5 Steps to Cleaning Your Glasses

Category: Glasses
VSP Individual Vision Plans, 10/05/2023 12:00 am

How often do you clean your glasses? Having dirty lenses can be a nuisance, but did you know you could also be causing serious damage to your eyes? Smudged, unclear lenses may lead to eyestrain, which can cause your eyes to become tired and achy.

Here are five simple steps to cleaning your glasses effectively. Not only will these steps help you achieve smudge-free lenses, but they will also condition you to get into the healthy practices of quality eye care.

Step 1: Rinse Your Glasses with Water

Before you go out and buy a high-end eyeglass cleaner from your eye doctor or the drug store, consider running your glasses under clean tap water. There is nothing that bottled “glasses cleaner” can do that tap water can’t. Not only will you save money, but also by using the water from your sink you don’t have the hassles that come along with bottled cleaner.

Step one is important because the water removes unseen debris like dirt and dust that could scratch your lenses in the following steps.

Step 2: Wash Your Glasses with Soap

Washing your lenses with soap is important for many reasons – it breaks down skin oils, makeup, sweat and other residue that has accumulated on your lenses throughout the day. The Vision Council recommends that glasses-wearers clean their glasses once every morning with soap, concentrating on the lenses as well as the stems, earpieces and nose pads, to remove this grubby residue.

The best way to clean glasses is with foaming hand soap. It’s gentle enough to clean without damaging the coating on your glasses. Avoid using cleansers with ammonia, bleach, vinegar, or window cleaner as these are harmful chemicals for your lenses.

Step 3: Rinse Your Glasses Well

Again, head to your sink and use tap water to generously rinse your glasses. This step is important because it helps to ensure all of the soap is removed. We suggest using a lukewarm temperature that will help disintegrate any lingering suds. Be sure you’ve adequately rinsed your frames and lenses to avoid ending up with a soapy film.

Step 4: Dry Your Glasses

Before you reach for the corner of your shirt to dry your lenses with, consider where your shirt has been. It’s likely full of dust and other particles that could ultimately scratch your lenses and leave you worse than when you started this cleaning process.

We suggested staying away from expensive glasses cleaner in Step 1 and we’ll suggest something similar here: don’t go out of your way to buy special microfiber cloths for drying your lenses (though you will need them in Step 5). The best option for drying your glasses is to simply use a clean, soft cotton towel and gently run it over your freshly cleaned lenses.

Step 5: Polish Your Glasses to Perfection

Polishing your glasses is the perfect opportunity to use that microfiber cloth you have lying around your home. Start with the earpieces and give your glasses a complete rub down. Not only will you end up with a nice, polished look, but you will also get rid of any remaining smudges or debris.
It’s important to use only microfiber cloths during the polishing step. Other types of cleaning cloths are typically harsher on your lenses and won’t leave the sleek, polished, smudge-free finish that you’ll get with microfiber.

We think that this is the most important step of the cleaning process: even if you don’t have time to complete all five steps, using your microfiber cloth for a quick, frequent rub-down will help prevent any excessive buildup. Consider keeping it in your glasses case and use it often.
Following these tips daily will not only keep your lenses and frames in top condition, but it will also help you maintain healthy vision and eye health. Learn more about the benefits of a VSP Individual Vision Plans.

Information received through VSP Vision Care's social media channels is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, medical recommendations, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

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