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Thread: I'm in a fog

  1. #1
    What's up? drk's Avatar
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    I'm in a fog

    Ok, I wear glasses a lot.

    I'm now wearing a mask during my exams.

    My glasses are a foggy mess.

    What can I do?

    I'm being serious when I say that there is an opportunity to help people (and maybe make a buck).

    How do we stop mask fog?

  2. #2
    OptiWizard
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    Do as the surgeon does wear a mask as well as using the shield it will not fog. You might also try anti fog solution.

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    Master OptiBoarder DanLiv's Avatar
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    Short term, yes try anti-fog solutions. I just ordered three different ones (everything they had in stock) from Hilco, I'll see how they perform.
    https://www.hilcovision.com/f/anti-fog-kits/5826
    https://www.hilcovision.com/f/optipl...ns-wipes/33423
    https://www.hilcovision.com/f/fog-buster-towelette/5811

    Long term get a set of lenses with Essilor's Optifog. Works very well, it's a more enduring effect, and easier to maintain.

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    Master OptiBoarder optical24/7's Avatar
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    A. Most decent masks have a wire strip you can pinch around your nose. Pinch it.

    B. Learn to be a mouth breather.

  5. #5
    What's up? drk's Avatar
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    Optical24/7: thanks a lot. I wondered what that flexible metal strip was. I thought it was a magnet to attach to my glasses. YOU PINCH IT, YOU HACK! AND YOU TEACH ME HOW TO BE A MOUTH BREATHER BECAUSE WE KNOW YOU ARE!

    DanLiv: I'm with you on that.

  6. #6
    Master OptiBoarder optical24/7's Avatar
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    Glad I could help doc! Just making sure you were wearing your mask the right way, not like the Lone Ranger...

  7. #7
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    Did they discontinue the fog prevented lenses?

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by drk View Post
    Ok, I wear glasses a lot.

    I'm now wearing a mask during my exams.

    My glasses are a foggy mess.
    If your breath fogs your glasses, then you have a leak in the mask seal. You need to adjust the mask until this stops happening.

  9. #9
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    Find an n95 mask that fits. If you watch a video on how to put mask on, they say it fits if no air leaks

  10. #10
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    Most people do not have access to N95 masks or sealed masks, Maybe they will in the future.

  11. #11
    Master OptiBoarder rbaker's Avatar
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    Imbed a hunk of thin solder along the top of the mask. At least that's what my wife and her mask sewing group did.

  12. #12
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    What about simethicone, left to dry on lenses? If you crack open a "softgel" of Gas-X, its basically just liquid simethicone. It's anti-gas properties are from it acting as a surfactant. Decreasing surface tension via a surfactant is basically how anti-fog works, right?

    Edit: Good sweet lord, do not try this. 1. It didn't work. The lens fogs just as much, it just clears 50% quicker. 2. I have tried most of the cleaners I have around my house, and absolutely nothing can clean this lens now. It is streaky and refractive to all attempts to remedy it.
    Last edited by Lelarep; 04-22-2020 at 10:25 PM.

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by optical24/7 View Post
    A. Most decent masks have a wire strip you can pinch around your nose. Pinch it.

    B. Learn to be a mouth breather.
    Trying to get a good seal once the mask is on is difficult. Before you put it on, bend the strip around your finger to reproduce the shape of your schnozz at the stop, not lower. Be sure to spread the wings enough to miss your cheeks, and let the ties pull them back.

  14. #14
    Master OptiBoarder DanLiv's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lelarep View Post
    Decreasing surface tension via a surfactant is basically how anti-fog works, right?

    I have tried most of the cleaners I have around my house, and absolutely nothing can clean this lens now. It is streaky and refractive to all attempts to remedy it.
    Yup it's the exact opposite of high contact angle hydro/oleophobic coatings, so it does smear the lens and make them very hard to clean. Even Crizal Optifog is very noticeably more difficult to clean than any regular Crizal. When I do Optifog I usually just do it with TD2 because the smearing on Alize becomes such a pain it practically defeats the purpose of AR.

  15. #15
    One eye sees, the other feels OptiBoard Silver Supporter
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    From yesterday's NYT

    Help! My Mask Fogs My Glasses


    Health workers have a few tricks for solving this vexing problem, but it will take trial and error to find the one that works for you.

    By Tara Parker-Pope
    April 21, 2020

    In many parts of the world, nearly two out of three people wear corrective eyewear. And lately, many of us have the same complaint: Wearing a mask makes our glasses fog.

