Your paintball mask is essential piece of gear to keep you safe on the battlefield. Yet while most paintball players pay great attention to keeping their paintball markers in great shape, paintball masks are often forgotten about. But when you think about it, a mask that has not been well-cleaned and taken care of can be the difference of taking a great shot or finding yourself shot. Don’t ruin your day of paintball by not having taken care of your paintball mask.
Why Clean Your Paintball Mask?
In case you are questioning the need to take care of your paintball mask, we have the reasons you need to. To begin with, you only have two eyes and if you lose one, it is not going to grow back. Having a cracked or damaged mask can put your vision at risk permanently and is not worth the risk. Additionally, if your mask is scratched or grimy, you will have a harder time seeing clearly, especially if it is especially bright out, which will only show off the cloudy mask. Keeping your paintball mask clean will help your game.
Should You Get A New Mask?
Before you go through the trouble of deep cleaning your mask, you might need to evaluate whether it is time to replace it. If you have had it longer than a year, it is time to replace your paintball mask. Most players will replace their masks in the spring before the heavy paintball playing season begins. Getting into the habit of changing it yearly can help keep you safe.
Not only do the masks lose integrity over time, but sometimes they do not last even a year. If you are in the habit of cleaning your mask every time you play, you can look out for any signs that it is no longer safe. Using a good light, check the edges of your mask to make sure there are not any small cracks or deep scratches along the tabs. If there are cracks, your mask will not hold up if you are hit at close range or directly in the face.
What Do You Need To Clean Your Mask?
If you are all set to clean your mask, you need to be sure that you have all of the things that you need and understand what you do not need. If you use the wrong product on your lens, you risk ruining it altogether. There are only three things that you need to clean it right.
- Water
- Microfiber cloth
- Paintball lens cleaner
It is important to remember that you should not try to use regular household cleaning products on the lens. Other cleaning products are too harsh and can strip away the protective coatings that are on your mask’s lens. You also should not try to use a regular towel or even a paper towel instead of a microfiber cloth because they are far too rough on the surface and will wind up scratching the lens, making it hard to see out of. Once your lens is scratched, there is no fix for it and you will have to get a new lens.
Cleaning Your Mask
After checking out the integrity of your mask and ensuring you have the right supplies, it is time to get cleaning.
- Clean the exterior of your mask: If you have mud, paint, or anything else on the exterior of your mask, wash it away using only water. Don’t use too much pressure or you should damage the lens. Warmer water will work better.
- Clean the outside of the lens: If you had to wash the outside of your mask, let it air dry for a couple of hours before cleaning the lens. You should clean the lens only with lens cleaner and a microfiber cloth. Apply the cleaner and use the cloth to wipe it off. Make sure the cloth is clean before wiping it on your lens so you don’t put any residue back onto the lens.
- Clean the interior of your mask: Since the outside of the mask is going to be the dirtiest part, you might not think about the inside. Normally there will be little paint on the inside of your mask. If there is paint, gently wipe it away.
- Clean the inside of the lens: Using a clean microfiber cloth and lens cleaner, clean off the inside of the lens. This part should be easy because it will not be as soiled as the exterior was.
- Check the lens: Even though you looked at the lens before starting this process, now that there is no grime or residue on it you should check it again for any cracks or scratches that might have been hiding.
Remember; your paintball mask is an essential piece of safety gear for any paintball game. Take good care of your mask so it can take good care of you.