How to Stop Glasses Fogging Up When Wearing a Mask

It is important to know why mask glasses fog up, because knowing the cause makes it easier to find effective methods to stop it. It is almost inevitable that eyeglasses and sunglasses fog up, since the air that we exhale with our breath causes that annoying mist on the lenses. Basically, it is due to the contrast in temperature between the particles and the air that comes out through our nose and mouth.

This happens especially in winter, when it is colder. Therefore, the difference in temperature with respect to the air we exhale intensifies. With each breath, we expel water vapor that condenses on the lenses, forming mist and fogging up our glasses.

Although this is a difficult natural process to control, don't worry. If you want to know how to avoid fogging up your goggles with a mask, there are some options that may be of use to you.

Before we start, if you find your glasses fogging up to be particularly annoying, there is one very effective solution: wear contact lenses. Your breath won't mist up on contact lenses, so you will be able to see clearly.

Rubbing a piece of dry soap on the inside and outside of both lenses is one of the most used tricks when it comes to preventing glasses from fogging up. It can be effective, but you must take certain precautions so that the lenses do not get scratched.

Even when solid, you should be able to spread the soap with some ease. Do it carefully, making sure that it does not have any especially hard edges or lumps that act as if it were a small stone. Rub the lens gently and, once spread, remove the soap with a clean cloth until it is completely removed. The purpose of this is to leave a thin layer of clear soap which prevents the glass from fogging up. However, it is difficult to do this without causing streaks.

Another simple trick to prevent your glasses from fogging is to wash them under the tap with warm water while applying a small amount of liquid soap, preferably of neutral pH. Dry carefully and you will have them ready for use. Do not use very hot water as it can damage your glasses be warping the lens or the frame.

Exhaling the air from our lungs every time we breathe is unavoidable. However, wearing a well-fitted mask will not only protect us better against COVID, but will also allow less mist to reach our glasses.

Choose the mask that best suits your features and adjust it to the maximum height. On the bridge of your nose, the mask should have a flexible metal strip that is specifically designed to facilitate the ideal fit. In this way, you will reduce the air that comes out of the upper part and ends up fogging up the glasses.

If you use homemade or cloth masks, they won't be as easy to secure tightly. For this reason, you may want to change the type of mask you use.

If your glasses continue to fog up even when your face mask is on tightly, you can try to reinforce the metal securing strip. You can do this by placing a piece of tape or even a band-aid over the strip to reinforce it. This will help to seal in the air coming up from the mask to your glasses.

For those who have decided this is still to fiddly, wear contact lenses where possible. Our article on how to stop contact lenses making your eyes red can help you to know more about safe use.

Maybe you don't like the idea of wearing a band-aid over your nose. Another solution to prevent your glasses from fogging up with a mask is to place a tissue under it that plugs the upper part of the mask from your exhalations.

Take a small piece of tissue paper and fold it into a triangle. Place it over your nose and put the mask on as your normally would. In this way, you will have an extra anti-fog barrier between the mask and glasses.

If you do not have a tissue or some tape on hand, a little trick that can help you when the glasses do not stop fogging up is to try to wear them just above the upper edge of the face mask. This can be tricky as you still want to be able to see and you don't want the mask to harm your eyes. However, with the glasses in front of the mask, they should bypass your breathing more.

Due to the natural oils secreted by the skin on our face, we should be cleaning our glasses everyday. To do this, we often use sprays or wipes which help to maintain the frames. However, an added bonus is that these cleaning products can help stop our glasses from fogging up. Choose a glass cleaner which remains active for at least 4 to 6 hours and see how it keeps the glasses mist at bay.

This is a very short-term solution, but it will help if you are in a pickle. Due to our breath being hotter than the cold lenses, breathing on them will help to warm them up. In doing so, it will prevent condensation developing on the lenses. We simply take the glasses off, breathe on them hard with hot breath and wipe them clean. This will stop them fogging up until they cool down again. You will have to repeat this method again to achieve the same result.

Another trick to prevent the glasses from fogging up with a mask is to ensure that the air can circulate more easily between the lenses and your own eyes. This can be achieved by using lighter weight glasses, such as those with a metal frame.

You can also use a model that includes supports in the bridge area area. Glasses of this type make it possible to increase the intake of air from outside, something that can counteract the fogging effect caused by the mist of your breath.

If you are thinking it might be time to mix up your accessories anyway check out our article on how often should you change your glasses.

If you do not plan to change glasses, simply moving them forward a little on your face can help stop them fogging up. This is because you create more space between the glasses and the air coming from under the face mask.

Reducing the arrival of air to the lenses of the glasses is possible with another little trick. If you use surgical-style face masks, try making a small inward fold on the top band before adjusting it to your face. The fold will act as a barrier that stops excess breath from reaching your glasses.

A last home remedy that you can try to avoid fogging up your mask glasses is to gently rub half a peeled potato on the inside and outside of your lenses. Once you have done this, dry the residue with a clean cloth. The starch in the liquid released by the potato can help prevent the crystals from fogging up.

If you want to find other ways to help stay safe from any germs, you want to do more than cover your face. You can also help keep your hands clean with our article on how to make your own alcohol antibacterial gel.

This article is merely informative, oneHOWTO does not have the authority to prescribe any medical treatments or create a diagnosis. We invite you to visit your doctor if you have any type of condition or pain.

If you want to read similar articles to How to Stop Glasses Fogging Up When Wearing a Mask, we recommend you visit our Diseases & secondary effects category.