Hey Glasses, meet Face Mask, your new friend. Let’s see if we can all play nicely together shall we?
As lockdown life eases and the ‘New Normal’ comes into effect, glasses-wearing commuters around the world battle with their steamy specs and masks without much success.
Face coverings are now mandatory on public transport with the law to be enforced by transport operators and British Transport police “if necessary”. They will have the power to issue on the spot fines and refuse travel if someone isn’t wearing a mask.
But why do our glasses fog when we wear a face mask?
The simple answer: When hot and cold collide, condensation occurs. Or in the case of a face mask, warm breath occurs, and escapes from the top of the mask. These little blasts of hot air then steam up the lenses and makes seeing out of them pretty darn tricky. It’s not a new problem for us specs-sporters (opening the oven, anyone?), but it doesn’t get any less annoying.
Okay so what can we do about it?
There are a few different tactics to put in place which will hopefully prove a winning fog-free formula:
- You’ve perfecting washing your hands, it’s now time to wash your glasses.
Coat your glasses with warm soapy water, rinse and pat dry. Soapy water leaves behind an invisible, surfactant film that reduces misting on the lenses, meaning they now shouldn’t steam up when a face mask is worn.
- Witness the fitness
When a mask fits properly, most of your breath should go through it, not out the top or sides, To do this, make your mask fit as snugly as possible, without being uncomfortable. Many medical masks often have a bendable metal strip which can be moulded to the bridge of your nose to improve the fit. This technique can be replicated with homemade masks by sewing a pipe cleaner or twist tie into your mask in the same position. Also adjust your mask’s straps or ear loops until you feel your breath is going in the right direction.
- If at first you don’t succeed, tape it!
A little tip from the top. Doctors often use medical or athletic tape to keep fogging at bay. They run a tape seal across the nose and cheeks where the fabric meets the skin. Just make sure to test the tape first on a different part of your body to make sure it doesn’t irritate your skin.
- Use your glasses to your advantage
If the shape and style of your glasses lend themselves to it, use the weight of your glasses on top of the mask to block the flow of air. Result!
If you have any other top tips, we’d love to hear them and will get them added in to our list! We’re all in this together. In the meantime, we hope this helps. Stay safe and steam-free!
