If you wear glasses, you know that maintaining clear vision can be a struggle. In addition to keeping your prescription updated, it’s important to keep your glasses clean as well. Smudges, fingerprints, and dirt can obscure your view and make it harder to see. It’s important to properly clean your glasses to help keep them in good condition and extend their lifespan.
Using a microfibre cloth, lens cleaner, soap, and warm water, you can safely clean your lenses and help preserve their longevity.
How to Clean Your Glasses
When you wear glasses, cleaning them is an essential part of caring for your vision. Creating a routine to properly wipe away dirt and debris can help extend the life of your glasses. Depending on whether you have metal or acetate frames, nose pads or plastic, and how often you wear them, your cleaning needs can look different.
Start with the Right Tools
Before you clean your glasses, gather the right tools, including:
- Microfiber cloths
- Lens cleaner
- Warm water
- Mild, fragrance-free soap
- Cotton swabs
You may also want to invest in easy-to-use wipes designed for optical surfaces.
Clean the Lenses
To clean your glasses, start by rinsing them with warm water to remove any loose debris.
- Using warm water, add a drop of soap to your fingertips and gently rub it onto the surfaces of your eyeglass lenses.
- Be careful not to apply too much pressure, as this can damage the coating or alignment of your glasses.
- Rinse off the soap in warm water.
- Use the microfiber cloth to clear away excess water.
If you use a specialized cleaning solution, start by rinsing your lenses.
- Using eyeglass cleaning solution, spray on both sides of the lenses.
- Use the microfiber cloth to clear away excess solution.
Gently Scrub Your Frames
The debris on your frames can be easier to ignore because it doesn’t get in the way of clear vision. But screws, springs, and other tiny components can get dirty. Since the frames have direct contact with your face, it’s important to keep them free of oils and sweat.
After applying soap to your glasses, use your fingertips to scrub away any dirt, oils, or smudges. Pay special attention to the areas where your fingers touch the frames, as these tend to get dirtier. If your glasses have nose pads, be sure to clean them thoroughly as well with a cotton swab.
Final Rinse & Dry
Once you’ve scrubbed your glasses, rinse them with warm water to remove any remaining residue. Shake off excess water and gently dry them with a clean microfibre towel. Alternatively, you can let them air dry on a flat surface to prevent streaks from forming.
Mistakes to Avoid When Cleaning Your Glasses
While it may seem trivial, cleaning your eyeglasses the wrong way can lead to irreparable damage, cloud your vision, and decrease the longevity of your eyewear. Everyone takes shortcuts sometimes, but when it comes to cleaning your glasses, there are some common mistakes to avoid.
Using Paper Towels or Tissues to Wipe Off Your Glasses
The fibres in paper towels, tissues, or napkins have a rough texture, which may scratch the surface of your eyeglasses over time. If the material used is damp, it may absorb the coating or even stick to the lens.
Instead of paper towels or tissues, use a microfiber cloth specifically designed for cleaning eyeglasses. Microfiber cloths are soft and gentle, providing a clean, smudge-free surface.
Spraying Cleaners Directly on the Eyeglasses
Avoid using chemical cleaners, household detergents, or acetone chemicals for cleaning your eyeglasses. These products contain harsh chemicals that can damage your eyeglasses’ coating, frames, or lenses.
Moreover, sprays can easily spray onto the wrong surface, potentially damaging the lenses. Instead, use a few drops of mild liquid soap or a specific eyeglass cleaning solution on a microfiber cloth, then wipe your eyeglasses gently.
Using Your Clothing to Clean Your Glasses
Using your shirt or any other piece of cloth to clean your eyeglasses might seem handy, but it is one of the mistakes that can damage your eyeglasses quickly. Like paper towels and tissues, clothing fibres can scratch the lens surface and apply pressure on the frames, bending them out of shape.
Not Washing Your Hands Before Cleaning Your Eyeglasses
When you touch your eyeglasses, you transfer dirt, oil, and grime onto the surface. With time it might accumulate and make it harder to clean than it ought to be. These substances can also go into the crevices of the frame and form germs, which can cause skin irritation, rash or even eye infection. Always wash your hands before you clean your eyeglasses to prevent unnecessary buildup.
Placing Your Eyeglasses Down on Their Lens Surface
Placing your eyeglasses down on their lens side could harm the lenses. The delicate surface of the lens is not immune to scratches and dents caused by placing it on rough surfaces or even intense heat. Frequent exposure to heat can warp the lens and damage the frame’s overall shape. Always place your eyeglasses in their protective casing or down on their backside to prevent this.
Visit Your Optometrist to Care for Your Eyes
Properly cleaning your glasses doesn’t have to be a struggle. Your eyeglasses are essential to your daily routine, and keeping them clean is crucial to your vision’s clarity. Visit Toronto Centre Eye Care for an updated prescription, new frames, and tips to take care of your eyeglasses to enjoy clear sight every day.
