How to clean your glasses: Tips from an optician
Cleaning your glasses isn’t difficult, but with so much contradicting information out there, it can get confusing.
If you’ve looked around online you’ve probably seen varying opinions on how to clean your glasses, from using vinegar to rubbing alcohol and dishwasher detergent. While it might be tempting to follow this advice or clean your frames the way you do any hard surface, you actually risk damaging your glasses this way.
So, you might be wondering: what exactly is the best way to clean my frames? Well, we’re here for you. To save you from a world of searching, we’ve asked our resident optician Massimo to break down the most common mistakes about cleaning glasses, and what the right way to clean them actually is.
Q: Can you clean glasses with alcohol wipes?
A: No. Alcohol is too aggressive and will potentially ruin the frames. Instead, pass your glasses under tepid water to remove dust particles and leave them out to dry. Once dry, spray them with a dedicated glasses cleaning spray and wipe them down with a microfiber cloth.
Q: Can you clean your glasses with acetone?
A: Definitely not. Acetone and nail polish removers are very destructive chemicals and will absolutely damage your glasses.
Q: Can you clean glasses with vinegar, dishwashing soap or other household items?
A: No. While you might not initially see a difference by using household items such as vinegar, this will damage your frames with time and wear on the acetate or metal hardware.
You might also see sites recommend dish soap as an alternative, because it helps remove oil, but it is actually too harsh for your glasses and will strip any coating on your lens. Stick to water. And in the cases you don’t have a cleaning spray, clean your frames with a very small amount of mild, fragrance-free soap before rinsing them to dry.
Q: Can you use tap water?
A: Yes. Tap water works perfectly to clean your glasses. If the water from your tap is hard however, you may want to consider using distilled water.
Q: Can you clean scratches off glasses?
A: No; unfortunately, once your glasses are scratched it’s impossible to ‘unscratch’ them. Which is why wiping them with a proper microfiber cloth is so important. Using other materials like your shirt sleeve or paper towels can lead to mini scratches due to their textured surfaces. This might not seem like such a big deal, but with time it’ll shorten the lifespan of your frames.
Q: Can you wash the cleaning cloth?
A: Yes, and you should. Clean glasses start with clean tools. Luckily it’s simple to clean your microfiber cloth, you won’t need to throw it in the washing machine. It's enough to hand-wash it with water, let it soak in some mild soap for a few minutes and rinse again before leaving it out to dry.
Q: How often should you clean glasses?
Ideally you’ll give your lenses a light cleaning at least once a day, if not twice as that’s where you’ll notice smudges the most.
For your frame you can be more relaxed, I’d recommend once a week. Of course, everyone is different based on their activities and environment, but as a rule of thumb I’d say clean your glasses whenever you notice dirt or see smudges on the lenses.
Q: How do you clean sunglasses?
A: You can clean your sunglasses the same way you clean your glasses: rinse with water, air dry, spray and wipe down with a microfiber cloth. Just pay attention to the lenses: sometimes sunglasses feature different lens coatings including anti-reflective, polarized and mirrored, so making sure to use the proper product to clean is even more important as to not damage the coating.
Q: How do you clean glasses with blue light filters lenses?
A: Lenses with special coating like blue light filter ones can be cleaned the same way as any lens: rinse, air dry, spray and wipe off - or, as an alternative, keep to small amounts of mild sap and rinse. And you'll be fine.
Q: How do you keep your glasses clean when you’re not at home or traveling?
A: When you’re traveling, opt for taking a small care kit with you so you can keep your glasses clean without much effort.
Q: How to clean sunglasses after the beach?
A: The same way you would use to normally clean your glasses or sunglasses. Just make sure you rinse all the sand particles off first, as they can easily scratch your lenses.
Q: How to keep your glasses clean and safe when you’re not wearing them?
A: Hold them by the bridge, and don’t place them on your head, as this will eventually bend the frame. If you need to put them down, avoid placing them on the lens.
If you are used to taking your glasses on and off throughout the day and can’t be bothered to always put them back in their case, consider investing in an eyewear chain.
Video tutorial: how to properly clean your glasses
Don’t leave room for doubt. Watch all of our advice put into practice in our step-by-step video tutorial.
Did you like this guide? Follow Mia Burton on YouTube for more eyewear tips.
