What type of toothpaste to use on mask?

[ChickenFried]

I use soft scrub on my masks. It has the added bonus of making my masks smell lemony fresh afterwards.

 

[kat.hayes]

Only problem with the $ store stuff is that it is often fake/imitation stuff so I wouldn't want to put it in my mouth or trust it even on my mask!

Better to get the cheap stuff they import from China at the dollar store. You would not want to put it in your mouth but it's a great mild abrasive scrub for masks, baked on cheese in a lasagna dish, or stains on the counter. And at a buck a great deal.

---------- Post added July 10th, 2014 at 03:32 PM ----------

What is glass stove top cleaner? Do you mean one of these: Amazon.com: glass stove top cleaner

Skip the toothpaste. Glass stove top cleaner. Atomic masks for some reson are hard to get clean. Our Atomic rep suggested stove top cleaner, I now use it on all masks and keep some aboard our boat for our divers to use.

---------- Post added July 10th, 2014 at 03:34 PM ----------

I thought that you were supposed to use toothpaste for the initial cleaning to remove the film from the factory and from there on, mask cleaner was good?

If you parted with $100 or so for a quality mask as I did, why not add a couple of dollars for a tube of dedicated mask cleaner product? I realize the abrasive in it is the same as in toothpaste, but they sell the stuff at your local dive shop, and at least the one I bought for my Atomic mask seems to work just as well as I recall toothpaste working (minus the mask having minty-fresh breath). If I were cleaning a mask every day, I'd go for toothpaste as a more economical option, but this is my new favorite mask.

 

[Lorenzoid]

. . .
I thought that you were supposed to use toothpaste for the initial cleaning to remove the film from the factory and from there on, mask cleaner was good?

I don't think "supposed to" is the right term--toothpaste is simply interchangeable with, or an alternative to, commercial mask cleaners. People often recommend toothpaste for the initial cleaning to remove the film because it is less expensive than a tube of mask cleaner. Here's an example of a mask cleaner product: JAWS Scrub Mask and Slate Cleaner, 1 oz (30ml) at LeisurePro. This isn't the brand I have, but it's an example. So they charge $4.95 for one fluid ounce (30 ml) of a pasty fluid that probably contains the same ultra-fine abrasive material (is it diatomaceous earth?--something like that) as toothpaste.

Are you confusing mask cleaner with mask defogger? Once you have removed the film that remains from the manufacturing process, all you generally need to do to avoid fogging is to apply mask defogger (or spit) before every dive. In the same vein as toothpaste serving an an inexpensive substitute for commercial mask cleaner, a lot of people use Johnson's Baby Shampoo as an inexpensive substitute for a commercial defogger.

 

[jlovold]

Or, you could just use a lighter to burn the film away.

Just give it 2-3 seconds to avoid cracking the lens, and repeat a couple of times when the lens has distributed the heat evenly/cooled down.

Rinse the soot away, and you have a nice lens that does not fog.

Oh, and use the yellow Johnsons baby-shampoo as defogger, not the pink...

 

[lloyd_borrett]

DON'T USE TOOTHPASTE

During the manufacturing process, a thin film of silicone and mould release agents will develop on the glass lens of your new dive mask. This film will cause rapid fogging that is resistant to conventional anti-fog measures. It is important to remove this film from the lens prior to your first dive.

To remove the film you will need to scrub the mask lens and skirt inside and out with a powerful surfactant. Please do not use toothpaste as some can be too abrasive. There are commercial mask cleaning products, but any good baby shampoo will work well. The benefit of baby shampoo is that if you leave any when rinsing off, it won't cause major problems with your eyes.

Rub the cleanser into the lens and skirt with your fingers several times and then rinse clean thoroughly with warm (not hot) clean fresh water. We suggest you do this cleaning at least twice. I usually tell people three times in the hope they'll at least do it twice.

And if you're going to keep your mask in the plastic storage box it came in, clean the inside of the storage box and lid the same way.

For more, please see Dive Mask Care - Have a clear view on every dive - The Scuba Doctor

 

[cubbiegirlem]

Or, you could just use a lighter to burn the film away.

Just give it 2-3 seconds to avoid cracking the lens, and repeat a couple of times when the lens has distributed the heat evenly/cooled down.

Rinse the soot away, and you have a nice lens that does not fog.

Oh, and use the yellow Johnsons baby-shampoo as defogger, not the pink...

The lighter works better than anything. I didn't believe it until I saw it. I will do that the next time I buy a mask.

But I've still found that baby shampoo does not do as well as gel defog. Standard defog is no better than baby shampoo but I have experienced fogging with both. With gel defog I've never had an issue.

 

[chillyinCanada]

With what mother nature gave me to use as defogger, I can probably count on two hands, the number of times in 20 years my mask has given me fogging problem.

 

[SeaHorse81]

With what mother nature gave me to use as defogger, I can probably count on two hands, the number of times in 20 years my mask has given me fogging problem.

Sadly, Mother Nature did not equip us all equally effectively. It actually works way better for some people than for others (like me).