Includes tips on preventing your glasses from fogging
We wear masks when we go out in public and when we are around people to minimize the risk of contracting the virus or passing it on to our family, our friends, the community. However, for deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing people like us, wearing masks can make communication difficult, especially when facial expressions and/or lipreading play a critical part in everyday communication for us.
[Clip of Kayla smiling behind her transparent mask.]
This is where transparent masks come in. These masks have a clear square window over the area where the mouth is visible, to help with communication. However, these transparent masks can be annoying sometimes when they fog up, making it difficult to see the mouth, or worse, they fog up your glasses if you are a glasses wearer. Shields can fog up too.
Part of the responsibility of wearing masks and/or face shields is taking care of them and cleaning them after wearing them. Doing so will prolong their life of use and keep yourself and others safe. Here are some tips to help clean and keep your transparent masks or shields from fogging up.
How to Clean and Maintain Your Transparent Masks or Shields
[Clip of Kayla removing her transparent mask and cleaning it.]
Take your mask off first. It can be challenging to clean them while you are wearing it!
Carefully wipe the inside of the mask, followed by the outside of the mask or face shield using a clean soft cloth saturated with neutral detergent solution such as dish soap.
Then, carefully wipe the outside of the transparent mask or face shield using a wipe or clean cloth saturated with disinfectant solution.
Wipe the outside of your transparent mask or face shield with clean water or alcohol to remove leftover residue.
Let it fully dry (leave it out to air dry or use clean absorbent towels such as microfiber cloths).
How to Prevent Your Transparent Mask from Fogging
[Clip of Kayla rubbing dish soap on her transparent mask and wiping it.]
It can be annoying when your transparent mask fogs up, making you take them off and clean them again from time to time. There are some tips to help avoid that from happening.
You don’t have to look too far to find tools around your homes that might help reduce fogging of your masks.
Some recommend Blue Dawn dish soap as the soap to use when cleaning your transparent mask. Another option is using shaving cream and wiping off the excess. For some, using bar soap rubbed across the masks does the trick. Any type of bar soap would work. Some folks swear by using anti-fog spray, which can be found and purchased online. Dental offices use special products on dental mirrors to reduce fogging, which can also be found and purchased online to use on your transparent mask or shield.
If You Wear Glasses, How to Reduce Fogging of Glasses When Wearing Transparent Masks
[Clip of Charissa securely placing her glasses on the bridge of her nose on top of a snug mask.]
You’ve successfully kept your masks from fogging up. But wait - for those of us who wear glasses, how can we keep our glasses from fogging up too? Now what?
Make sure your mask fits snugly. If it is loose, air can escape from your mask, which can fog your glasses and is also less effective for preventing spread of COVID-19.
Washing your glasses with soap and water before you put them on can sometimes help prevent lenses from fogging up. Dry your glasses with microfiber absorbent towels to prevent scratching.
One handy trick is to pinch the top of the mask that goes over the nose. That helps create a temporary seal, and will reduce the chances of your glasses fogging up from your breath that escapes from your mask.
Remember the suggestion of using shaving foam on your masks? Some folks suggest using it on your glasses too - apply a thin layer to the inside of your glasses and gently wipe it off.
Try and see which one works for you. Got others? Share your secrets with us!
We hope these tips and tricks are helpful for you as you take care of your clear masks and rock them for everyone to see.
Disclaimer: MNCDHH does not endorse any specific brand of transparent masks nor do we guarantee the success of any of the suggestions in this video newsletter. We hope these tips and suggestions are helpful.
Credits
The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind & Hard of Hearing thanks:
The staff at the Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf for demonstrating the tips and suggestions in this video newsletter: Kayla Gonzalez and Charissa Johnson.
James Paul Beldon for ASL talent.
Patty McCutcheon for voiceover.
Keystone Interpreting Solutions for film production
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