Your Go-To Guide on How to Clean Eyeglasses

Your eyeglasses do a lot for your eyes. They help you see clearly and protect your eyes from foreign objects. But what do they need from you in return? A little care, that’s it. Your eyeglasses need you to keep them in top-notch condition. Storing them properly and preventing scratches is just one thing you can do for them. An essential requirement of eyeglasses is that you keep them clean. Your eyeglasses need regular cleaning to perform their best. So, how to clean eyeglasses?

Eyeglasses are your delicate accessories. Therefore, you must be very careful while cleaning them. You cannot randomly choose a cleaning agent or cloth to clean these glasses. There are special cleaning products dedicated to cleaning eyeglasses. So, you must use only these products. However, the question still remains the same- How to clean eyeglasses? 

If you are an eyeglass wearer, you must know how frequently they get dirty. Dirty eyewear significantly disrupts your vision. Hence, you must always keep them clean. Continue reading this comprehensive cleaning guide if you wish to know about the right process to clean your eyeglasses. 

5 Easy Steps to Clean Your Eyeglasses

Cleaning your eyewear is not a very complex process. You might believe otherwise. But, we are here to bust this myth. You just need to follow 5 simple steps to clean them Below listed are these steps with their detailed explanation. 

Wash and Dry Your Hands

The first step to start with cleaning your eyeglasses is to thoroughly wash and dry your hands. Now, your hands might look clean to you. But, trust us, they are not. So, always clean and dry them before you start with eyeglass cleaning. If you don’t clean your hands, you will end up transferring the oil and dirt from your skin to the glasses, making them even dirtier. So, wash your hands with soap and pat them dry with a towel that does not leave specks of lint. 

Rinse Your Glasses

Now, it's time to hold your eyeglasses and rinse them. For this, hold them under lukewarm tap water. Rinse the glasses as well as the frame very well. We suggest you use lukewarm water for this as it helps with easy dislodging of gunk and dust. However, do not use hot water as it can damage the special coatings on the lenses. 

Use Lotion-Free Dishwashing Liquid

After thorough rinsing, put a drop of lotion-free dishwashing liquid on each lens. Yes, a drop per lens is all you need to get clean eyeglasses. Rub the dishwashing liquid over the lenses using your fingers. After cleaning the lenses, rub the same liquid on the frame. You must thoroughly clean the parts of your eyewear that remain in constant contact with your skin, such as temples and nose pads. These parts are the dirtiest as they come in contact with your sweat and outer dirt. The key point to remember here is to not overuse the liquid. Also, you can use a glass cleaning solution in place of the dishwashing liquid. However, you must be very cautious while choosing this solution. It must be suitable for the coatings of your lenses. 

Rinse Again

Now, rinse your glasses again to remove the soap. Simply hold them under running tap water. 

Dry Your Eyeglasses

Drying your eyeglasses after cleaning them is a crucial step. You cannot leave them as it is after rinsing them as it will lead to attracting back dust and water stains. So, use a microfiber cloth or a lint-free towel to dry them. Do not use any other kind of clothes as they might leave a little bit of lint and make them dirty again. Gently dry them using a suitable cloth under light to clean smudges or lingering debris. Now, your glasses are good to be worn again. 

Some Additional Cleaning Tips to Clean Your Eyeglasses

Following the steps explained in the previous section of this guide is enough to clean your eyeglasses. However, we have some special tips for you that you must follow while cleaning. 

• Sometimes, debris gets stuck in the small nooks of the frame of your eyeglasses. For example, you might find debris in parts where the frame meets the lenses or near the hinges. In such cases, use a cotton swab to remove the debris gently before the first rinse of the cleaning process.
• Nose pads are a crucial part of your eyeglasses. They provide a perfect fit for your face. However, they are also one of the dirtiest parts of eyewear. This is because they stay in constant contact with your skin. As a result, they accumulate more germs. So, you must spend more time cleaning them thoroughly. The best way to clean is using a disposable wet towelette and rubbing alcohol. However, you must remember to use rubbing alcohol only for the nose pads and not for the entire frame and glasses. 
• You might have a specially assigned microfiber for your eyeglasses. However, even if you use it just for your eyeglasses, you must frequently wash it. These clothes are expert at catching dust. So, if you wish to prevent transferring their dust to your eyeglasses, wash the cloth frequently.
• Rinsing is a crucial step in eyeglass cleaning. You must get your eyeglasses wet before you wipe or rub them with a solution. Wiping or rubbing them when they are dry can lead to scraping and smearing debris across your lenses, leading to scratches. 
• You might get tempted to thoroughly clean your eyeglasses every day. But remember that eyeglasses are very delicate, and they cannot handle daily thorough cleaning. So, if you follow a regular cleaning routine, a light cleaning is enough daily, and you can follow a thorough weekly cleaning routine. 

Don'ts for Cleaning Your Eyeglasses

Reading the above two sections must have introduced you to the dos of cleaning your eyeglasses. But what about the don'ts? Yes, we won’t leave you with half the information. Below are certain cleaning practices that you must avoid while cleaning your eyeglasses. 

• Your shirt is not made for cleaning eyeglasses. So, why make it do so? Yes, you must stop using your clothes to clean your eyeglasses. The fabric of your clothing can be harsh for your delicate eyeglasses. As a result, you might end up scratching them. 
• Do not randomly use any cleaning agent to clean your eyeglasses. You can use only dishwashing liquid or an especially assigned eyeglasses cleaning solution. Using products like alcohol, acetone, and other household cleaning agents can severely damage the glasses, lens coating, and frame. 
• Using your saliva for cleaning is also not an option. It will only make your eyeglasses dirtier by adding more germs. 
• The water quality is crucial for your eyeglasses. So, if your taps give hard water, do not use it to rinse your eyeglasses. Instead, use distilled water. 
• Always remember that drying your eyeglasses using a cloth is crucial. However, you must be very careful with the choice of clothes you are using. We suggest you stick to a microfiber cloth or a lint-free towel. Using disposable tissue paper, toilet paper, napkins, or paper towels is never an option. These products feel soft to your skin. But they are not really soft and can scratch your eyeglasses. They can also bits of themselves on your eyewear, making them dirtier. 
• Washing your microfiber cloths and towels regularly is essential. However, you must never add dryer sheets or fabric softeners while washing them. This is because these products leave a residue on the clothes that can lead to smearing on lenses. 
• Remember that cleaning can only remove smudges, dirt, and debris from your eyeglasses. It can never help you get rid of the scratches. So, do not try to rub them while cleaning, as you will only make them worse. You must consult an optician for scratch removal. 

Summing Up

The role of your eyeglasses in your life is indispensable. They do a lot for you and your eyes. However, they need your support to help them function at their best. Yes, they need you to keep them clean. Following all the tips shared in this guide on how to clean eyeglasses will help you with this. So, follow these tips from today to enjoy a clear vision.

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