How to Clean Eyeglasses

Using Warm Water and Dish Soap

Wash your hands before cleaning your glasses. Wash up for 20 seconds with lotion-free soap and warm water. You’ll need to make sure your hands are free of dirt, grease, and grime before cleaning your glasses.

Rinse your glasses with warm water. Run a gentle stream of tap water over your glasses. Rotate them to wet both sides of each lens, the frame, and earpieces. Hot water is bad for lenses, protective coatings, and the frame, so be sure to use warm water.

Use your fingertips to carefully lather them with dish soap. Add a small drop of lotion-free dish soap to each lens. Make gentle circular motions with your fingertips to lather the soap over both sides of your lenses, around the frame, and down each earpiece.

Clean the nose pads with a cotton swab or soft toothbrush. Use gentle pressure as you scrub the nose pads and the crevices between them and the frame. If you’re using a toothbrush, make sure it’s soft-bristled. Avoid grazing the lenses with the toothbrush, even if it’s soft-bristled. If there’s buildup between the lenses and the frame, use a cotton swab to loosen it.

Wash away soap residue. Hold the glasses under running water again to rinse away soap suds. Make sure you’ve washed away all traces of soap, as any remaining residue will cause smudges.

Shake off excess water and make sure your lenses are clean. Turn off the water, then give your glasses a careful shake. Check the lenses to make sure they’re clear, and wash them again if you see any smudges.

Dry your glasses with a microfiber cloth. Fold a clean microfiber cloth over both sides of a lens. Make soft circular motions with your fingertips to dry it, then repeat on the other lens. Wipe the nose pads, then use the cloth to dry and polish the frame and earpieces.

Cleaning Your Glasses on the Go

Spray your glasses liberally with eyeglass cleaner. Spray cleaners for eyewear are available at pharmacies and eyewear retailers. If you can’t get to a sink and dish soap, spray your glasses with lots of cleaner to flush away dirt and debris. Some eyewear manufacturers and optometrists also offer free samples of spray cleaner. If you have anti-reflective (AR) glasses, make sure the cleaner you use is labelled safe for the AR coating.

Wipe away the cleaner with a microfiber cloth. After spraying your glasses, carefully wipe off excess cleaner. Fold the cloth over both sides of each lens, and make gentle circular motions with your fingertips to absorb the cleaner. Then use the cloth to dry the frame and earpieces.

Touch up your lenses with disposable eyeglass wet wipes. You can also clean your glasses with wet wipes when you’re on the go. Gently blow on them to remove dust and dirt, then gently rub them with a wet wipe using soft, circular motions. After cleaning them, dry them with a microfiber cloth. Only use wet wipes labelled for cleaning eyewear. If you have AR glasses, make sure your wipes are labelled safe for the AR coating.

Following an Eyewear Care Routine

Clean your glasses every morning and as needed. Make cleaning your glasses part of your morning routine. Check them regularly throughout the day, and touch them up as needed. Keeping your glasses clean and smudge-free will help prevent scratches.

Store your glasses in a hard case when you’re not wearing them. Don’t just throw your glasses in your purse or bag, and avoid placing the lenses on hard surfaces. When they’re not in use, keep them in a hard-shell case. The case should fit your glasses; if it’s too big, they might roll around and get damaged.

Wash your microfiber cloths frequently. Microfiber cloths collect grease and dirt, so you should wash yours after 2 or 3 uses. Some cloths are machine washable, so check the care instructions and launder them as directed. If your cloth isn’t machine washable, or if you’re not sure, hand wash it with dish soap, wring it out, then let it air dry.

Don’t wipe your glasses with your shirt, tissue, or a paper towel. Shirts, tissues, and paper towels contain fine debris that could scratch your glasses. Additionally, never wipe your glasses when they’re dry, or you’ll risk damaging them. Exhaling on your glasses and wiping them with your shirt might be convenient, but that’s a quick way to scratch up your lenses.