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Foggy glasses get in the way of everyday activities, work and leisure time. Humid weather and vigorous exercise are two common ways to produce eyeglass fog. Wearing a face mask can also cause steamy lenses.
Face masks are a necessity during cold and flu season, throughout a pandemic, and in various jobs. But wearing glasses with a face mask can interfere with your line of vision if the lenses fog up. Here’s how you can prevent the fogginess and what you should avoid to solve the problem.
Why Do Glasses Fog Up Anyway?
Humidity, hot air and other temperature or moisture changes can cause your lens material to form condensation. When you’re wearing a face mask, you breathe out a good amount of warm air. This warm air only has so many places to exit — and one of those places is in the gap formed between your mask, the bridge of your nose and the skin around it.
The warm air travels upward if it exits the mask this way, and if you wear eyeglasses, they’re in the direct path of the humidity. Then they fog up and disrupt your vision. Fortunately, there are ways to prevent this from happening.
8 Ways to Prevent Glasses from Fogging with a Mask
Here are some things you can do to avoid glasses fog when wearing a mask:
1. Adjust Your Glasses
It’s possible that your glasses are in the steam zone above your mask. Try wearing them farther down on your nose so that your frames sit over the cloth or paper material. This closes the gap between the warm air leaving your mask and your lenses.
Your glasses may have nose pads that can be adjusted to help with this. You can also get small grips that slide onto the stems of your glasses and hold them in place behind your ears. If all else fails, an optician can help you adjust your glasses to sit where you’d like them.
2. Adjust Your Mask
Sometimes all you need to do is pull your mask up higher and fit it comfortably to your face to beat the fog. When you put your mask on, make sure to pinch the top to fit to your nose bridge. Also be sure that your glasses are resting on top of the mask material.
Many masks have adjustable straps so you can keep them snugly in place.
3. Wash Your Glasses with Dish Soap
Warm, soapy water works well for cleaning your glasses and for preventing fog. Dish soap is a great formula for this method, because it leaves a film that is thin enough to see through but thick enough to repel the water molecules that form fog.
Avoid using products like shaving cream, toothpaste, baby shampoo or abrasive soaps to wash your glasses. These may not help with the condensation problem and, worse, they can also damage your lenses.
4. Seal Your Mask with Tape
Another trick is to seal your mask with skin-friendly adhesives. After washing and drying your face, place a piece of double-sided tape over the bridge of your nose. Then put your mask on over the sticky tape.
If you need reinforcement, you can place masking tape or athletic tape on top of your mask. Some people also use a band-aid to create a seal.
5. Use a Downward Breathing Technique
Changing your breathing is a subtle yet effective way to redirect warm air through the bottom of your mask so it doesn’t hit your glasses. (Yes, this may feel weird, but it’s very useful!)
To do the downward breathing technique, hold your upper lip over your bottom lip. When you exhale, blow the air out of your mouth in a downward motion so it goes out the bottom of your mask.
6. Try an Anti-Fogging Product
A fog spray for glasses can be quite handy when it comes to avoiding cloudy lenses. There are numerous products on the market that offer promising anti-fog results. Use the product as instructed on the label — some come in spray form while others are made as wipes.
Some products can be irritating for the skin and eyes, so ensure that your lenses are completely dry (and fume-free) before wearing your glasses again.
7. Opt for Anti-Fog Lenses
Eyeglass makers offer many different lens coatings, including scratch-resistant and anti-glare. You can also get anti-fog lenses to beat the haze at the source. It’s not an immediate fix, but it’s something to consider the next time you order a new pair of specs.
8. Wear Contacts
Of course, one way to prevent pesky eyeglass fog is to not wear eyeglasses at all. If you have contact lenses, consider wearing your contacts on days that you need to use a face mask. And if you don’t wear contacts, but are interested in doing so, be sure to speak with your eye doctor about it!
4 Trends to Avoid
In addition to all the things you can do to prevent foggy glasses, there are some popular trends that you should avoid:
1. Toothpaste
Some believe that toothpaste serves as a great “hack” for preventing fog. And while it may work as an anti-fogging solution, toothpaste often contains small granules that can scratch your lenses. (This is especially true for products that contain baking soda.) If your glasses are scratched, it will be difficult to see — with or without fog.
2. Saliva
We’ve all seen someone spit on a trophy or other once-shiny object to clean it up and give it a nice polish. But this does not work on glasses. In fact, it can make your lenses much dirtier, and it won’t make them any less foggy. Plus, you’re giving the potentially harmful bacteria in your mouth quick access to your eyes and face.
3. Hand Sanitizer
The alcohol in hand sanitizer is too abrasive for prescription glasses and can damage any coatings on your lenses. You might be able to use this method if you wear surgical goggles for work, but it’s best to keep hand sanitizer away from your everyday eyeglasses.
4. Vinegar
Vinegar is sometimes used to clean glass, but it is not meant for cleaning glasses (fun fact: most eyeglass lenses today are made of plastic). The acidity in vinegar can potentially destroy any special coatings on your lenses, it won’t prevent fog from forming.
Final Thoughts
Foggy eyeglasses are bothersome and may get in the way of important tasks. But finding the right method of fog prevention can make all the difference.
Remember to use gentle products and cleaning techniques when caring for your lenses. Stock up on well-fitting masks, adjust your frames when needed and avoid questionable anti-fog techniques. Doing so will help you see clearly and avoid that annoying steam.
