Eyeglasses are fashion for some and a necessity for others. Either way, many of us have come to terms with eyeglasses being a part of our lives. Everything was fine, until masks happened.

Now you have to make sure there are two items on your face that work together and do not cause hindrances while you go about your daily routine. But we all know that does not quite happen right. Why? Because of fogginess. The frustration from wiping the eyeglasses over and over gets to your head, like it or not. It’s even more infuriating for those who wear prescription eyeglasses since they cannot just take them off and continue without them. 

Why do the eyeglasses fog?

When you exhale, you let out warm air. This air, being trapped by the mask, has only one way to leave- up. So it rises up and when it reaches the cool surface of eyeglasses, it condenses there. You might have experienced this even without masks when you entered a warm building, coming from a colder outer environment. That change makes your eyeglasses fog up the same way.

Now that we know why it happens, we should also know how to avoid it.

How to avoid foggy eyeglasses?

Here is a list of a few things that you can do to make sure that you don’t have to worry about foggy glasses ruining your day:

1. Proper fit for masks

First and foremost, make sure you have the right mask. Not everyone has the same standard face. Depending upon your face shape, the mask that fits right on it should be selected. This way you won’t have to fight the steam effect every now and then. With the right sized mask, you can place your eyeglasses over its top and firmly secure the top of the mask. This way the warm air you exhale will not be able to leave from the top and won’t reach your eyeglasses.

There are a few ways to help you out with the selection of the right mask. You can either get the ones that come with nose bridges or those that fit your face shape. If you decide to make one for yourself, you can use twist ties or sewing pipe cleaners to make the top of the mask. This way the mask will mold when sitting on your nose.

2. More air circulation room

Instead of how you wear your glasses usually – firmly sitting on your nose – try to push them a bit forward when you have to wear them with a mask. This way air has more room for circulation within the mask and it doesn’t fog up when you breathe. This allows you to have a fog free experience even with the mask on.

It is essential for your glasses to be of the perfect fit so that when you wear them a bit loosely, they don’t become another annoyance.

3. Soap and water

This idea originally circulated on the internet where people would use soapy water to clean their glasses and let it dry. It would be better to talk about the special coatings on your lenses, if you have any, with your optician before you put this method to test. Soapy water may cause damage to certain coatings.

The basic concept of this trick is that the soapy layer on your glasses acts like a barrier to fog and does not allow it to form. For this method to work, it is essential that after you shake of the excess soapy water, you don’t wipe it clean like you normally clean your glasses. The best option is to air dry or gently wipe with a soft cloth so that the soapy layer does not come off when wiping.

4. Taping it down

If you are more of the ‘anything’s fine’ person, you can just go with the simplest solution for it. Tape the top of the mask to your cheekbone and nose, and go by your day. You can use medical tape or sports tape for this but beware not to use anything like duct tape or any other tape that can affect your skin adversely.

5. Anti-fog lens coating

There are glasses available that come with permanent anti-fog coatings. If you can’t or don’t want to go through the above mentioned hassles every day, then the perfect solution for you would be to get special coatings. These coatings are not only helpful with masks but also in all other situations that can cause your eyeglasses to fog up. These situations can include getting into a warm car from the chilling weather outside, during sports like skiing, tennis, running, or any other activity that makes you hot and perspire.