5 Most Annoying Things About Wearing Masks and How to Fix Them

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This post is by Bernie Carr

Wearing a mask is a requirement in all the places I frequent – the grocery store, bank, cleaners, restaurants – you name it. They have that sign on the door, pretty much saying no mask, no service. This post is not an opinion piece on whether you should or should not wear a mask. I know the great mask debate is not over by any means, but whether you agree with wearing one or not, they’re pretty much here to stay, at least while COVID-19 is around.

There are a few bothersome things about wearing a mask, so let’s take a look at ways to alleviate them.

They fog up your glasses

If you wear any type of glasses, whether it’s sunglasses or prescription glasses, wearing a mask will fog them up, especially when it’s humid outside. That’s because your warm breath coming out of the top end of your mask hits the cooler area of your lenses. Add humidity to the mix and you got foggy lenses! Very annoying.

How to fix

  • Make sure your mask fits your face well and tighten the wire around your nose.
  • Try an anti-fox spray for your glasses. We tested which one worked the best.
  • A reader suggested folding a piece of a paper towel and placing it inside the top of the mask. If your mask has an inner pocket for a filter, you can also insert the paper towel in there.

It’s hard to open plastic bags

Gone are the days when you can just moisten your fingers to open up plastic bags at the produce section or when you are self-bagging at the check-out. It can take several minutes to find a way to open those bags; in the meantime, socially distanced people are waiting to take your place near the bags.

How to fix

I found a few ways to open the bags:

  • Tear a piece off the corner of the bag. It will help you open the bag without completely tearing the whole thing.
  • Keep a small bottle of hand sanitizer in your pocket, moisten your fingers with hand sanitizer and open the bag.
  • After wiping your cart with disinfecting wipes at the entrance, save one of the wipes in your pocket and moisten your fingers.

You keep forgetting your mask

True story: While picking up some take-out food at a strip mall, I was noticing a couple of discarded masks strewn around the place. I witnessed this guy picking up a mask from the sidewalk and put it on his face! Gross! I imagine he forgot his mask and had to go somewhere where it was required. That’s an extreme move.

Even now, after several months of dealing with the pandemic and the “new normal” it is still easy to forget your mask.

How to fix

Store masks in several places so you are never without one:

  • The glove box in your car
  • Your purse
  • Pockets of jackets and jeans. Just remember to take them out before washing.

Masks keeps slipping down your face

Sometimes the mask will keep slipping down until it finally ends up as a chin strap instead of a mask. So you have to keep readjusting. But you are supposed to keep your hands away from your face.

The fix

Try your mask on before leaving the house while you still have clean hands. Make sure they fit your face well by adjusting the wire over your nose. You can also make the loops around your ears tighter by making a knot.

Bad breath

It’s easy to become paranoid about your breath while wearing a mask. Before, you never really had to think about your breath that much (except on some occasions) but wearing a mask is a constant reminder. Who wants to breath in their own coffee or garlic breath?

The fix

  • Chew gum or breath mints. Keep a pack of gum in your purse, pocket or glove box – everywhere you have a mask, keep a pack of gum or breath mints next to your mask. If you don’t like gum or mints, those Listerine Cool Breath Strips work very well.
  • Use mouthwash before leaving the house.
  • If the above solutions don’t help, there could be some underlying issues – see a dentist to get your teeth and gums check.

There you have it, the top annoying things about wearing masks – what bothers you the most and what are ways to get around them? Please share in the comments.


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About the author:

Bernie Carr is the founder of Apartment Prepper. She has written several books including the best-selling Prepper’s Pocket Guide, Jake and Miller’s Big Adventure, The Penny-Pinching Prepper and How to Prepare for Most Emergencies on a $50 a Month Budget. Her work appears in sites such as the Allstate Blog and Clark.com, as well as print magazines such as Backwoods Survival Guide and Prepper Survival Guide. She has been featured in national publications such as Fox Business and Popular Mechanics. Learn more about Bernie here.


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2 comments

  1. I use a neck gaiter. I put it on in the AM and take it off before bed. This way I always have a mask that I can just pull up and not be that “guy”.

    IMHO
    The whole mask thing has become about government control over the masses.

    You must have a mask, even if you are the only one out in the public.

    BUT, optional for riots and looters.

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