diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index df62180..2da0084 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -5,4 +5,5 @@ go 1.14
 require (
 	github.com/fatih/color v1.7.0
 	github.com/mattn/go-colorable v0.1.2 // indirect
+	github.com/mattn/go-isatty v0.0.8
 )
diff --git a/spinner.go b/spinner.go
index 5ce6870..0b8fc5d 100644
--- a/spinner.go
+++ b/spinner.go
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ package spinner
 import (
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
+	"github.com/mattn/go-isatty"
 	"io"
 	"os"
 	"runtime"
@@ -264,8 +265,21 @@ func (s *Spinner) Active() bool {
 	return s.active
 }
 
+func isTerminal() bool {
+	if isatty.IsTerminal(os.Stdout.Fd()){
+		return true
+	} else if isatty.IsCygwinTerminal(os.Stdout.Fd()){
+		return true
+	}
+	return false
+}
+
 // Start will start the indicator.
 func (s *Spinner) Start() {
+	if !isTerminal() {
+		fmt.Printf("\n")
+		return
+	}
 	s.mu.Lock()
 	if s.active {
 		s.mu.Unlock()
@@ -273,11 +287,10 @@ func (s *Spinner) Start() {
 	}
 	if s.HideCursor && runtime.GOOS != "windows" {
 		// hides the cursor
-		fmt.Print("\033[?25l")
+		fmt.Fprint(s.Writer, "\033[?25l")
 	}
 	s.active = true
 	s.mu.Unlock()
-
 	go func() {
 		for {
 			for i := 0; i < len(s.chars); i++ {
@@ -299,14 +312,14 @@ func (s *Spinner) Start() {
 					var outColor string
 					if runtime.GOOS == "windows" {
 						if s.Writer == os.Stderr {
-							outColor = fmt.Sprintf("\r%s%s%s ", s.Prefix, s.chars[i], s.Suffix)
+							outColor = fmt.Sprintf("%s%s ", s.chars[i], s.Suffix)
 						} else {
-							outColor = fmt.Sprintf("\r%s%s%s ", s.Prefix, s.color(s.chars[i]), s.Suffix)
+							outColor = fmt.Sprintf("%s%s ", s.chars[i], s.Suffix)
 						}
 					} else {
-						outColor = fmt.Sprintf("\r%s%s%s ", s.Prefix, s.color(s.chars[i]), s.Suffix)
+						outColor = fmt.Sprintf("%s%s ", s.chars[i], s.Suffix)
 					}
-					outPlain := fmt.Sprintf("\r%s%s%s ", s.Prefix, s.chars[i], s.Suffix)
+					outPlain := fmt.Sprintf("%s%s ", s.chars[i], s.Suffix)
 					fmt.Fprint(s.Writer, outColor)
 					s.lastOutput = outPlain
 					delay := s.Delay
@@ -326,12 +339,13 @@ func (s *Spinner) Start() {
 // Stop stops the indicator.
 func (s *Spinner) Stop() {
 	s.mu.Lock()
+	defer fmt.Print("\n")
 	defer s.mu.Unlock()
 	if s.active {
 		s.active = false
 		if s.HideCursor && runtime.GOOS != "windows" {
 			// makes the cursor visible
-			fmt.Print("\033[?25h")
+			fmt.Fprint(s.Writer, "\033[?25h")
 		}
 		s.erase()
 		if s.FinalMSG != "" {
@@ -393,16 +407,9 @@ func (s *Spinner) UpdateCharSet(cs []string) {
 // Caller must already hold s.lock.
 func (s *Spinner) erase() {
 	n := utf8.RuneCountInString(s.lastOutput)
-	if runtime.GOOS == "windows" {
-		clearString := "\r" + strings.Repeat(" ", n) + "\r"
-		fmt.Fprint(s.Writer, clearString)
-		s.lastOutput = ""
-		return
-	}
 	for _, c := range []string{"\b", "\127", "\b", "\033[K"} { // "\033[K" for macOS Terminal
 		fmt.Fprint(s.Writer, strings.Repeat(c, n))
 	}
-	fmt.Fprintf(s.Writer, "\r\033[K") // erases to end of line
 	s.lastOutput = ""
 }