# How do you de-fog a shower mirror? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 29, 2003, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-de-fog-a-shower-mirror/215811 "2003-11-29T00:12:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![glenathon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@glenathon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glenathon)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2003, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-de-fog-a-shower-mirror/215811/1 "2003-11-29T00:12:09Z")
With all of these expensive ‘Anti-fog’ mirrors available at ridiculous prices, I’m hesitant to purchase one. There’s gotta be some type of grease or chemical you can apply to your shower mirror to prevent fogging… …any ideas? ---
**Author:** ![BuckleberryFerry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5f9b8f/32.png) [@BuckleberryFerry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BuckleberryFerry)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2003, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-de-fog-a-shower-mirror/215811/2 "2003-11-29T00:14:46Z")
Spray it with Lysol. Works for me. ---
**Author:** ![3.885AM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/58956e/32.png) [@3.885AM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3.885AM)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2003, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-de-fog-a-shower-mirror/215811/3 "2003-11-29T00:17:30Z")
Hair dryer, 20 secconds, good to go. ---
**Author:** ![glenathon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@glenathon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glenathon)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2003, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-de-fog-a-shower-mirror/215811/4 "2003-11-29T00:21:46Z")
Hmmm…hair dryer in the shower. Might work, but the side-effects get me a bit nervous. 😉 Thanks \Buckleberry\, I’ll give that a shot. Do you spray it on and wipe it off, then shower, or just keep applying here and there? ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2003, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-de-fog-a-shower-mirror/215811/5 "2003-11-29T00:25:18Z")
The reason the AF mirrors are more expensive is that effectively preventing condensation is not a trivial matter. You either have to heat the glass via running warm water behind it or get some exotic, double paned and sealed gas insulated mirror. [Here is a (not cheap) anti fog treatment -](http://store.yahoo.com/lowestdollar1/pc4211.html) The cheapest thing to do is go to the dollar store and get a cheap, flat, plastic framed mirror and glue it at your head height with silicone glue. Rub and wipe off a coating of gel toothpaste every few days and the mirror will stay relatively fog free for a few days. ---
**Author:** ![glenathon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@glenathon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glenathon)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2003, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-de-fog-a-shower-mirror/215811/6 "2003-11-29T00:30:36Z")
That’s exactly the kind of remedy I was looking for. Thanks astro! ---
**Author:** ![BuckleberryFerry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5f9b8f/32.png) [@BuckleberryFerry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BuckleberryFerry)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2003, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-de-fog-a-shower-mirror/215811/7 "2003-11-29T00:33:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by glenathon \* > \*\*Hmmm…hair dryer in the shower. Might work, but the side-effects get me a bit nervous. 😉 > > Thanks \Buckleberry\, I’ll give that a shot. Do you spray it on and wipe it off, then shower, or just keep applying here and there? \*\* I give it a light mist, then shower; no wiping off, but I’m not spraying it so that it runs. ---
**Author:** ![Carcosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@Carcosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carcosa)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2003, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-de-fog-a-shower-mirror/215811/8 "2003-11-29T03:10:13Z")
I never tried this, but I had a friend who swore by it. He “treated” his bathroom mirror every week with shaving cream to keep it from fogging. Like I said, I never tried it myself, but it will only cost you a dollar to find out – worth a try. ---
**Author:** ![Cillasi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@Cillasi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cillasi)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2003, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-de-fog-a-shower-mirror/215811/9 "2003-11-29T03:17:41Z")
Wash the mirror with a soapy cloth. Works for eyeglasses too! ---
**Author:** ![PhilAlex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/839c29/32.png) [@PhilAlex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhilAlex)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2003, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-de-fog-a-shower-mirror/215811/10 "2003-11-29T03:18:45Z")
A lot of the “anti fog” treatments are like the shaving cream/baby oil ideas out there. The problem is, a lot of them look kind of goopy or make the reflection look weird. My solution: I bought something called a SHOWER BLADE. Its like a windshield wiper. One wipe, done. And, doesn’t leave any residue. Comes in a white and blue thing, so it doesn’t have that “mechanical look” of a wiper blade. -P