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I wear corrective eyeglasses, and because of this, I frequently experience problems with fogging when I wear safety goggles. How can I prevent or reduce fogging?

The safety goggles I use are the standard-issue goggles supplied by the campus store, but I can use other goggles rated at least Z87+D3 ("+"=impact, "D3"=splash) if I want.

One method of reducing the fogging I have tried is wedging a folded paper towel under the top edge of the goggles. It works, but I don't feel comfortable with it because it compromises the splash protection of the goggles.

I have also tried placing desiccant packets (of the sort found in various packaging) in the goggles. This has helped somewhat but doesn't solve the problem completely.

One possible solution would be to get safety goggle with prescription corrective lenses built-in (making them Z87-2D3 instead of Z87D3), but I have not been able to find a supplier online for such eyewear.

What can I do to reduce or eliminate fogging?

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    $\begingroup$ I have no idea if this works on safety goggles, but with diving masks spitting on the inside of the mask, rubbing it over the clear area and washing off any excess with water is very effective at preventing fogging. $\endgroup$ – bon Aug 9 '15 at 17:35
  • $\begingroup$ FWIW - I do not wear corrective eyeglasses, and my goggles still fog. I recently bought an expensive (ca. 40 USD) pair of 'fog-resistant' safety goggles from a company that also makes skiing and snowboarding goggles. They take longer to fog up, but they still do. $\endgroup$ – Ben Norris Aug 9 '15 at 19:13
  • $\begingroup$ Why would eyeglasses affect whether goggles fog up? $\endgroup$ – David Richerby Aug 9 '15 at 22:31
  • $\begingroup$ @DavidRicherby Not sure, but putting my eyeglasses outside the goggles results in no fogging. Although for a general solution that won't work because it is not easy to balance them there. $\endgroup$ – AJMansfield Aug 9 '15 at 22:33
  • $\begingroup$ None of these options actually work. I've been a lab tech for over 10 years, and I've tried everything out there, and they simply do not work. I'm reduced to having my lab assistant pull my goggles out and wipe them for me every 2-3 minutes or so. AND FYI, please stop rubbing spit inside of your goggles, it's completely ineffective and could compromise any lab projects you are working on, not to mention you look like an ass doing so. $\endgroup$ – Danni Feb 15 '18 at 22:45
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Be careful with desiccant: silica may create tiny dust particles that could scratch the cornea, and hygroscopic salts may liquefy, possibly irritating.

A traditional anti-fog treatment is to rub the interior of the lens with bar soap (or a drop of mild detergent) and polish it. The soap decreases the surface tension of water, causing droplets to make a smoother, more transparent film. Wikipedia suggests some other anti-fog treatments.

There are also vented anti-fog goggles (the vents should have foam or other filter to make them splash resistant.

My personal choice for lab work or mechanical work is a full-face splash shield, which may offer more protection and does not fog.

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There are sprayable hydrophobic coatings available such as NeverWet, though you should check compatibility with the reagents you're using.

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NASA had this problem in the late 1960s, on the Moon. They developed a very effective solution. Sub-Aquatic Systems (SAS) licensed their formula and sold it to sport SCUBA divers. (I used it on my dive mask and on my motorcycle face shield.)

Since then, there have been MANY anti-fogging solutions formulated for diving. A former dive instructor of mine swore by no-tears baby shampoo. (You OBVIOUSLY want something that won't irritate your eyes.) I personally used Sea Drops (tm), when I dropped back into diving after being away for many years and learning that SAS was no longer in business.

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I used to have a brown wax crayon that I would rub onto my glasses and polish in order to prevent fogging. After a quick google search I couldn't find the same product (mind you, my experience was almost 20 years ago). I found something that might be similar, albeit with a interesting name, here.

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My experience on this is also at least 20 years old, but I used to have a small stick type anti-fogging material that worked well. It resembled a chapstick and was rubbed onto the surface. I don't remember the name, but some of the other answers sound similar.

A Google search for "anti fog for glasses" or for "anti fog for safety glasses" yields a LOT of hits, including sprays, home made methods, and anti fog glasses.

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