What to do if the Rex Specs window fogs up
In cold temperatures or very humid weather, the windows may fog up despite the good ventilation of the Rex Specs.
Why do glasses fog up anyway
Let's take a brief excursion into physics to understand how our tips for preventing fogging work. We're all certainly familiar with this problem. Whether exercising, hiking, going from cold outside to warm indoors, or even when it's raining, fog usually forms on the inside of your glasses within a very short time, and visibility is almost completely obscured. Sometimes, actual drops of water run down the lenses.
It is the temperature difference between the air behind the lens and the outside air that is largely responsible for this. Warm air can retain water better. When it then meets cool air and loses its temperature, the water stored in it is released. In the case of the Rex Specs, this means that the air behind the lens, warmed by your dog's body temperature, hits the cold lens and the stored water condenses on the inside of the lens. The goggles fog up and visibility is impaired. The excellent ventilation of the goggles prevents heat from building up behind the lens up to a certain point, but if either the outside temperature is too low or your dog's body temperature rises due to activity and movement, the difference between the air inside and outside is too great.
Of course, we can't change the air. But we can prevent the condensation from sticking to the window. This is essentially how most anti-fog products available at opticians or drugstores work. A thin film reduces surface tension, so the condensation droplets can no longer stick and flow off immediately.
Proven home remedy for fogged glasses
The simplest and probably cheapest way to apply a non-stick coating is with standard dishwashing liquid. You clean the pane, dry it with a soft, lint-free cloth, and apply a few drops of dishwashing liquid to the inside of the pane. Lightly dab with the cloth until no streaks remain, and you're done. The non-stick coating with dishwashing liquid is applied. Another advantage is that the Rex Specs panes can be installed and removed quickly and easily. This allows the pane to be cleaned daily if necessary.
There is also a purely biological option for a non-stick coating, but this is not to everyone's taste. Anyone who has ever seen divers "put" spit in their goggles before diving knows what I mean.
Tips to prevent fogging of Rex Specs dog glasses
Another option: Extrem Ice-World hack
There's another, more intrusive option. Rex Specs calls it the Extreme Ice World Hack. Rex Specs has used this trick a few times and noticed improvements. It can work well in cold weather and is also very effective in hot, humid, and wet environments. It not only allows for better ventilation, but also for better drainage of condensation on the inside of the windshield.
Rex Specs only recommends this option if anti-fog sprays or gels, or the dish soap method, have not been successful. However, Rex Specs still recommends using anti-fog spray or dish soap on the lens. Sometimes, increasing the airflow over the lens can eliminate fogging. Even if dogs don't sweat, the temperature difference between their warm body and the cold lens causes air to condense on the cold lens—just like a cold beer on a hot summer day!
To increase airflow over the lens, carefully remove a portion of the mesh from the side vents of the goggles. The photos below show where the material should be removed. It's important not to remove any of the mesh along the top of the goggles. Removing the mesh on the top will create shadows in the goggles, which can be distracting and frustrating for your dog.
1. Using a sharp blade, very carefully cut through the mesh fabric just below the small side strap. You can also start a little further down in several steps. Be careful not to damage the frame or the small bridges between the front and back of the frame. Carefully pull the mesh fabric downwards toward the nose piece and away from the frame.
2. Remove the mesh on the opposite side as described above.
3. Again, be careful not to remove the mesh along the top above the eyes. The mesh along the top is needed to prevent shadows and reflections inside the lens. This opening allows for more airflow over the inside of the lens, which prevents air from condensing as quickly.
This change cannot be undone and is not guaranteed to completely resolve the issue! Use this method only as a last resort.
Image above: Eska from blinde.lebensfreude
Pictures Extrem Ice Wolrd Hack: www.rexpecs.com
