Baby Shampoo vs Mask Defog

[johndiver999]

Lately, we have mixed up a very dilute mix of maybe 5% baby shampoo in a small spray bottle, We spray on the mix, do NOT rinse, just shake off the extra and put the mask on an jump in. The initial application leaves the lens a tiny bit obstructed, but within 20 seconds of wearing the mask, the mixture sheets off or falls to the bottom of the mask and disappears.

This allows you to skip the process of dipping the mask into a community bucket or overboard, which is normally required when you apply a full strength defog or shampoo.

We are meticulous about having the inside glass clean before a day of diving scrubbing with Dawn detergent and rinsing completely the night before if the mask has not been used in a week or more.

 

[formernuke]

Search function could reveal a lot here. This could just possibly be a new contender for most discussed topic after Covid in 2020.

Yup, 3 threads started in the last couple weeks by my count.

It works well diluted or straight from the bottle. Actually, any shampoo will work. Baby shampoo does not cause eye irritation. Pricewise, it is a lot cheaper than defog.

Agreed. It may be this year's most discussed topic, followed by the perennial favorite "what do you wear under your wetsuit" at which point scubaboard contributors become fashionistas.

Speedo when not diving dry.

 

[vjb.knife1]

I put about 10% baby shampoo w/ water in a small spray bottle and it works just as well as anything else. It is what we use at work and everyone likes it.

 

[Dan]

Use full strength of baby shampoo. Apply it on mask lens a few minute before dive. No rinsing. Clear the flooded mask after entry to flush the excess layer of baby shampoo. Don't exhale through nose while diving & keep the inside mask dry. I'll have no fogging for the entire dive. Done it this way for 15 years of diving (900 dives).

Exhaling through nose (i.e., steaming up lens) and draining leaky mask are recipe for fogging. The thin film of the shampoo will slowly wash away when you have such habit or poor facial seal of the mask.

 

[DiveClimbRide]

I've never needed any antifog. Just used spit and rinsed it off just before descending.

 

[Kimela]

This past week I watched as a dive guide used a toothbrush to scrub his mask prior to the dive. I asked what he was using and he said 'powdered laundry detergent'! He also said Sea Drops or anything similar will work well, and volunteered to scrub my mask using Sea Drops. It worked SO well!!! After he scrubbed and rinsed it, he had me put it on and blow through my nose to see if it fogged - nothing - NO fogging - and it stayed clear through the dive. We have no shortage of used toothbrushes in our house, and all brands of defog floating around. I'll be adding a toothbrush to my dive bag for defogging my mask from now on. Oh, and he scrubbed the inside AND the outside.

 

[Catito]

Does the former work as well as the latter? Or is it just an urban legend / myth?

I only used baby shampoo. Works great.

 

[Streydog]

This past week I watched as a dive guide used a toothbrush to scrub his mask prior to the dive. I asked what he was using and he said 'powdered laundry detergent'! He also said Sea Drops or anything similar will work well, and volunteered to scrub my mask using Sea Drops. It worked SO well!!! After he scrubbed and rinsed it, he had me put it on and blow through my nose to see if it fogged - nothing - NO fogging - and it stayed clear through the dive. We have no shortage of used toothbrushes in our house, and all brands of defog floating around. I'll be adding a toothbrush to my dive bag for defogging my mask from now on. Oh, and he scrubbed the inside AND the outside.

Does it have to be a used toothbrush? There are people in some states where finding a used one might be a problem.

 

[Ghost95]

I always thought it was silly to apply defog to the outside of the mask lense. I'm guessing it's just a way to sell more defog. It's really impossible for the outside of the lense to fog under water. If the mask fogs on the surface just use a finger to wipe it off.

Can anyone give a real reason to apply defog to the outside of a mask? I may be missing something.

 

[scrane]

I always thought it was silly to apply defog to the outside of the mask lense. I'm guessing it's just a way to sell more defog. It's really impossible for the outside of the lense to good under water. If the mask found on the surface just use a finger to wipe it off.

Can anyone give a real reason to apply defog to the outside of a mask? I may be missing something.

I give the outside a couple of swipes with my thumb for luck.