Clean Eyeglasses

Cleaning your glasses is easy. Here are a few methods to get those spectacles shining like new.

Steps

Rinsing in Soap and Water

  1. Rinse the lenses under warm running water.
  2. Wash them carefully with a mild soap (such as a dish soap) and warm water. If necessary, use a wet cotton or soft cloth to clean. Rub with your fingertips, using a circular motion.
    • Wash the entire frame, including the nose pads.
    • Do not use citric-based detergent or dish soap. This can damage the glasses.
  3. Wipe the soap off with a circular motion as you rinse the glasses under warm water. Rinse off with clear tap water; shake off any excess water.
  4. Dry the glasses gently with a Cotton Vest (Undergarment) or chamois or a soft cotton towel in straight motion. If they are truly clean, almost all the water will rinse off and you will only need to dry the frames.
    • The cloth must be lint-free.
  5. Brush any grime off the nose pads with a soft toothbrush, but be careful not to accidentally graze the lenses.

Dunking in Dish Soap

  1. Fill a sink with warm water and suds from a mild dish soap or similar.
  2. Dunk the glasses in the sudsy water. Swish them around.
  3. Rinse the glasses under the tap. Let the running tap water wash off the washing up liquid. Rotate the glasses so the water can get to both sides of the lenses with the same strength.
  4. Place a damp cloth over one of the lenses. Fold the cloth so that it's on both sides of the lens at once. Place your thumb over the half of the cloth that's on the inside part of the lens and your index and middle finger over the half on the outside. Move your fingers/thumb from left to right like you're asking somebody for money. Apply mild force to your fingers like you're clicking them in slow motion. Repeat with the other lens.
  5. Rinse the glasses again under the tap.
  6. Shake the glasses slightly to get excess water off. Before using the dry side of the cloth to dry. Make sure you dry the glasses with the cloth in a similar way to cleaning them with the damp side. Only this time move your fingers in an alternating circular motion instead of from side to side. Use another cotton bud to dry the bits that are hard to reach.
  7. Put your glasses back on after inspecting for any more stubborn spots or bits of washing up liquid left behind. If there is still something left behind, repeat the process

Using a cloth

  1. Obtain a cloth
    • If using a moist cloth, do NOT dry with a regular towel. Use a finer cloth, like a shirt to prevent scratching.
  2. Wipe the lenses

Tips

  • Try to avoid using rough material to dry your glasses because this could leave scratches.
  • Buy a case for your glasses to keep them clean, and ready for use.
  • Don't leave your glasses in a spot you know everyone is going to use, like a table. They might drop them or dirty them while you are sleeping.
  • Use a good quality cloth designed for lens cleaning.
  • Always remember to clean your glasses at night before bed.
  • Use caution and use both hands to take your glasses off and put them on.
  • It is good to dry glasses with microfiber cloth.
  • It could help to use the cloth that came with your glasses to dry them.
  • Don't use too much water pressure or you may ruin your glasses.
  • When handling your glasses, try not to touch the lenses so that you do not cause fingerprints. If your taking your glasses off for some reason, don't put your glasses down on the lens side. This could cause a scratch.
  • Try washing your glasses at least 2 times a week.

Warnings

  • Do not dry your glasses with a facial tissue, as it is a wood product and the wood fibers can damage your lenses.
  • Never polish the lenses or rub them hard with a dry cloth. It may damage the lenses.
  • Never use hand soap, hand wash, washing up liquid or any cleaners containing ammonia to clean your glasses if they have any kind of lens coating. These soaps are often greasy, requiring much more polishing and repeated cleaning to remove marks, and they also contain chemicals that can attack the lens coating of your glasses. The anti-reflective and/or U/V coatings that help give you clearer vision and/or protect your eyes from harmful radiation when looking at bright light will wear much faster. With repeated use this will give the surface of your glasses a permanent blotchy appearance that cannot be repaired. This applies to both plastic and glass lenses.
  • Never lay your glasses down on the surface of the lenses.
  • Be cautious about washing plastic glasses under very high temperatures. While hot temperatures will clean better, some plastics might deform.
  • Never touch the lenses when they are dry. Dirt particles will scratch the surface.
  • Some manufacturers of glasses frames make them with screws that hold the lenses in place. Be cautious with such frames as screws may come out easily. In other instances, paint may chip or fleck off easily even without using this washing technique! Always make sure you check your frames for these problems before attempting this. And if your problem is the former, make sure that the plug is in the sink tightly. Otherwise you may just end up losing a screw and end up with just one lens held properly in your glasses! And when it happens it usually happens at once with a "PING". You don't want to end up on your hands and knees searching the floor with only one lens to help you...

Things You'll Need

  • Warm running water
  • Mild dish soap (not citric-based)
  • Soft cotton towel
  • Glasses

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