How do you clean your glasses?
Lens manufacturers say that anything other than a microfiber cloth will damage the coatings on a lens. But microfiber cloths eventually pick up crap and they look like they're a pain to wash.
How do you keep your lenses clean? Are you using cloth/kleenex or microfiber cloths? If you use microfiber cloths, how do you clean those?
Optometrist here; rinse with cold or ambient temperature tap water (don't use hot water!), use dishwashing soap without citric acid if the glasses are really dirty, dry with a clean cotton cloth.
Thank you! It took me decades before I figured out that it doesn't matter how soft the cloth is if all you're doing in scrubbing abrasive dust or dirt around on the lens with it. It isn't always possible, but I try to rinse first to get as much particulate matter off before wiping.
Can you explain why cold water? I've always done it, but only because I once made the mistake of buying photoreactive lenses (and, you know, most of us just have to live with a decision like that for a while), and hot water made them go dark. I didn't think tap water temps would be enough to mechanically stress the material; is the plastic so soft that it could be damaged, or is there another reason?
Hot water can damage your anti reflective coating. It can cause it to come 'loose'.
The rinsing is indeed done to get rid of sand or dirt particles which is the main cause of scratches.
Hey now don’t diss photoreactive lenses, I got off brand transitions lenses for the first time in my life a couple years ago after a decade without trying them and I honestly like it. I can keep my prescription shades in my car since my car’s windshield blocks a lot of UV so my regular/transitionable glasses won’t darken enough but most cases I’m outside on a sunny day I can still get some sunlight dimming without having to bring my sunglasses everywhere too
I generally use a similar method to this to deep clean my glasses, but I often don't want to do that deep of a clean all the time since my glasses get dirty fast. I find the Zeiss glasses wipes work well for me, but there is a lot of waste involved. Oddly enough, their cleaning spray works terribly for me, and it seems to just spread grease around the lenses...
I was looking at the ingredients for each, and it seems that Zeiss used different ingredients for the two products. The wipes contain water, isopropyl alcohol, and "proprietary detergents and preservatives". The cleaning spray contains water, butyl diglycol, and two other ingredients that to my knowledge are just preservatives. I think that in theory I could make a better cleaning spray by getting the right concentration of isopropyl alcohol and distilled water, mimicking the concentration in the wipes. What do you think is the highest percentage of isopropyl alcohol that I could safely use on glasses without damaging coatings?
Unfortunately I cannot answer that question. Opticians don't use alcohol to clean glasses, they often use white spirit to clean lenses. Alcohol can potentially damage your frame (if it's a 'plastic' one).
That's the way I've been taught by the guy who makes my eyeglasses too! I remember being slightly incredulous but took his word for it.
I only touch the lenses while soaping it, making sure that (liquid dish) soap is evenly distributed across the lenses. Then, I rinse them thoroughly in a stream of running water until I can no longer see water spots on their surfaces. I give the eyeglasses a slight tap to dislodge any excess water before wiping it with a dry clean cotton cloth I reserve for that purpose.
Thanks! That looks pretty easy, and it seems to work for a few other posters.
User name checks out.
Thanks for the tip. Just to be clear... are these instructions for cleaning the glasses, or the microfibre cloth?
Glasses
Hand soap works fine as well.
Some hand soaps have moisturizers that leave a film on lenses. I do not recommend.
Not if it’s moisturizing soap. The moisturizers are designed to remain after rinsing, which will leave an oily film on your glasses. Dish soap is designed to rinse clean, so you should use that instead.
I tend to wear cotton t shirts so I tend to just grab a corner of that to clean em.
Been doing this for 20 yrs and never had to replace a set before my eyes said otherwise.
Frames on the other hand...
+1 for cotton T shirt corner! Been doing that for 20 years as well
You clean your frame?
(Kidding)
A little moisture never hurts, though. That's why I do the ol' huff-n-buff.
I clean them with the hem of my shirt, always assumed this is what everyone does.
It is
Don't let Big Microfibre tell you otherwise
That's what I do, but it works better if I use glass cleaner.
I have been using tap water and dish soap for years to clean my glasses. Everything else leaves streaks.
It’s what professional window washers use. Just some Dawn dish soap and tap water. Because the dish soap will cut any kind of skin oils that may be present on the lens, the same way it cuts food grease.
