So it turns out that wearing a mask is one of the best ways to protect yourself and others when you haven’t got a choice about social distancing and need to go out. That said, if you thought glasses fogging up in the winter was frustrating then welcome to foggy glasses from wearing a mask. Brutal.
Never fear though! There are solutions. Here are a few of our favourites.
Tried and true but a little sticky
One of the most effective ways is to tape the top of your mask to your face. Air simply cannot escape up to your glasses and so the fogging stops! Don’t use regular tape though. Surgical tape is your best option to avoid skin irritation. Still, while this works great it does require taping a mask to your face which maybe isn’t going to work for you.
Stuff it with kleenex
Sounds awkward and it is, but if you line the top of your mask with a little kleenex (or other disposable item) it also blocks air from blowing up and fogging your lenses. It’s not as effective as tape but it does the trick. Just make sure to replace it regularly. Any time a mask or anything touching it gets too wet it can start to harbour germs, which is the opposite of what we’re trying to do.
Use a commercially available anti-fog product
There are a lot of different antifog products out there. The one Dr. Ross has been using is called Cat Crap, which is a terrible name but it works great! We sell it in our office and in our online store so if you want to give it a try we can help you out!
Another great option is Foggies anti-fog towelettes which you can find on Amazon or, if you want, we can order some in for you! We don’t have them in stock at the moment but can easily order them in.
Terrible name. Great product.
Wear a medical mask and make sure it’s fitting well
A good quality medical mask that’s properly fit will help since it shouldn’t allow any air out other than through the filters that are built-in. This is a great option if you have access but as many of you have found, finding good quality medical masks right now is a huge challenge.
Slide your glasses down your nose
No one wants to look like an old school librarian but if you slide your glasses down your nose a bit it increases the space between your face and glasses and reduces the risk of fogging. Just don’t slide them so far down they fall off!
What we DON’T recommend
Soap, toothpaste, shaving cream and a myriad of other options have been roaming around the internet as people struggle to prevent fogging. While these options may work, there is a risk of damaging the coatings on the lens or even the lens itself! Use these techniques at your own risk.