    When we asked readers to send their questions about coronavirus, one of the most commonly asked questions was about how to solve the fogging problem. While the problem is new to us, it’s a daily challenge for health care workers. We asked them for suggestions on how to wear a mask while making sure we’re still able to see through our glasses.

    Why does my mask make my glasses fog?

    People who wear glasses already know that eyewear fogs when you walk out of a warm house into the cold outdoor air, or when you open an oven door. When we wear a mask, warm breath can escape through the top edges, along the tops of our cheeks. When the hot air lands on cooler lenses, it creates condensation on the surface and a foggy film. Cold weather makes the problem worse.

    So how do I stop the fog?

    You can start by improving the seal of the mask around the top of your face.
    Mold your mask. Medical masks have built-in, bendable metal strips that you can mold to the bridge of your nose. You can add pipe cleaners to the top of a homemade fabric mask to get the same effect.

    Tighten the mask. Adjust the ties or the ear loops so the mask fits snugly against your face. “If the air is going out the top, you don’t have your mask on correctly,” said Shan Soe-Lin, a lecturer at the Yale Jackson Institute for Global Affairs. “Most of the breath should be going through the mask. If you feel the air going in or out around the mask, tighten the ties.”

    Tape your mask. Another option is to use white athletic or medical tape or even an adhesive bandage to seal the top of the mask around the bridge of your nose. “This is something a lot of medical students learn early on when they’re using eye protection goggles,” said Dr. Andrew Janowski, instructor of pediatric infectious diseases at Washington University School of Medicine St. Louis Children’s Hospital.

    Don’t use nonporous household tapes like packing tape or duct tape, which could irritate skin. Taping is a lot of work for a short trip outside, but might be warranted if you’re caring for a sick person.

    Pull up your mask. An easier tip for day-to-day mask wear is to use the weight of your glasses to block the air. Pull the mask up over the bridge of the nose as high as you can (make sure it’s still under your chin too) and let your glasses rest on top of the mask. I tried this and it works pretty well for me, but it depends on the shape and style of your eyewear.

    Do home lens treatments work?

    If you can’t stop the fogging by tightening the seal of your mask, you can try anti-fog home remedies to coat your lenses.

    Try soapy water. A British surgeon published a paper in 2011 showing that washing your glasses with soapy water and letting them air dry can help. Soap acts as a surfactant — which stands for surface active agent — and the soapy water leaves behind a thin film that stops the water molecules from forming droplets that lead to fog.

    “As a person who wears glasses I found myself affected by this issue when operating,” said Dr. Sheraz Malik, senior clinical fellow at Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and the author of the report. He noted that operating rooms tend to be kept at low temperatures, making the “misting” problem a real issue for surgeons who wear spectacles.

    “I haven’t timed it, but the technique reliably works for more than a half-hour when operating,” Dr. Malik said. “Obviously if the face mask is tightly secured on the nose, there is less escape of the moisture toward the glasses and the technique works for longer.”

    Try other home remedies. Popular suggestions for treating lenses this way include baby shampoo, toothpaste and shaving cream. (Vinegar is often suggested, but most experts say it doesn’t work.) The main challenge of treating your lenses is adding enough of the substance to stop the fog, but not so much that the coating itself blurs the lens.

    Skip the swimmer’s remedy. Swimmers and scuba divers have a regular trick to keep glasses from fogging. They spit into their goggles or masks and rub it around. But given that we’re dealing with a respiratory virus and trying to stop the spread of germs, spitting on your glasses is not advised during a pandemic.

    What about commercial anti-fog products?

    You can buy commercial anti-fogging wipes and sprays, but it could get expensive. One brand, FogTech Dx, sells on Amazon for $30 for 20 wipes — or about $1.50 per wipe. One treatment is supposed to last for three to five days. The brand is used by food safety and health workers, firefighters and professional skiers and scuba divers who wear protective eye wear, often under extreme conditions.


    The wipe contains a combination of absorbent silicone compounds mixed with ethanol. The user wipes the underside of the glasses or goggles, and when the alcohol evaporates, it leaves behind a thin transparent layer that resists fogging. “Our bread and butter is the person who needs to see while protecting their eyes,” said Gene Menzies, founder of MotoSolutions in Fairfield, Calif., which makes FogTech.

    I’ve tried everything, and nothing works. What’s wrong?

