Tips for keeping your eyeglasses from fogging up while you wear a mask

If you wear glasses all day, you’re very familiar with a problem that cropped up during the pandemic: your glasses fogging over when you wear a mask.

When you exhale, your mask pushes that air up toward your glasses.

“That’s why I let it [the mask] slip down over my nose when I’m not supposed to because it does fog up,” said Robin Wiggins of Punta Gorda.

While her method works, it’s not recommended by doctors. So what can you do prevent your glasses from fogging up?

One easy solution is soap and water. After you wash the lenses and let them dry, the soap leaves an invisible film on your glasses that helps prevent the fog.

You can also buy cloths that have an antifogging solution ingrained in the fabric.

The most effective way? Make sure your mask fits properly.

“The best and cheapest way I’ve found is to have a tight seal on your mask because the less airflow that goes by your mask and up toward your eyes, then the less of that heat condensation you’re going to have,” said Dr. Richard Mauer with the Eye Centers of Florida in Fort Myers.

If your mask isn’t snug against your nose, you can always use your glasses to hold down the mask against your nose to create a seal at the top.