Anti-fog Glass Cleaner Overview
Anti-fog cleaners or agents are used to prevent the glass from getting foggy. It can be a mirror, windshield, prescription lenses, goggles, camera lens or any type of glass or plastic surface that people want to protect from the fog. It becomes quite inconvenient when water vapors condense on a transparent surface making it harder to see through it. Especially for people who wear prescript glasses all the time and become hard to see from them due to buildup of fog on their lenses.
The Anti-fog cleaner or agents help in the prevention of the buildup fog due to condensation of water droplets.There are many different types of Anti-fog agents which can be in spray or cream or gel form to apply on the surface.
Uses
- The Anti-fog cleaners are applied on surfaces which are used for optical applications like the prescription lenses.
- The Anti-fog cleaners are usually used in mirrors in bathrooms or on side view mirrors in bikes or cars and windshields especially in winter season.
- The use of Anti-fog cleaners is frequent among Pakistanis due to humidity in our climate as well as due to sudden changes in temperature when we go out from an area of air conditioning.
- Anti-fog cleaners are used by divers or for any under water activity which can be disturb by the buildup of fog or water droplets on the mask.
Ingredients or substances used as Anti-fog cleaners
Some of the substances used as Anti-fog cleaners commonly by most of the people are as following.
- To minimize surface tension surfactants are used in most of the fog cleaners.
- Coatings such as hydrophilic coatings are done in order to maximize surface energy. Titanium dioxide under the UV light becomes hydrophilic.
- Shampoo, soap or shaving cream are applied to the surface and are wiped off without rinsing.
- Gelatin and beeswax are examples of hydro gels and polymers which are also used as fog cleaning agents.
- Underwater divers mostly use saliva which an effective Anti-fog agent known commonly.
- After spitting and washing that surface, Scuba divers apply demister which is a substance that stops mist deposit on the mask.
Lasting period
Most of the Anti-fogging agents or cleaners that are applied to the surface are temporary and will last from 3 months to almost 1 year.
Anti-fog cleaners are not permanent and hence will be applied again after the effect of the last one is ending.