ready.

Why does my windscreen fog up on the inside?

Two things work together. Moisture from your breath and from humid air condenses on cool glass. It then clings to a thin, oily film on the inside of the windscreen that most people never notice in daylight.

That film mostly comes from the car itself. Dashboard plastics, vinyl and soft touch trims release small amounts of the oils and plasticisers used to make them, and they release more when they are hot. A Dubai summer bakes the dashboard day after day, so by autumn many windscreens carry a faint greasy haze. Here is a fact most drivers do not know: this effect is so well understood that car makers test interior materials for it in the lab. The procedure is called a fogging test. A sample of trim is heated, and the film that collects on a cool glass plate above it is measured. Smoke, vapour, air freshener residue and fingertips add to it.

The film gives moisture something to bead on, so the glass mists faster and clears more slowly. At night it also spreads the glare of oncoming headlights.

Cleaning it is simple:

• Wipe the dashboard first with a damp microfibre towel, so less dust settles back on the glass.
• Spray glass cleaner onto a folded microfibre towel, not onto the glass. This keeps it off the dashboard and screens.
• Wipe in straight, overlapping strokes, then buff with a second, dry towel.
• Keep these towels for glass only. Towels used elsewhere carry residue that smears.
• If your windows are tinted, choose an ammonia free glass cleaner.

The lower corners where the glass meets the dashboard are the hardest to reach. Using the back of your hand inside the towel helps. Once a month through fog season is usually enough.

Why does the glass mist on the outside on Dubai mornings?

This is the part that surprises people who move here. In many countries, fog means misting inside the car. In Dubai, it often forms outside. When the air conditioning has cooled the glass and you drive into warm, humid morning air, moisture condenses on the outer surface. Cars parked overnight in open parking also collect heavy dew.

There is a quick way to tell which side it is on. If one sweep of the wipers clears it, the mist is outside. If it stays, it is inside.

For mist inside the car:

• Select the windscreen setting with the air conditioning on, because the air conditioning dries the air.
• Use fresh air rather than recirculation, which keeps moist air trapped in the cabin.
• Switch on the rear demister. On many cars the same button warms the side mirrors too, so check your manual.

For mist outside, the wipers and washer fluid do the work. Giving the glass a minute to settle before you set off makes the drive more comfortable. Cars in basement or covered parking usually see far less dew, though the glass can still mist once you drive out into humid air.

Are my wipers ready for foggy mornings?

Many wipers barely move between May and September. Meanwhile the heat and sun harden the rubber. Fog season is often the first time in months the blades do real work, and that is when streaks, chattering and smeared bands appear.

Lift each blade and run a finger along the rubber edge. Cracks, a rounded edge or rubber coming away from the frame all mean it is time for new blades. A wipe of the edge with a damp microfibre towel removes grit and often improves a blade that is still in good shape.

Dust matters here too. Morning dew mixed with Dubai dust turns into a thin layer of mud. Wiping dry, dusty glass drags that grit across the windscreen and can leave fine marks over time. Before using the wipers on dusty glass, use plenty of washer fluid, or blow or rinse the loose dust off first. Avoid dry wiping.

Fill the washer bottle with proper screen wash mixed as the bottle directs, rather than plain water. Screen wash helps break down the oily road film that builds up on the glass, while water alone tends to smear it. While you are there, check that the jets hit the glass and not the roof.

How do I keep headlights and mirrors clear?

Fog scatters light, and dirty or cloudy lenses scatter it even more. Clear lenses put more of the beam onto the road.

Most modern headlight lenses are made of polycarbonate plastic with a protective coating from the factory. Years of strong UAE sun slowly wear that coating, and the plastic underneath turns yellow or hazy. That gives you two different problems:

• Surface dirt, dust and insects, which wash away.
• Weathered plastic, which does not.

To tell them apart, clean the lens and let it dry. Blow or rinse the loose dust off first, then wipe with a soft microfibre towel and car shampoo or glass cleaner. If the lens still looks hazy once dry, the plastic itself has weathered. Restoration kits and specialists remove the weathered top layer and seal the lens with a fresh protective coat. Avoid scouring pads and household abrasives, which leave the lens duller.

While the car is in the basement, check that every light works: headlights, fog lights, tail lights and brake lights. A wall in front of the car shows the front beams well.

Side mirrors need the same care as the windscreen. Clean them with your glass towel, inside the housing edges too. A water repellent glass treatment on the side windows and mirrors helps dew bead up and roll away, which is useful on damp mornings.

If you only do three things

• Clean the inside of the windscreen with a towel kept only for glass.
• Check your wiper blades and fill the washer bottle with proper screen wash.
• Wash your headlight lenses and look for haze that stays once they are dry.