Your eyeglasses are like anything else, they wear with age. So you have to take care of them and perform some maintenance from time to time. One problem that you might encounter if you wear glasses is that they get cloudy.
This can be due to grime, damage, or just plain dirtiness and just like a grimy windshield in your car, it can reduce your vision to almost nothing. While you can’t do a lot about scratched lenses, we do have some tricks that will help you clean your cloudy glasses while preserving the lenses.
Follow some of these simple tricks and pretty soon you will be seeing everything crystal clear.
Chances are that when you bought your glasses, they came with a microfiber cloth for cleaning your lenses. (By the way, Gadget Review has a great article about where to buy your glasses) Most of use probably lose our cloth right away or forget about it, but it is there for a reason, so use it. This cloth is perfect for cleaning dirt, smudges, and cloudiness from your lenses.
You’ll want to use a fabric that has not been exposed to fabric softener, or other harsh chemicals because this can cause streaks on your lenses. Cotton is a good choice. Do not use anything coarse like wool, tissues, or toilet paper, because this will scratch your lenses.
Glasses cleaner sprays are your friend. A good cleaner will cut through the dirt without harming your lenses or lens coatings. Just spray the cleaner onto your lens and wipe it clean with a clean, soft cloth. I hear what you’re saying, sometimes you just don’t have any glasses cleaner spray nearby. Here’s an alternative trick that works.
If you find yourself without any spray cleaner, you can use simple dish soap and warm water. All you have to do is use a drop of dish soap and warm water to cut through the dirt and grime. Gently rub your lenses with your finger to agitate the soap and move it around. Then just rinse and you are done. Your lenses will look amazing afterward.
After you clean your lenses with one of the options above, you’ll want to wipe them thoroughly with your soft cloth until they are dry. Just use gentle circular motions, it’s no different than waxing your car. Do not use scrubbing force as that can damage your lenses over time.
In most cases, this will be enough to get your glasses perfectly clean, but if they are still dirty you can repeat the process again. This second pass should get even the most stubborn dirt and grime.
So these tips will keep your lenses looking great and also allow you to have the best vision possible. But what can you do about a dirt and grime on the nose pad? We have some good ways to clean that too. That small area between the nose pad and the lenses can get very dirty, with oil and dust. It’s a good idea to keep it clean for hygiene reasons alone.
It’s easy to clean the nose pad area. Just use a soft bristle toothbrush, some dish soap, and warm water. That is all you need to break up the grime and dirt. Just be very careful that you don’t brush your lenses with the toothbrush.
We talked about the fact that you never seem to have lens cleaning spray around when you need it, but that is easily solved. Just make your own. It’s easy. Plus it is cheaper than buying it. You’ll need Dish soap, Isopropyl alcohol (or witch hazel), a microfiber cloth, a spray bottle, and water.
Make sure that you add water and isopropyl alcohol in a 1-to-1 ratio. Then shake it all up in the spray bottle to mix the solution. You only need a tiny amount of soap. Spray it on your glasses and clean them as you normally would.
Keeping your eyeglasses properly maintained has a lot to do with taking care of your microfiber cloth. Keep it in a case where it will not collect dust. A dusty cloth will scratch your lenses. You may want to store it in your glasses case at all times. It’s also a good idea to wash your cloth from time to time as well.
Of course, the best way care for you to care for your glasses so that they will last a long time is to clean them regularly in the ways I have outlined here. With proper care, your glasses will last a long time and you will see the world clearly.
With more people wearing glasses than ever before, we all need to know how to care for our eyeglasses.
