Caring for Tricky Anti-Fog Glasses

If you wear glasses, you must have noticed that your lenses mist up when you enter a warmerroom after coming from a cooler area. That's because the difference in temperature causesmoisture to condense on the lenses. Unless you wear factory anti-fog glasses or polycarbonate lenses, then this is an issue you'll have to deal with.

Those who wear glasses complain about having foggy lenses, especially behind a face mask. Health workers and skiers experience that more frequently. That happens because the warm, moist air you exhale is forced up to your glasses where the moisture condenses.

Anti-fogging Cleaning Solutions

One of the most straightforward tips you can use to prevent fogging of your lenses is by cleaning the lenses before wearing them or putting on a mask. Remember not to wipe them; simply shake off the excess water and let them air-dry. You can find an anti-fogging cleaning product with anti-fogging properties to maintain your lenses' clarity.

When using the product, itcoats the lenses in a thin, transparent surfactant layer that causes an even spread of the water molecule by reducing surface tension on the glasses. Beware of alcohol - or silicone - based anti-fogging solution. These typically damage your lenses or leave a greasy surface that may be challenging to clean. If your lenses carry an anti-reflective coating, that caution matters even more — see what damages Crizal and ZEISS coatings.

Use Anti-Fog Spray

The use of anti-fog sprays is widespread among professional athletes such as swimmers. Aswith anti-fogging cleaners, sprays also prevent moisture from sticking on the lenses and cancome in handy for persons who are stuck with wearing glasses and face masks but can barelyfind time to clean their lenses. A water-based, alcohol-free option such as Z Clear Spritz does both jobs in one step.

Another anti-fogging hack is to prevent breath trapped in your face mask from reaching theglasses. You can do that by using folded tissue between your mouth and the mask. The tissue will absorb the moisture and warm air, preventing cloudy vision. Ensure that the top of the face mask is tight while the bottom is a bit looser to direct warm moisture away from the glasses. More fixes in our guide to how to stop glasses from fogging up.