Wearing a Mask: How to Keep Your Glasses From Fogging Up

Wearing glasses has always had its downsides. From their fragility to their tendency to slip off or get misplaced, glasses can be quite a hassle.
In our new, socially-distanced world, though, masks have added a new layer of difficulty. If your glasses keep fogging up when wearing a mask, check out the following tips.

Understanding The Fog

The first thing you need to tackle the fog is to know your enemy. Your glasses fog up as a result of warm air hitting a cool surface. It’s the same effect as when your glasses get foggy when going from a cold place to a warm place.
This is condensation. When wearing a mask, your warm breath exits through the top, hitting your cold glasses. That’s what forms that pesky fog.

 

Fighting The Fog

Now that you know where the fog comes from, you can understand how to fight it.

Soapy Water

This trick is pretty old-school, but it might not be suitable for glasses with special coatings or treatments. It’s a fairly simple idea, too. All you need is soap and water.

Take a glass of water and add a dollop of soap. Mix thoroughly. Wash your glasses with the soapy water. Shake off the excess, and let the glasses air dry, or pat them down with a cloth. The soap leaves a film that protects against fogging.

Better Fits

Many cloth masks are mostly shapeless, leaving a broad gap between the top of the mask and your nose. This lets a lot of warm breath out and onto your glasses.

A mask that fits you better, such as one with a nasal bridge, can mold to your face more effectively. For DIY masks, adding a zip tie or thin wire to the top can help shape them to your face.

Try Tape

If aesthetics don’t particularly bother you, tape might just be your best friend. A bit of tape can secure your mask around the top of your nose, and even to your cheeks.

You can use medical tape or sports tape for painless removal. Avoid duct tape and the like, as they can be harmful for human skin over time. It won’t look amazing, but it will stay put throughout the day.