Whether a player has a cheap paintball mask or the best brand out there, proper care of the mask is essential. Here's how.
A player’s mask is the most important piece of paintball equipment you have (Really! You can be on a field without a gun, but not without a mask). It’s a no-brainer, then, that players should take care of their masks. Fortunately, it’s pretty easy to do, once you know what to do.
Cleaning a Paintball Mask
It’s important to clean a paintball mask after every paintball game. The gunk – from paint, sweat, dirt, and more—that gets on masks after a game can ruin the thermal coating on a mask and hurt the integrity of the lens. Fortunately, cleaning a paintball mask is very simple-- just rinse with water. Here’s what to do:
NEVER use chemicals or solvent (including glass cleaner). Chemicals ruin the antithermal coating of the lens. They also help form microscopic cracks that can severely hurt a lens’ ability to stay in one piece when a paintball hits it. All that’s needed is water.
- Players should rinse their mask as soon as possible after the game is over. With time, paint and sweat react with the lens just like any other solvent.
- Players show make sure their hands are clean (Ie, don’t get any paintball oil or grease on the mask lens.)
- If possible, remove the lens from the rest of the mask. This is the best way to make sure the entire lens is well cleaned. If the lens can’t be removed from the mask frame, rinse out any paint trapped between the mask and the frame as best as possible.
- Wipe the lens down with a micro fiber cloth, like the ones for eye glasses and camera lens. DON’T use paper towels – they are too rough for the lens. The inner lens is particularly sensitive; just gently pat it dry.
- Don’t forget the rest of the mask. Rinse it under running water, then let it air dry.
- Any cracks on the lens, no matter how small, mean it's time to replace the mask lens.
Storing a Paintball Mask
- There’s a right way and many wrong ways to store a paintball mask. Here are a few quick tips.
- To avoid unnecessary lens cracks, keep the mask out of direct sunlight or hot places (like a car or the attic).
- Cover the mask up (with the bag it came with, cotton t-shirt, or padded goggle bag) to keep the mask clean and to make sure the lens doesn’t get scratched up.
- Don’t put anything heavy on top of the mask, or its shape will deform. (If stacking is necessary, put the mask inside a sturdy box first).