That's my go to as well.
I rub them with my shirt whenever the smudges are making my view too blurry.
Only for that to spread the smudges around more and coating your whole view into a nice layer of white.
I still do it.
💯
In the 20 years I've owned glasses, I've never had an issue just using my shirt.
Same I don't have to wear glasses anymore, but it's was t-shirt all the way. And the occasional "I'll pour water on the lenses to make them more clean".
I rub them with my teeshirt
The actual way is to use dish soap under running warm water (not hot apparently, it can damage some coatings I've learned in this thread). First rinse the lenses under a stream without touching them, to wash away any loose debris (which is the reason why you should never use any sort of cloth to wipe them, they just move the debris around which causes scratches). Then use a bit of dish soap on your (clean) fingers to gently rub each lens, which will get rid of any grease or other smears. Then a final rinse -- for this one it's best if you use a very slow and even stream as it gives you the fewest water spots, but as long as you don't have super hard water it'll be moot in a few minutes.
This is the way, but you're right about hot water. I did damage a pair by accidentally using water that was too hot.
This method minimizes scratching and it does a great job of removing grease (I sweat a lot) that a microfiber cloth would just spread around.
Yep, and just give them a quick flick at the end to shake off any remaining droplets. Then they’ll dry quickly.
Water and hand soap, unless they really need to be cleaned right now. I used to use a microfiber cloth, but I ran into the same problems as you. Soap and water will allow you to get oil from your hands and face off, as well as water spots and whatever else might be on there, and it's gentle enough that it doesn't hurt or scratch the lenses. When I put my glasses back on after cleaning them like this, It's a Whole New World starts playing in my head.
Do you just wipe with your fingers? And how do you dry them
https://www.visionexpress.com/eye-health/how-to-clean-your-glasses seems to point to fingers, dry with a lint free cloth?
Daily wash with water and foaming hand soap. Foaming soap on lenses, rub with fingers, rinse. Dry with cotton hankerchief. I usually keep my glasses 2 years before replacing and haven't had any issues with the anti-reflective coating washing this way.
I will never forget the time I saw my classmate clean his glasses by licking them. It wasn't a small lick. The lenses were covered in his saliva afterwards. 🤮
I do that sometimes. When the lenses have grease or salt from the beach, and I have no quick access to water, I'll lick them. I don't recommend it, but I do it.
My mother did that so I ended up doing the same in elementary school. It took me a while, but I realized how disgusting it was and have been using cloths, or my shirt, for most of my life.
Rinse glasses. Rub on some hand soap or a very small amount of dish soap. Rinse again. Dry with paper towel.
Some paper towels will scratch your glasses
Never had that issue but I pretty much only ever bought Bounty or BJs store brand. Also I basically only buy Zeno glasses and my prescription isn’t complicated so IDGAF about the lenses.
Don't even dry them, just use a slow steady stream for the final rinse and just give them a few taps to get off the excess water.
This is the way.
I just clean the lenses of my glasses with my cotton t-shirt. I need to clean my glasses twice a day because they get foggy due to my oily skin and oily eyelashes. I have not noticed any scratches yet (I have been using these glasses for around 5-6 years). However, I use glass lenses and not plastic lenses. The plastic ones scratch easily.
I use microfiber cloths, dawn dish soap, and water for a deep clean every once in a while. The microfiber cloth kinda gets cleaned in the process. I then use a second dry microfiber cloth to dry it off and prevent water spots on the lenses. Unfortunately I have to shake out my glasses before drying since water gets stuck in between my frames and my lenses.
For quicker cleaning, I use those Zeiss glasses wipes, though not entirely sure if getting brand name is important or not.
I feel like I'm cleaning my glasses every couple of days, I think I'd go through a lot of those disposable wipes.
Yeah it's pretty wasteful. I've tried the Zeiss spray+microfiber cloth, but I haven't had the greatest luck with it. I tried to use it just now to remind myself what it's like, and I find that it spreads a thin greasy residue on my lenses.
Cleaning with dish soap is only a bit more effort and is much more effective in my experience (my glasses feel brand new afterwards). The Zeiss wipes get most of the way there usually, but I sometimes need two instead of one.
