How do i clean a scuba mask?

[Darkeye]

I have a scuba mask that i only use every now and then. It's been sitting up in a closet for several months now and lens and the rest of the mask just looks dirty. Can you tell me what product will clean this without harming it?
My friend told me to use Toothpaste I dont want mess things up. can some one suggest me a product, or should I use toothpaste instead?

[James Goddard]

If it is a real SCUBA mask then the lens will be glass and toothpaste will work very well. It's best to use real toothpaste (ie something with some grit) and not a gel. Make sure that you rinse it real well and then rinse it several more times as you really don't want wintergreen fumes in your eyes when you're using it.

[simplelife]

New scuba diving masks fog up because of a fine coating on the inside of the mask (from the manufacturing process) which causes precipitation, i.e. the mask fogs up.
Old masks can fog up because they're either not clean or have fine scratches which can also cause precipitation.
As proposed by James, you could try the toothpaste method - but be careful. I destroyed an expensive new mask by being a bit to rough and creating fine scratches in the lens, which completely ruined the mask.
Option two which I now favor, is to take a lighter to the inside of the mask, gently heating the glass. This burns off any organic residue, leaving the surface of the glass completely clean (once rinsed with fresh water). Just be careful only gently warm the glass with the lighter - heating too strongly could cause the glass to shatter.
Finally, each time you dive, take along a small bottle of baby shampoo. Put a couple of drops into the mask and rinse it out prior to each dive, and your mask will remain completely clear throughout the dive.
Hope that helps!
Gary
Gap Year Thailand Scuba Intenships