Toothpaste and masks

[Lorenzoid]

And as tridacna posted in another thread fairly recently, not all toothpastes are equally abrasive, which might explain why some people can't seem to get the toothpaste treatment to work as intended.

 

[Nikole]

I wouldn't use toothpaste, because if you use something with an abrasive formula it could scratch the lens. I've been on several group dives and the most popular thing I've seen yet as being used for defogger is no-tears baby shampoo mixed with water. I've tried the sprays, and the creams from the shop and I find that baby shampoo, or spit (don't wash it all out) works.

 

[Peter69_56]

I wouldn't use toothpaste, because if you use something with an abrasive formula it could scratch the lens. I've been on several group dives and the most popular thing I've seen yet as being used for defogger is no-tears baby shampoo mixed with water. I've tried the sprays, and the creams from the shop and I find that baby shampoo, or spit (don't wash it all out) works.

The idea with toothpaste is that its abrasive enough to remove the manufacture coating but not scratch the glass. I think in the abrasive pastes they use baking soda. But you only use it once on the initial clean after buying a mask. Once cleaned with it, its not necessary again usually. Then use spit, shampoo, dish washing liquid etc, just to reduce surface tension on the glass so it doesnt fog

 

[Neilwood]

I wouldn't use toothpaste, because if you use something with an abrasive formula it could scratch the lens. I've been on several group dives and the most popular thing I've seen yet as being used for defogger is no-tears baby shampoo mixed with water. I've tried the sprays, and the creams from the shop and I find that baby shampoo, or spit (don't wash it all out) works.

The abrasive in toothpaste is small enough that it doesn't cause an issue with lenses - if it was that abrasive do you think we would want it on our teeth?

Once the initial layer is off though, spit works. Not tried baby shampoo but so long as spit works I have no reason to.

 

[Curt Bowen]

Here is the lost secret to defogging a mask.

1. Dry mask out completely (paper towel or clean shirt)
2. Spit in mask and rub it around into all corners
3. DONT GET IT WET until you get in the water
4. IF it gets wet before the dive, dry it out and repeat 1 and 2
5. Once your mask is on your head, DON'T take it off
6. Between dives repeat 1 to 5

This has worked for me for 30 years

 

[Searcaigh]

I have never flamed a mask, and don't intend to start now.

For years all I did was use my spit, always worked and never had any issues until maybe 8-9 years ago, and I started experiencing some fogging. A real PITA when you are a photographer and Murphy being Murphy always starting in front of my right eye, and when you use manual focus for macro that is really annoying.

So I tried toothpaste, never worked for me .... maybe the wrong brand, who knows.

I tried some commercial stuff made by ScubaPro, worked for around 30 mins then the fogging started again, so a couple of years went by where I would use spit and then semi flood my mask so I could rinse it every now and then when I was about to focus on a nudibranch or other small critter.

Then on a trip to the Philippines I accompanied one of my Filipina friends to buy a new mask while in Manila before we headed to Maricaban Island and I asked her if she had any special way of treating her new mask, her reply was baby shampoo and nothing else.

I tried it on my old mask and it was fine, fog free for 90 mins, amazing.

I was initially sceptical on it working on brand new masks and she did not appear to have any issues. Since then I have had a couple of new masks and it works every time from when you get the mask out of the box. I never travel without it.