Daft question, for people who wear glasses in the workshop..

[OscarG]

How do you stop your glasses steaming up when you're wearing dust masks etc?

I regularly have to make a choice between breathing and being able to see!

Just wondering how you guys deal with it.

 

[PAC1]

Use a good quality dust mask such as 3M 7500

 

[AJB Temple]

I use a powered filtration mask. I never found dust masks to be comfortable when they were sealed enough to stop my glasses misting.

This is the one I use: http://www.axminster.co.uk/axminster-ap ... tor-101809. There are more expensive ones with netter particle filtering, but as my workshop has very good dust filtration anyway, this is ample. I also use it to stave of asthma when mowing the lawn and hedge cutting!

 

[Solicitus]

I used to struggle when I used disposable masks. I always ended up just removing the mask but eventually after getting concnered re the health implications I bought a Trend Airace last year, and not had a problem since. I'm sure a powered mask would be even better, but the Trend is comfortable and relatively inexpensive.

Robert

 

[g7g7g7g7]

You get wipes and sprays to prevent your lenses fogging, they're primarily used by motorcyclists, I know a few airsoft/paintball guys that use it too.

 

[Beau]

I wear these that have a vent on the front that fires your exhalation down and away from your glasses

http://www.protectivemasksdirect.co.uk/ ... oC7SDw_wcB

 

[nev]

Mask needs to be sealed on your face below your specs.
Fog off is the anti fogging stuff for visors, you can also try wiping a little washing up liquid on and off the inside of your specs as this is the poor mans (or sensible man) substitute

 

[Alexam]

Another vote for the Airace dust mask. I had the same problem as you when I started to worry about dust and the problem of a good fit around the top of your nose when wearing glasses cased mine to always steam up. The Airace was recommended to me and I have never looked back. I have also improved the dust filtering in the workshop/garage, to filter as much as a possible, but there will always be some airborne dust. I have an asthma problem that can flare up if I don't wear the mask, so am extra careful. The mask can be worn for hours and is always comfortable.

Malcolm

 

[Jake]

Mine don't steam up with the 3M masks (as PAC1 mentioned), or JSP half-face ones from Screwfix (cba to look up model nos).

 

[MikeJhn]

Old trick I used to use when skiing was to wipe the inside of my goggles with a cut piece of potato, then wipe off to get rid of the smear, used to last all day, but in the workshop I use a Trend Airshield pro: https://www.trenddirectuk.com/air-pro-a ... 0wodSkEOhg the air flow in front of your face keeps my glass's clear and is quite refreshing, no claustrophobia effect and I find comfortable.

Mike

 

[AJB Temple]

I somewhat disagree with g7. In my experience - as a motorcyclist who rides pretty much every day in all weathers - the anti fogging sprays do not work very well and the effect has very limited duration. Visors are usually double glazed or pinlock now, but in very difficult conditions can still mist up along with your glasses. The woodworking environment is usually more sensible though. Washing up liquid, which some people use, is abrasive and also can create odd light artifacts in dazzling conditions - unlikely to be a problem in a workshop.

 

[Eric The Viking]

Washing up liquid also has glycerine in it to give "sparkle" to the dishes. This sticks to optical coatings and damages them.

Use cheap shampoo (as it has almost no additives bar common salt and a few minor others). It is excellent for cleaning glasses (wash with warm water and dry immediately with a clean cloth or toilet paper), and I use it on my tablet and mobile's screen too.

But honestly, in this weather, unless you can point your breath in another direction, even detergent probably won't do it. As a stopgap, try running your (cleaned) glasses under a hot tap then drying them just before using the mask. It'll work for a while - if warmer than the surroundings, no condensation. And it's cheap, but it's a fuss and you risk burning the bridge of your nose!