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?
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.
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 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.
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 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)
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 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.
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Zeiss wipes.
Here’s what i do:
- Always use a lens cleaner 1 spray TO THE microfiber cloth
- Rub in 1 direction away from center, both sides
- Dirty microfiber just goes in the washing machine with other daily clothes
Just make sure not to get fabric softener on it
I rub them with my shirt whenever the smudges are making my view too blurry.
Cold tap, pocket handkerchief.
Rinse glasses. Rub on some hand soap or a very small amount of dish soap. Rinse again. Dry with paper towel.
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.
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!
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I clean them with the hem of my shirt, always assumed this is what everyone does.
