Max Martin, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Nov. 30, 2020
It's winter’s cruellest COVID-19 twist for the bespectacled: endless fogging up of glasses. And the one-two punch of mask-wearing and cold weather is set to make the issue even worse.
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Optometrist Wes McCann of Central Optometry in London offers some solutions to the pesky problem.
Simple answer: your warm breath.
“When you have a mask on, your breath can only go out the side or straight up behind your glasses,” McCann said. "Hot, humid air on cold glasses causes it to fog."
It's even worse in the winter, when your glasses are extra chilly, leading to even more steam and fog.
The easiest solution is to seal down your mask around your nose or cheeks. McCann recommends using surgical tape or other bandage that won’t irritate the skin.
He said you can also opt for a mask that has a wire across the nose, so you can tighten the upper edge, meaning less air can escape. “You can mould it to your face a little bit more.”
While these options work well if you’re keeping your mask on all day, they aren’t the best if it’s coming off and on.
If you’re looking to kick the problem for good, McCann said you can invest in a pair of lenses with an anti-fog coating.
But if you’re not ready for a whole new pair of spectacles, you can purchase anti-fog sprays and wipes that do the trick.
“You wipe them in the morning, and they last for about 24 hours,” McCann says. “That’s a more inexpensive option.”
You should also make sure your glasses are fitted properly and get them adjusted so they sit better on your nose or can go on top of your mask.
Of course, you could also ditch the glasses altogether and switch to contact lenses.
Heard that cleaning your glasses with soap or shaving cream will do the trick? Think again.
“I would not put anything on your glasses that is not intended to go on them regularly,” McCann says. “That can eat away at the coatings, and your glasses are ruined.”
We’ve yet to hit the coldest days, but McCann says the issue of glasses fog will likely get worse as the temperatures fall.
“It’s going to be a real problem until this pandemic is done,” he said.
MaxMartin@postmedia.com
Twitter.com/MaxatLFPress
The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada
Max Martin, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, London Free Press
