Eyewear guide
How to Clean Your Glasses and Care for Them
A clean, well-kept pair lasts longer and looks better. Here’s a simple cleaning routine, what to avoid, and how to store and handle your glasses so they keep their shape.
The everyday cleaning routine
This takes about a minute and is gentle on most lenses, coatings and frames.
- Wash your hands first so you don’t add oil or lotion to the lenses.
- Rinse the glasses under lukewarm running water to float away dust and grit before anything touches the lenses.
- Put a small drop of lotion-free dish soap on your fingertips and gently rub both sides of each lens, the nose pads, the rims and the temple tips.
- Rinse well so no soap film is left behind.
- Shake off the water, blot with a clean, lint-free cotton towel, and finish with a clean microfiber cloth.
Between washes, a spray made for eyeglass lenses and a microfiber cloth handle smudges. Rinsing first matters most after the beach. Sand and salt act like sandpaper if you wipe them across a dry lens.
What not to use
- Shirt tails, tissues, napkins and paper towels. They can be rough enough to leave fine scratches, and they drag grit across the lens.
- Household glass or window cleaner. Ammonia and other strong chemicals can damage lens coatings.
- Nail polish remover and other solvents. Acetone can damage plastic frames, lenses and coatings.
- Saliva or a quick breath on the lens. Neither actually cleans; they mostly smear oils around.
- Hot water. High heat can harm some lens coatings and frame materials.
Wash your microfiber cloth regularly with mild soap and let it air-dry. Skip fabric softener, which leaves a residue that streaks lenses.
Pre-moistened wipes made for eyeglass lenses are handy in a bag or glovebox. Use each one once and toss it, since a used wipe can carry grit back onto the lens.
Storing and handling your glasses
- Use a hard case whenever the glasses aren’t on your face, especially in a bag or a car.
- Never set them down lens-side down. If there’s no case nearby, fold them and rest them with the lenses facing up.
- Keep them out of hot cars. Heat on a dashboard or seat can warp frames and damage lens coatings, even on a mild Central Coast day with the windows up.
- Take them off with two hands. Pulling them off with one hand stretches the frame and loosens the hinges over time.
- Don’t park them on top of your head. It stretches the temples, and the frame loses its fit.
- Keep them out of loose pockets and the bottom of a beach bag, where keys, coins and sand can scratch the lenses.
Sunglasses need the same care. Mirror and other surface coatings scratch just as easily as clear lenses, so give them a case of their own.
When to bring them in
Cleaning can’t fix a frame that has drifted out of shape. Bring your glasses to an optician if:
- They slide down, sit crooked or press behind your ears.
- A screw is loose or a hinge feels wobbly.
- The nose pads look yellowed, cracked or stiff.
- A lens coating looks peeled, cracked or hazy even after a good wash.
At Aesthetic Eye Care in San Luis Obispo, our opticians offer personalized help with frames and lenses. Call (805) 439-1010 or request an appointment online, and bring the pair you wear most.
Is it OK to clean glasses with dish soap?
Yes. A small drop of mild, lotion-free dish soap and lukewarm water is a gentle everyday method for most lenses. Rinse well and dry with a clean cloth.
Can I use paper towels or tissues to clean my glasses?
It’s best not to. They can leave fine scratches and lint behind. Use a clean microfiber cloth instead.
How do I get scratches out of my lenses?
Scratches can’t really be polished out, and home tricks like toothpaste or baking soda can make things worse by wearing away coatings. If scratches bother you, ask your optician about new lenses.
How often should I wash my glasses?
A rinse and wash once a day keeps oils from building up, with a quick microfiber wipe in between as needed. Rinse right away after the beach or a dusty hike.
Keep reading
More from our eyewear guide
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A fit checklist for frame width, bridge, temples, cheeks and brows, plus signs your glasses need an adjustment.
Read about how glasses should fitEyeglass Lens Coatings: What Each One Does
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Read about lens coatingsEyeglass Frame Materials Compared
Acetate, plastics, metals, titanium, aluminum and natural materials compared on weight, flex and durability.
Read about frame materialsAccepting new patients
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