I use the edge of my shirt, or whatever I happen to be wearing. I never use any sort of soap or cleaning solution. Works fine. My specs last longer than it takes until I need to get a new prescription anyway.
Spray from optometrist and tissues to remove most oil
Then polish the lenses with the microfibre that came with them
Wash the microfibre when it stops working
Got a box of alcohol wipes made by Zeiss, specially for cleaning camera lenses and the like. Works great on glasses.
I bought a box when they were cheap on Amazon.
Handy for having in your bag. But so much waste. Plastic sachet, plastic cloth, throw it all out.
I want to find a reusable liquid/cloth solution that works as reliably, but the Zeiss wipes are just too good.
Hmmm, I think mine are paper materials. I'll have to look more closely.
Microfiber. Throw it in the wash. Air dry (although I've never had an issue with them going through wash) I use the viscous cleanser and really don't wash very often at all.
I have a small machine that creates super sonic sound (Sonic Soak), submerge that with the glasses in a bottle with soapy water. Turn on and wait around 3 minutes. You can see stream of dirt particles coming out of small crevices, I don't think I can reach those with any wipe or cloth. The glasses is super clean after the process. But if I don't have time and not home I use microfiber cloth
Microfiber cloth. They are easy to wash, just don't add fabric softener or chlorine and don't put them in the dryer.
My dad will collect up the microfiber cloths and put them in a mesh bag, throwing them in with the regular laundry since we don't use fabric softener
Yes exactly, that works fine. As i understand it, there are microscopic 'bristles' at the end of each thread, which gives it that mild scrub effect. Adding fabric softener or other things destroy the bristles, permanently.
I use a microfibre cloth my optometrist gave me along with the glasses. When it gets dirty I run it through the wash with my clothes. I have an anti-glare coating on my lenses, so I don't use any chemicals, even just dish soap.
Hand soap and water most of the time, a microfiber with the spray they give you when you get new glasses, or a dry microfiber if I have to. My lenses are immaculate.
I leave the microfiber cloths in my pockets when they need washing and that works well enough if not perfect.
I have 950 microfiber cloths around the house, although I can never find them so I just use my t-shirt.
I’ve been using Windex and Bounty. 😬 Probably not the best options, but they seem to get the job done for me.
I mention Bounty because regular paper towels are crap for that sort of thing.
I work in a lab, and while we carry lens cleaners, sometimes you don't have time.
A little bit of 200 proof ethanol and some elbow grease is all it takes for a fresh pair of specs!
If anyone uses anti glare coatings, mine specifically say don't use alcohol to clean them.
Sorry for the late reply. These are actually a cheap pair I forgot to add the anti-glare on in the purchase. These weren't being used so they are my work glasses now.
Does anyone have experience with glasses with Oleophobic layers and work around fats/waxes/oils?
I use the ethanol and kimwipes to clean mine all the time lol they're probably a little scratchy but better than my shirt. They're just too convenient when they're everywhere.
If this helps you, I've washed microfiber cloths in the washing machine before and it never went wrong. I just toss them in with regular clothes. I usually wash cold, but I don't think it makes a difference
I've had great luck with the skip the drier cycle option for cleaning the microfiber cloths and sponges I use to wash my car. I think that's what damages sensitive clothing the most.
And always wash everything with the shortest cycle and cold water lol
That's good to know. My microfiber cloths aren't hemmed, so I'm convinced they'll fall to bits. I haven't tried though, so I'm probably wrong.
Mine aren't hemmed either just pinked (have a zig zag cut on the edges). If you can spare one you have just toss it in the wash and see what happens.
None of them are hemmed, because they don't fray. If you're worried about it, try gently rubbing at the edge of it. Threads won't come off in your hand either. Microfiber is just the size of the thread used, these are 100% polyester and completely machine washable.
Ive never had any luck with lens cleaner+microfiber cloth just smears the shit out of glasses. Here's my glasses cleaning process, I have had glasses my entire life and can't stand smearing even a little. My glasses coating has never been damaged from this though to cover my ass I will say do at your own risk.
Microfiber cloth with dish soap and water. Works pretty well.
I use warm (not hot) water under pressure. Dry with a clean hand towel. Warning: don't use towels that were fabric softened, fabric softener can leave some nasty, hard-to-remove streaks on the lenses.
