New mask - so much fog!

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Ajax or Soft Scrub. Scrub with light pressure from your finger. Rinse it our thoroughly and then let it soak for an hour in fresh water.
Let it air dry fully then wait half a day and I'll guarantee there will be no bleach inside to hurt your eyes.

OR Colgate toothpaste. Lots of elbow grease from your finger or a toothbrush.
The problem with most toothpaste is they're not all that abrasive anymore because they often are a mixture of gel and actual abrasives (microbeads or minerals). You want good old fashion mineral abrasives IMO.

To test out if you're mask is clean, do a quick breath test. Make sure your lens isn't heated if you used hot rinse water (ie. rinse in cold water or if it's room temp you're set).

Breath on it for a quick second and see if the fog you've just created on your mask starts to fade readily. If it seems to stick for a long time you'll notice.
Most often you'll notice your edges stay fogged much longer than the center. Just means you didn't scrub your corners properly


If you're still fogging then you're probably a nose breather, and your new mask doesn't fit like your old mask which can cause problems.
 
Thanks RJP! I knew a couple of instructors who would take VIM to their masks after every few dives but dish soap sounds like a better idea to me.

Do also CLEAN the mask with diluted baby shampoo or dish detergent like Dawn before every few dives

A mask fogs when water vapor condenses on the lens; the presence of impurities/imperfections on the surface of the lens makes it FAR easier for that water vapor to condense because it gives the water molecules something to grab onto.
 
I use soft scrub "comet" for teflon pans.... Works really well...

Jim...
 
The chance of hurting my eyes has kept me from trying anything more than toothpaste but I've never thought about soaking it for that long afterward. Thanks! Funny how hard it is to find regular old toothpaste now.

Ajax or Soft Scrub. Scrub with light pressure from your finger. Rinse it our thoroughly and then let it soak for an hour in fresh water.
Let it air dry fully then wait half a day and I'll guarantee there will be no bleach inside to hurt your eyes.

OR Colgate toothpaste. Lots of elbow grease from your finger or a toothbrush.
The problem with most toothpaste is they're not all that abrasive anymore because they often are a mixture of gel and actual abrasives (microbeads or minerals). You want good old fashion mineral abrasives IMO.

To test out if you're mask is clean, do a quick breath test. Make sure your lens isn't heated if you used hot rinse water (ie. rinse in cold water or if it's room temp you're set).

Breath on it for a quick second and see if the fog you've just created on your mask starts to fade readily. If it seems to stick for a long time you'll notice.
Most often you'll notice your edges stay fogged much longer than the center. Just means you didn't scrub your corners properly


If you're still fogging then you're probably a nose breather, and your new mask doesn't fit like your old mask which can cause problems.


---------- Post added May 28th, 2015 at 11:06 AM ----------

That's not too harsh for a mask?

I use soft scrub "comet" for teflon pans.... Works really well...

Jim...
 
The chance of hurting my eyes has kept me from trying anything more than toothpaste but I've never thought about soaking it for that long afterward. Thanks! Funny how hard it is to find regular old toothpaste now.



---------- Post added May 28th, 2015 at 11:06 AM ----------

That's not too harsh for a mask?

No.... :wink: The more abrasive the cleaner, the softer you scrub... The less abrasive the clearer, The harder and longer you scrub... 20 yrs ago toothpaste worked great because it was more abrasive and the lubes they used when making glass left less residue... The coating left today on the glass is really stuck to the glass and does not come off as easy... Hope this is helpful to you...

Jim...
 
Very helpful! Thank you Jim! :D

No.... :wink: The more abrasive the cleaner, the softer you scrub... The less abrasive the clearer, The harder and longer you scrub... 20 yrs ago toothpaste worked great because it was more abrasive and the lubes they used when making glass left less residue... The coating left today on the glass is really stuck to the glass and does not come off as easy... Hope this is helpful to you...

Jim...
 
I use Sea Buff it doesn't take much I've had one small bottle of it for several years. I also use Sea Buff to just clean my mask once in awhile and I don't usually have fogging issues. I like to let my defog sit on my mask for a few minutes before I rinse it and that seems to help or at least it makes me feel better rubbing it on and then rinsing right off doesn't make sense to me.
 
As far as I can tell, Sea Buff is just toothpaste. Why pay $8-10 for a $1-2 dollar item.
 
I use it as well and keep it on for a few but it hasn't worked with the new mask

I use Sea Buff it doesn't take much I've had one small bottle of it for several years. I also use Sea Buff to just clean my mask once in awhile and I don't usually have fogging issues. I like to let my defog sit on my mask for a few minutes before I rinse it and that seems to help or at least it makes me feel better rubbing it on and then rinsing right off doesn't make sense to me.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/peregrine/

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