Sponsored by ZEISS

By Linda Conlin

The smudge on your glasses is driving you nuts, so you dig into your pocket or purse for that trusty lens cloth. There it is—crumpled and dirty with a breath mint stuck to it. There has to be a better way! How about a little packet with a single-use disposable wipe? Enter ZEISS Lens Wipes. They combine two active ingredients used for the gentle but effective removal of germs, fingerprints, dust, oil and smudges from optical surfaces. They’re easy, convenient, fragrance free, and the individual packets ensure that you’ll always clean your lenses with a fresh, clean wipe that is single use and then tossed in the trash along with germs.  

If there’s anything we’ve learned in recent months, it’s to have a greater awareness of what we touch and how often. Not only do high-touch surfaces harbor germs, but touching other surfaces afterward transfers the microbes to those surfaces as well as to ourselves. Some of the surfaces we touch the most are smartphones, smartwatches and tablets. In fact, recent research by a global tech care company found that Americans check their phones about once every 10 minutes. That’s a significant opportunity, not only to transfer germs but for annoying smudges and smears to accumulate. There’s a solution for cleaning devices too. ZEISS Pre-Moistened Smartphone wipes are specially designed to provide convenient, safe and effective cleaning for digital devices. The fast-drying pre-moistened alcohol-free wipes remove fingerprints and dirt from your smartphone, smartwatch or tablet. The individual packets provide streak-free, safe and gentle cleaning for a smartphone, tablet, LCD-display, laptop and similar devices.

Eyeglass lens fogging has always been an occasional problem, such as taking the top off a pot of boiling water and being hit in the face with steam. In our current environment, we are experiencing lens fogging more frequently because we are wearing masks to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Lenses fog when warm, humid air from our breath escapes through the top of the mask and comes in contact with the cooler surface of the lens, causing water vapor to condense into tiny droplets and form vision limiting fog. As our activity increases, so does the volume of warm, humid breath, which exacerbates the fogging. Water droplets on a lens have a high contact angle, meaning that the affinity between the droplet and the lens is low, and the water will tend to stay in droplets. The key to preventing fogging is to prevent the droplets from forming by lowering the wetting angle and having the water vapor instead become a thin, clear uniform layer that we can see through.

Anti-fog products aren’t new, but Achim Zehender, key account manager at ZEISS says, “Although coatings have existed for this purpose for some time now, the effect had to be activated by some additional means. Because we at ZEISS did not want to accept any compromises on the quality front, we have opted for a different approach.” The new ZEISS Fog Defender spray is an uncomplicated alternative to these coatings. The lens remains clear for up to 72 hours. Just a few squeezes of the spray suffice to protect the lens against fogging. “The ZEISS Fog Defender spray leaves a thin film on the lenses which ensures that the contact angle of the water droplet is 0 degree and that the lens therefore no longer fogs,” Zehender explains. The cleaning cloth ensures that the protective effect is applied quickly and gently. “To ensure an optimal foundation for the ZEISS Fog Defender spray, we recommend preliminary cleaning with ZEISS lens wipes—this makes sure the lenses are clean and optimally prepared for the subsequent treatment. ZEISS Fog Defender spray can be used on all optical surfaces, making it ideal for motorcycling, for example and for diving or ski goggles.”

As eyecare professionals, we offer our patients the best in lenses and coatings. Patients make the investment in better vision and by extension, a better quality of life. Scratches, smudges and fogging devalue their eyewear product. We can help our patients protect their investment by offering them convenient, effective cleaning and anti-fog products for their lenses. Tablets, smartphones and other digital devices are investments that we can also help our patients protect. You can introduce your patients to these lens care products by giving them a ZEISS Lens Wipe packet with their eyewear purchase. They will appreciate the little something extra, and once they try it, come back to you to purchase more. Win-win!

Learn more with the ZEISS sponsored CE, “Keep It Clean and Fog Free” available at 2020mag.com.