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?
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.
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 clean them with the hem of my shirt, always assumed this is what everyone does.
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
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 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.
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.
I have 950 microfiber cloths around the house, although I can never find them so I just use my t-shirt.
Microfiber cloth with dish soap and water. Works pretty well.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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)
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 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
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.
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.
Odd. I've tried the Zeiss spray+microfiber cloth before, and it just didn't work for me. It leaves greasy smudges on my lenses. I've found that only dish soap or the Zeiss disposable wipes actually left a clear and clean lens. Are you using Zeiss spray or a different lens cleaner?
Zeiss wipes.
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.
Cold tap, pocket handkerchief.
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.
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.
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 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!