When warm air makes contact with a cooler surface, condensation forms and creates a “fog”. These droplets of water on the surface of your glasses can make it extremely difficult to see during the wintertime.
This doesn’t just happen when you step outdoors into frigid temperatures – your glasses can also fog up when you go from a cold environment into a warm one.
Plus, you may notice how foggy your glasses get while you are wearing a face mask!
There’s no denying that foggy glasses are annoying and a hindrance to your everyday life. To keep your glasses from fogging up in cold weather, follow these tips:
1. Don’t Leave Your Glasses in Your Car
When you leave your glasses in your car during the wintertime, they become cold. Once you place them on your face, the warmth of your skin and breath will cause them to fog up.
Keep your glasses with you, either on your face or on your person, to prevent them from fogging up.
2. Try an Anti-Fog Spray or Anti-Fog Wipes
Anti-fog sprays and wipes are amazing products made with synthetic formulas that create a protective film on your glasses.
This helps not only prevent your glasses from fogging up but will also keep debris from sticking to your glasses.
These products are inexpensive and will help keep your glasses clean.
Just keep in mind that many anti-fog sprays and wipes may not work on your glasses if your lenses have a new anti-reflective coating.
3. Use Shaving Cream to Clean Your Glasses
If you don’t have any anti-fogging products on hand and seriously need to keep your glasses from fogging up in cold weather, try cleaning them with shaving cream!
Shaving cream is non-abrasive and will create a protective film on your lenses that will repel moisture.
Unlike regular soap, shaving cream will not affect the clarity of your glasses.
4. Clean Your Glasses With Soapy Water
You can also reduce fogginess by washing your glasses in soapy water, shaking off the excess, and letting them air dry.
The soap will create a thin film on the surface of your glasses to allow the water molecules created by condensation to spread out evenly.
5. Adjust Your Glasses Away From Your Face
When your glasses sit close to your face, you’re going to experience more fogging as your breath creates condensation. Air needs to circulate between your glasses and your skin to prevent this from happening.
Opt for frames that sit comfortably away from your face and tight enough so they don’t fall off.
You can also visit your optometrist to have your glasses adjusted so you can sit them further down on your nose.
How to Keep Your Glasses From Fogging Up While Wearing a Mask
Whether you’re braving cold weather or not, wearing a face mask with your glasses will cause them to fog up no matter the season!
To keep your vision clear while wearing a mask, here are some useful tips:
Use a Nose Clip
Look for masks with adjustable nose clips to ensure that it is fitting properly. Tighten the mask over the bridge of your nose by pinching the nose clip.
This will help keep your warm breath from escaping upward toward your glasses.
Tuck In Your Mask
When you’re wearing your mask, slide your glasses a little further down your nose to allow more airflow between the lenses and your mask. You can also try wearing your glasses over your mask to prevent fogging.
Bonus Tip: Consider Contact Lenses or Lasik Surgery
If wearing glasses in cold weather is driving you crazy, you can always consider switching to contact lenses or getting Lasik surgery to correct your vision.
Contact lenses are small plastic discs that rest on your cornea and can correct issues such as myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), astigmatism, and presbyopia.
Our optometrist will help you find the perfect contact lenses to meet your personal vision requirements. Contacts are comfortable and provide the same level of vision correction as glasses.
Alternatively, you can also explore the option of having Lasik surgery. Our clinic has teamed up with LASIK MD Vision to provide patients with affordable vision correction. This procedure can correct the same issues as contact lenses but without the future use of corrective lenses!
Stay Out of the Fog This Winter!
If you’re tired of having your glasses fogging up during the wintertime, follow the above tips for wearing glasses in cold weather!
However, if you are interested in exploring other options for your vision, please get in touch with The Eye Clinic for more information.
We can get you set up with a preliminary appointment to see which eye care options are best for you!
Give us a call at (780)761-0800 or contact us through our website.