Here's what i do:
Just make sure not to get fabric softener on it
I just get new microfiber cloth every 6 months. They give these away for customers for free. They're excellent for cleaning.
Yeah, I don't know about every month but I always carry a microfiber cloth in my back pocket, and I'll rotate them and just run through the wash if they've been in use for a bit.
I have a spray bottle with an isopropanol water mixture (around 10% isopropanol) and I just give my glasses a good spray and then wipe them with a clean microfiber kitchen cloth.
(I wash these cloths with just detergent powder, no softener or other additives, so they are grease-free out of the washer)
I found these cloths years ago, and they clean extremely well and go a long time before needing to wash them. Then I'll just throw them in the laundry with my clothes, take them out and air dry instead of throwing in the dryer.
If I my glasses end up getting particularly dirty, like grease spots from cooking, I do the dawn dish soap method and dry them with one of those cloths.
Thanks! I was looking for microfiber cloths with a sewn edge. I'm not sure if these are microfiber, but the price is right.
Worn cotton t-shirts work best. Launder without fabric softener or dryer sheets.
With plastic lenses, don't use paper products, including Kleenex, toilet paper, napkins, or paper towels. Paper (wood) fibers are hard enough to put microscopic scratches in lenses or coatings, eventually making them appear cloudy.
Microfiber cloth is pretty lousy for cleaning lenses, in my experience.
Gin will clean you glasses better than anything EVER. Nex t time you're at your local bar, ask for a bar napkin with a drop of gin, and then dry with a microfiber, then thank me later!
I've never been without at least twenty microfiber cloths before.
I use a chamois cloth, seems to pick up oil/smudges even better that microfiber and need less washing. Also super easy to wash when it does need it. I basically just cut a dollar bill sized section off a natural off-brand sham-wow and it works better than anything else I've used
Just water and a regular dishtowel. If they're more dirty I'll use dishwasher soap. Rub it over with a finger to get the greesy stuff off and wash the soap off.
The microfiber cloth that usually comes with the glasses tend to stop working after a while, and I always have clean dishtowel anyway.
Outside my kitchen I use my t-shirt or if I'm wearing a shirt, I'll use the underwear top, because shirts generally aren't too good at it due to prints or fabrics. Yes I wear a "wife beater" under my shirt. It's what it's for, and I guess also for cleaning glasses.
The microfiber cloth that usually comes with the glasses tend to stop working after a while, and I always have clean dishtowel anyway.
That's what got me started on this. My cloth got grungy and it started making my glasses worse.
I use denim. My jeans get my glasses cleaner than anything else I've tried. I'm sure it's not as good for them as a microfiber cloth, but it's what I have on me. My wife has me clean hers, too.
Tap water and a bath towel.
I use glass cleaner (I think it's called WHOOSH) and a microfiber cloth to my glasses and displays.
Same as my laptop screen/keyboard - I use a dab of Dawn (or whatever brand I currently use) and a moist very soft sponge and dry with an old teatowel.
Use soap and water and rub it with my fingers. Shake the excess water off then use a microfiber to finish up. We use microfibers to clean around the house and always have clean ones handy.
Every once in a while I'll use dish soap and my fingers, then dry with a microfiber cloth.
Microfiber cloth and whatever that glasses spray is works ok, but after a while it feels like I'm just pushing smudges around. Dish soap for the microfiber cloth will also fix that.
When I see people using their shirt to clean their glasses I cringe inside.
I do both. Once or twice a week they get washed. But I never remember to bring a cloth with me, so if I’m out and about and get a smudge on my glasses, using my shirt is 1000% preferred over just leaving the smudge there.
Cold tap, pocket handkerchief.
Zeiss wipes.
I bought so many microfiber cloths that when one gets too dirty, it goes to workshop duty and I get a new one for glasses.
For cleaning lenses properly (which I do once a week or so), I tend to use lint-free tissue (Kimwipes) and a mixture of 85% petroleum ether & 15% pure isopropanol; both of which should be available at your local hardware store. Bonus is that this is also appropriate for scientific optics, like microscope/camera lenses & instrumentation components (mirrors, prisms etcs) - just don't rub them!
