If you wear glasses every day, you likely are well aware of the tiny annoyances that come with keeping them clean. It’s amazing how fast fingerprints or smudges appear. One moment, the lenses are spotless, the next, you notice a blur right in the middle of your vision. Sometimes it’s from touching them absentmindedly, other times it’s just dust settling in. Either way, dirty lenses can make even the clearest prescription feel wrong.
The truth is, cleaning coated lenses isn’t as simple as grabbing the nearest tissue or shirt. In fact, a lot of common habits do more harm than good. Using paper towels, for instance, can leave streaks and possibly microscopic scratches that can accumulate. It’s a very tempting line in the moment, but you will regret it later.
So what’s the best method? Well, there isn’t just one. The best method is generally a matter of where you are, how dirty your glasses are, and what you’ve got to work with. But there are certainly tried-and-true solutions for how to clean glasses while still taking good care of them.
The Basics: Gentle Everyday Cleaning
For everyday maintenance, you can’t beat a microfiber cloth. It’s soft and reusable, and works to pick up debris without grinding grit to the surface. The key is not to do a hard press but to do a gentle wiping. Some people rub as if they were polishing silver, but that actually increases the risk of scratches. A light hand works better.
Nonetheless, a cloth sometimes doesn’t cut it. If your specs, however, are coated in a rare oil from your skin and/or don’t seem to want to get rid of fingerprints, you’re going to need something more. Here, you can use a lens cleaner spray. Most are packaged in a small bottle that is portable enough to toss in a bag, or even in your car. A spritz and a swipe with a microfiber cloth usually does the trick.
The Home Method: Dish Soap And Water
Other times, however, the most basic of household items actually work wonders. Some of the best ways to get coated glasses’ lenses clean are to simply use a drop of mild dish soap in lukewarm water. Just avoid using hot water. It’s O.K. to use warm water, but anything hot could ruin the coatings.
Here’s how it goes: First, rinse the lenses under a small stream of water to rid them of any dirt or dust that’s stuck. This step is important as a wipe without a rinse can grind debris in and leave marks you don’t want. After rinsing, squeeze that single drop of dish soap into the pan, and gently knead it around with your fingertips before rinsing once again.
After your rinse, give it a good shake to remove excess water and then, with a clean microfiber cloth, pat it dry. Don’t pull out that shirt by fly habit; it may seem innocent, but fabric fibers can harbor grit or remainders of lotion that add insult to injury.
What To Avoid
It’s tempting to reach for whatever’s nearby, especially in the morning when you’re in a rush. Maybe a tissue, maybe the corner of your sleeve. The problem is these shortcuts usually leave streaks, if not worse. Even tissues can contain grit that scratches coatings.
Another major one to avoid: cleaners containing alcohol or ammonia. These may seem effective because they slice through oil, but in the long run, they’ll erode protective coatings. Have you ever seen lenses where they have this cloudy, peeling surface on them, and they aren’t clear? It’s typically harsh chemicals that are ruining them.
Also, don’t forget the frames. Dirt and bacteria accumulate around the frames where the lenses make contact with the plastic or metal, mainly near the nose pads. A quick rinse there will prevent germs from leaching onto the lenses you just cleaned.
On-the-Go Solutions: Anti-fog Lens Cleaner & Microfiber Cloth
Of course, life isn’t always neat. You can’t always step over to the sink with dish soap and water. That’s where portable cleaners come in. A pocket-sized anti-fog spray bottle is convenient for travel or office use. Paired with a microfiber cloth, it’s a reliable way to rid glasses of smudges when you’re not at home.
Some people like pre-moistened wipes. They’re under a lid so they stay fresh, and are easy to carry around in a bag or desk drawer. Just make sure the wipes are alcohol-free and made for coated lenses. Otherwise, you’ll erode them over time.
Handling Stubborn Spots
And sometimes you can’t remove a stain, no matter what you try. Possibly dried oil or grit feels stuck. In that case, return to the rinse-and-soap routine. It is slower, but it tends to work. Rushing often makes things worse.
One small thing to remember, if you ever drop your glasses and they fall face down, let them be and don’t attempt to wipe the lenses at once. Gently shake or rinse them in advance. There may be sharp debris that is not visible.
A Few Habits That Help Cleaning Glasses A Breeze
The other half is cleaning. Prevention helps too. For instance, always keep glasses in a case when they’re not on your face. Leaving them out on a desk or a nightstand just invites dust and bacteria to collect on them.
An alternative tip is to hang them on a stand or hook when you don’t want to stow them away entirely. In this way, they cannot fall over by accident. It reduces the likelihood that they’ll rest on a surface that smears, streaks, or transfers oil.
And, yes, refrain from buffing them on your shirt. That habit shortens the lifespan of your lenses more than just about anything else.
The Bottomline
There isn’t a single best cleaner for everyone. It depends on your habits and lifestyle. If you’re home often, the dish soap and water method might become your go-to. If you’re constantly moving, a spray and microfiber cloth combo feels more practical. Prepackaged wipes can be handy too, especially if you want something disposable.
The trick is to find a method that works with your routine but protects your glasses. And remember not to clean with alcohol or ammonia (which can remove the coating on some screens); don’t use paper towels or tissues (they break easily and can add lint to the screen); and always be mindful of what you use to touch the surface. At the end of the day, really, it’s quite simple.
Maintain your specs as clean as you can without causing damage. When the lenses are clean, life, reading, driving, and working just feel easier. A tiny bit of maintenance each day prevents exasperation later.
