Whether you're a seasoned pro, or just starting to dip your toe into the world of swimming, being able to actually see in the water is a number one priority. This guide will tell you all you need to know about how to care for your most important piece of kit - your swim goggles.
Our absolute golden rule - DO NOT touch your lenses
Unless you're actively trying to degrade your goggle visibility, do not touch the inside (or even the outside) lenses of your swimming goggles with anything. Here's why:
- Any dirt or natural oils from your fingers that gets transferred to your lenses will reduce vision clarity.
- Contact from fingers, fingernails, a rough cloth or even just general items in your swim bag can cause miniscule scratches on your lenses. Whilst this may not seem that serious, your eyes will focus on these instead of on the race. This is not only distracting but can even cause eye strain.
- Wiping the inside of your lenses with anything could damage the anti-fog coating and scratch the lenses, causing them to become foggy and blurry.
If you don't care for your goggles correctly, this will lead to poor visibility in the water, which can cause eye strain and fatigue - not what you want during or after a race or training session!
Why are my goggles fogging up?
Swimming goggles 'fog up' when condensation forms on the inside of the lenses. This condensation occurs due to water vapour from your skin or perspiration. Sundried's goggles are treated with an anti-fog coating, which helps to reduce the amount of water 'sticking' to the lenses. Instead, this silicon coating causes the water to slide off the lenses.
However, there's only so much condensation an anti-fog coating can prevent. This is for a number of reasons:
- The anti-fog coating can degrade over time
- The anti-fog coating may have been damaged if you have wiped the inside of your lenses
- You are simply creating too much moisture for the anti-fog coating to handle. This is quite common if you are exerting yourself or swimming for extended periods of time.
How can I minimise the effect of my goggles fogging up?
Naturally, even if you're only swimming recreationally, it's impossible to prevent yourself from creating perspiration and water vapour. However, there are a couple of things you can do to minimise the effect of it:
- Ensure that you put your goggles on whilst both you and the goggles are dry.
- Spit on the inside of your goggles (this can feel a bit gross, but it's something that a lot of swimmers swear by).
- Use an anti fog spray each time you swim.
Anti-fog sprays contain a hydrophobic solution which repels water from the goggle lens causing it to run off rather than form a mist/fog. After extended use, the anti-fog coating that is applied to Sundried's swimming goggles may start to degrade, so you may want to use an anti-fog spray before each swim. We find that spraying a thin film of anti-fog spray gently onto the inner lenses, and then carefully tilting the googles to distribute the spray before rinsing them under a tap works the best. It may be necessary to do this before each swim to get the best results.
How do I clean my swim goggles?
Swimming goggles are comprised of three main components: the lenses, the straps and the gasket seals. We've already told you never to touch the lenses, but you do still need to clean your goggles to prolong their life and prevent stagnant water damaging the straps and gaskets. Follow the tips below to clean your goggles without damaging the lenses.
Rinse
Gently rinse your goggles under cold, fresh water. This will help remove any pool chemicals like chlorine (or salt water/sand residue from open water swimming) that could damage your straps, gaskets, and lenses if left untreated. Remember to avoid touching the lenses! Once you've given them a good rinse, shake to remove excess water, and then leave them to air dry away from direct sunlight.
Straps
If you find your straps need some extra cleaning, you can dip your fingers in soapy water, and gently massage the straps. If possible, we recommend removing the straps if your goggles allow this. If not, ensure you keep the soapy water away from the lenses and gaskets. Once you've cleaned the straps, rinse them thoroughly with cold, fresh water, ensuring you direct this away from the lenses and gaskets to prevent excess soap damaging them. Again, shake to remove excess water and leave to air dry away from direct sunlight.
Deep cleaning
If your goggles are so dirty that basic rinsing won't help, you can try to remove dirt and other deposits using white wine vinegar:
- Fill a bowl or (clean) sink with hot tap water and add 5 tablespoons of white wine vinegar.
- Submerge your goggles in the water, making sure to avoid touching the lenses.
- Leave your goggles to soak for 2 hours before removing them from the solution and immediately rinsing them with cold fresh water.
- Gently shake your goggles to remove excess water and allow them to completely air dry before putting them away.
Our dos and don'ts for cleaning and storing your Sundried swimming goggles
Dos
- Do gently rinse your goggles after each use to prevent chlorine and salt water/debris damaging your goggles
- Do store your goggles in a separate pouch or case to prevent them getting damaged in your bag
- Do allow your googles to completely air dry before putting them away
Don'ts
- In case you haven't heard us say it before - don't touch your lenses with anything
- Don't expose your goggles to direct sunlight or extreme heat - this could warp or damage the gaskets and age the straps causing them to break prematurely
- Don't store wet goggles - this could cause mould or limescale build-up
- Don't just throw your goggles into your kit bag - they may get damaged or scratched
Treating your goggles with the correct care, and handling them gently and as little as possible will extend their life span and help you get the most out of your training.
No matter your level of experience, Sundried's Swim Collection has all the kit you need. From swim training aids, to swim hats, to trisuits and more, get race ready with Sundried Swim. Available in both men's and women's options.
