How to stop glasses steaming up with a mask

Why do glasses fog up when wearing a face mask? Every time we breathe out, we add water vapour to the atmosphere. It’s in the air all around us. As long as it stays warm enough, water vapour remains a gas, but as soon as it cools down, it turns to liquid. This is known as condensation.

Just like the steam in your shower cubicle, foggy lenses are caused when the water vapour in the warm air hits a cool surface (your glasses) and turns to moisture. It usually happens when you go from a cold environment to a warmer one, but it can also happen if air gets trapped and warms up between your eyes and your glasses.

Top tips to stop your glasses from fogging up when wearing a mask So what’s the solution to this intensely irritating problem? If you’re looking for a way to avoid the inconvenience of being blinded by fog throughout the winter months, there are a few things you can try:

Use anti-fog products. These will coat your glasses with a special solution that is designed to make the build-up of moisture more manageable, allowing you to see even when water collects on the lenses. They can’t prevent condensation, but they can control how the liquid is distributed on the surface of your glasses so that it collects in a see-through film rather than a series of droplets. There’s a variety of anti-fog sprays and wipes for your glasses available on the market, or you can opt for specially made anti-fog lenses.

Make your glass lenses water-repellent. By applying a water-repellent spray, you can stop your glasses from fogging up by making them a hostile place for water to collect. Note that this solution works by repelling water, while the anti-fog treatments mentioned above are hydrophilic, which means they attract it. Don’t be tempted to try both at the same time, or they’ll simply cancel each other out!

Avoid sudden temperature changes. If you’re turning on the heating or moving from a cold area to a warm one, try to make the transition gradual. This will help you to avoid steamed-up glasses. Unfortunately, it’s not always a practical solution, especially when you’re in a hurry.

Make space on your face. Water vapour can collect in the space between your eyes and your glasses, so choosing glasses that fit further away from your face can mitigate the problem. Perhaps you can also try wearing your glasses slightly down on your nose, to create more space between your eyes and lenses. You can also avoid wrapping scarves around your face, as these can trap your breath and make the fogging on your glasses worse.

How to stop glasses steaming up with a mask

Mr Mark Wilkins

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