A Question About Goggle Sting

My well-sealed goggles burn my eyes (not the chlorine). Any ideas why and/or how to fix?

My trustworthy clear goggles that have served me well since September have started to split at the gasket, given me fair warning that I should be looking for a new pair. Given that, this AM I wore the pair I use outdoors which have a blue sun-glasses like tint to them. They are a good pair given they fit snug and have no leaks, but today when I wore them (first time all indoor season), my eyes began burning (and still are) as if I were soaking them in a chlorine bath. I had no such problem with the older clear goggles, and I recall having the same trouble with these blue goggles last summer, though at the time I blamed the pool chemicals. Perhaps I misplaced the source of the problem? Now I'm fairly convinced that the problem lies with the goggles.

Question: Has anyone else had burning associated with their goggles? Important, mine aren't leaking yet apparently make my eyes burn!

How to Clean your Goggles

I get goggle glop, do you? Goggle glop is my term for the cake-like buildup that forms on the outside of goggles around the frame. If you take your fingernail, you can dig it off. If the goggles are wet, you can scrub it off with a firm finger (note, neither is my solution ... keep reading).

I imagine the glop is a buildup of sweat and other body crud (any other theories?). It's very odd, since I don't wear the goggles outside of the pool, aside from a quick trot to the showers. One would think any body excretions would simply wash away in the pool. But no, it cakes up.

My solution is to place the gloppy goggles in a bowl, filled with dishwashing detergent in water (lots of suds), and place the bowl outside in the sun (or a warm, sunny window). The glop, rinses off given a few hours in the solution. Sometimes you must rub it just a little. The sun is to keep the solution warm so there is more energy to break down the glop bonds. A warm lamp near the solution, might do as well (I do not suggest boiling your goggles or anything of that sort).

This works for me, what works for you?

Note: I still haven't figured out how to deal with discoloration (nice clear rubber turning into greenish/yellowish rubber over time - perhaps I need to keep the goggles outside in the light, rather than inside my bag all day).

Swim Goggles Defying Gravity? Here's Why - I think

Do swim goggles change swimming dynamics? I really wouldn't have thought so, but I recently switched from one brand of goggles to another and with it, the goggle size bumped up a size or two. Now when I try to tuck in my chin and "swim downhill" as I once heard a coach tell his team, my head seems to want to stay near the surface (in freestyle). I'm wondering if the new goggles, with their larger lenses, is trapping a larger pocket of air against my forehead and forcing my head up toward the surface. Whatever the case, something is definitely is making me feel like I must work harder to keep my head down. Any thoughts?