How To Clean Your Glasses
Thursday February 27th, 2025
If you're like me, you've worn glasses for a large percentage of your life but were never taught how to properly clean them. I've used disposable alcohol-based lens wipes, I've breathed on them and wiped them with a tissue (or my shirt), I've used those little microfiber cloths until they gained sentience, and none of it really does the job beyond a level I'll call "tolerable". My spouse has shared with me the secrets of proper spectacle care, and I thought I'd pass the information on to anyone else who struggles with lens maintenance.
- Turn on the warm water and give the lenses a rinse. This is to wash away any dust, eyelashes, dandruff or other debris that might scratch the lenses, and to make step 2 easier.
- Put a drop of dish soap on each side of both lenses. The water from step 1 should help the soap adhere to the lenses as you turn them over.
- Rub the lenses between your thumb and finger. Spread the soap over as much of the lens surface as possible.
- Rinse the lenses thoroughly. Continue using warm water, as switching to cool water at this stage can cause fogging. Rinse until you don't see any suds or a colorful soap sheen; all that should remain is droplets of water.
- Pat the lenses dry using a soft clean cloth. Microfiber works best for this purpose. You don't want to wipe them, as this can cause unpleasant streaking (and may cause scratching if an insufficiently soft cloth is used.) Just gently pat the lenses until all the water droplets are gone.
- Wipe away any water that got onto the frames. If you don't need to wear them immediately, you can also leave them to air dry.
That's it! Put your glasses on and see with perfect clarity for the first time since they were brand new. Repeat every few days as needed. Thanks again to Izzy for teaching me this technique without making me feel gross or dumb. Sometimes we can't see what we're always looking at 🦝
Edit: thanks to Pixel for mentioning that dish soap may damage some protective films or special coatings (e.g. for antireflectivity.) If your lenses have this, check the care instructions for recommended cleaning options.