Do you habitually clean your eyeglasses with your shirt, or worse yet - with paper towels? If so, we’d like to inform you that it’s a bad decision, as it can actually damage the coating of the lenses and will cost you big-time in the long run, as if prescription glasses weren’t expensive enough on their own...
But worry not, this doesn’t mean that you have to run to the drugstore and spend lots of money on those expensive cleaning solutions for glasses, there is a simple budget-friendly solution. In fact, you probably already have everything you need to clean your eyeglasses at home. Read on to learn more.
Why Cleaning Your Glasses With Clothing Is a Bad Idea
It goes without saying that you need to clean your glasses often, at least once a month. After all, besides helping you see clearly, they go on your face and make contact with your skin all the time, so cleaning your glasses will prevent acne and other skin infections.
That said, there IS a right and a wrong way to clean eyeglasses. For one, using clothing, blankets, or paper towels to clean glasses is not a good idea because all of these materials are too abrasive and will create microscopic scratches on the lenses. As a result, you’ll likely need to replace those expensive lenses at a faster rate.
What about those microfiber cloths that come with eyeglass cases? While they offer a better option for a quick wipe-down, these are not sufficient on their own, as they will only move dirt around instead of dissolving it. The best time to use microfiber cloths is right after cleaning your glasses, as they will help dry them without leaving any streaks in a minute.
The Best Way to Clean Eyeglasses
Related Article: 6 Great Tips for Removing Scratches from Eyeglasses
Okay, now that we know what NOT to do when we clean our eyeglasses, let’s finally learn how to clean them properly. You’ll need a few drops of soap, water, a few cotton swabs, and a clean microfiber cloth for glasses for this method. After gathering all the supplies, simply follow these step:
1. First, run the cotton swabs over the perimeter of the lenses and all the nooks and crevices in the frame. This will help remove any dirt and oil build-up on the frame.
2. Next, rinse the glasses under some lukewarm (but NOT hot) tap water. This will loosen up any dirt on the surface of the glasses. Bottled water may be better if you have particles in your tap water.
3. You can use hand soap or dish detergent to dissolve any stubborn stains. Simply apply a drop of soap on both sides of each lens, and massage the soap into the surface with your fingers. Rinse the soap off thoroughly with lukewarm water.
4. Use a clean microfiber cloth to dry the eyeglasses, and voila, your glasses are squeaky clean!
Repeat this process at least once every month. In-between, you can definitely use eyeglass cleaning wipes or simply a damp microfiber cloth to refresh the glasses. We hope you found this article useful!
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