It is critical to be able to see well when playing paintball and we try to look after this area in an effective manner. Delicate thermal lenses are a must in cool weather and at night to minimize fogging. Again, please do not try to clean your mask yourself. Please do not touch the lense at all, especially the inner face. Just come to the central Kiosk and we will be happy to quickly clean and to anti-fog your mask as often as you wish!
Some players have more fogging problems than others. Don't over dress. Try to keep your mask tight against your face. Breath downwards if you can. If it is possible, try to keep moving and keep some air flow through your mask (in real life this may be difficult). Ask for anti-fog spray as often as you wish. The anti-fog spray lasts for a limited period of time but we gladly redo your mask whenever you want.Anti-fog spray lasts for a limited period of time but we gladly redo your mask as often as you likeAnti-fog spray lasts for a limited period of time but we gladly redo your mask as often as you like
When you come to the Dunes, we want to clean your mask. Please do not touch your mask lense if it fogs or gets dirty. Bring it to the Kiosk and we will clean it. Why?????
Whenever it is cool or in the evening and night, we use Thermal Lense Masks to minimize fogging. Thermals are soft and scratch easily. They require a water wash, soft cloth drying, and antifog spray, if they are to work well and last for any length of time.
Tiger Lily, in the top photo is wearing a new mask. In the lower photo she is wearing a new mask that was "cleaned" once by a player who did not follow our request. He got internal fogging and went at the lense with his glove finger. He didn't get a good result and thought that more of the same might help. In moments he microscratched the lense so badly that the scratches now fog the lense permanently. Result. He had to request a new mask and the lense went in the garbage.
Mask Hygene
At a good restaurant you don't worry about who ate off your plate before you did, because you assume the plate has been washed, sterilized and rinsed. A good paintball field should function in a similar manner.
The photos below are not totally accurate in that we clean masks in batches but the steps pictured show four of the steps that are taken. The batch method is more efficient and also more effective at assuring a clean and sterile mask.
1. Initial Hot Water Rinse
2. Enzyme Detergent and Anti-Bacterial Hot Water Wash
3. Hot Water Rinse
4. Quick Lense Dry
New Lense
New Lense after being "cleaned" by a player.
1. The masks are blasted off with high temperature water.
2. The masks are individually washed in high temperature water with an enzyme detergent plus an anti-bacterial agent added to the water. The elastic strap and the foam rubber areas (which contact your face around your eyes) are hand scrubbed. We regard this step as critical and it is always done on a mask by mask basis.
3. The masks are then extensively rinsed with high temperature water to get rid of cleaner residue.
4. The lenses are quickly dried to prevent water spotting.
During busy periods, the straps and eye rubber may not be fully dry prior to reuse of the mask, but the rental masks are never reused without going through steps 1 to 4.
Mask care & hygene Merrill Dunes
5. The masks are placed on a drying rack to air dry.
6. On cold days, an anti fog spray is put on the inner lense surface, and wiped, just before the mask is used.