    Now the bad news. Mr. Menzies notes that many eyeglasses are now treated with special protective coatings that resist glare and smudges. The problem is that the coatings also may resist anti-fog treatments, including home remedies like soapy water and commercial treatments like FogTech.

    Marjorie Lamb, a 71-year-old writer in Toronto, stepped out on her chilly balcony last week to test the various anti-fog methods on her glasses. She treated one lens and not the other to find the most effective treatment. She tried vinegar and varying combinations of hand and dish soaps, but nothing worked.

    Then she remembered her glasses had been treated with a special coating called Crizal, which promises protection against UV rays, glare, scratches, smudges, dust and water. The coating, unfortunately, also appeared to protect the lenses from Ms. Lamb’s anti-fogging efforts. “I was wondering if the coating made a difference,” she said.

    If nothing works, do I just have to live with foggy lenses when I wear a mask?

    As a last resort, you can try pushing your glasses forward on your nose to allow more air to circulate and stop the fog. The downside is that it could distort your vision. “This seemed to work best of all,” Ms. Lamb said. “The only caveat is that it threw off my perception slightly. It might be less disruptive with a lesser prescription.”

    Fogging also will be less of a problem as summer approaches and outdoor temperatures get closer to the temperature of your breath.

    https://www.nytimes.com/article/glasses-fog-wearing-mask-coronavirus.html

    Hope this helps,

    Robert Martellaro
    Science is a way of trying not to fool yourself. - Richard P. Feynman

    Experience is the hardest teacher. She gives the test before the lesson.



  16. #16
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    If you are using a digital or electronic device just pop the demo lenses out before taking the measurements

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    I have same problem due to gaps in top of mask, which is due to my generous nose.
    1. pinch metal form around nose
    2. use tape to seal top edge of mask to upper cheeks.

    Not ideal, but it works.

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    I've got a large factory going full-COVID-19 retardant tomorrow... I'm concurrently the consumer posting on Optiboard. The info listed here will help with a whole bunch of aches of the heart and head variety.

    Instant solution to present to company bureaucrats: To prevent fogging of protective eyewear, simply increase factory temps by 28.6 degrees F. to meet or exceed those temps expectorated by the worker.

    Love you guys and miss you all,
    TEdFitz

  19. #19
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    Update: Yesterday, high tech individually wrapped anti-fog lens wipes were placed conveniently throughout the joint. Problem solved...

    Today, the wipes were disappeared and two cans of grampa's ol' shaving cream took their place in the emptied container...The one with the red label, "classic", to those in the know, and then the green label, with aloe. Just the thing for the workers with sensitive skin...

  20. #20
    Rising Star
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    I saw somewhere that criss-crossing the straps on the mask helps so I tried it and it reduced the fogging about 80%.

  21. #21
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    A very low-tech hack to prevent fogging that I learned from an optical Facebook group: tissue. Take a Kleenex or about 4 squares of TP (if you're able to spare it) and fold it a couple of times before inserting it behind your mask. I put mine along the top of the nasal ridge and the tissue sits low enough to be over my mouth. This allows the tissue to absorb most of the warm air and has eliminated nearly all of the fogging of my glasses.

  22. #22
    OptiBoardaholic IIxIPariahIxII's Avatar
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    Best tip. Don't breathe. Hold your breath. lol In seriousness, we've got a ton of the fog wipes from Hilco and they work....for like ten minutes. Then back to fog city. It's just too much hot air being pushed up through the top of the mask. Best thing is to seal the top with tape after molding the mask. Stay safe!

  23. #23
    Master OptiBoarder
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    The masks you guys are wearing. do any of them have exhalation valves? Or you're using the disposable ones?

  24. #24
    OptiBoardaholic IIxIPariahIxII's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lelarep View Post
    The masks you guys are wearing. do any of them have exhalation valves? Or you're using the disposable ones?
    That's a great question. The recommendation is not to wear any of them with the exhalation valves unless it has the cover (Exposed vs non exposed). Some of us are getting some that have the valve since we're going to have to wear them full time now that the board is opening the state practices back up. We got custom made masks for our office, but some of us lack substantial noses lol and they're super layered. For our protection. Pun intended. I think we all need a chuckle here and there right now. We blew through our supply of disposable N95 masks.

  25. #25
    Master OptiBoarder DanLiv's Avatar
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    Do not wear a mask with a valve. It voids the primary purpose of the public mask recommendation and sets a poor example for customers. They are not used in professional healthcare.

    https://vitals.lifehacker.com/if-you...ess-1843182019

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