Cleaning Eyeglasses

[ElginStill]

Hello everyone,

I am quite new to eyeglasses so I still have a few questions to ask
all the experienced users here. You can read about my awesome first
time buying experience with Optical4Less here:
http://groups.google.com/group/glassyeyes/browse_thread/thread/1653a1e452a7b3e4.

My questions: How do you clean your eyeglasses properly? Are there
certain methods? Is using a cotton shirt to wipe the glasses damaging
to the glass?

Thanks in advance,
Elgin.

[powrwrap]

On Dec 26, 1:08 pm, ElginStill <elgin.st...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> My questions: How do you clean your eyeglasses properly? Are there
> certain methods? Is using a cotton shirt to wipe the glasses damaging
> to the glass?

Buy a large microcloth meant for cleaning eyeglasses. One that is
about 12" on a side. Then buy a large bottle of eyeglass cleaner. Hold
the glasses by the nose bridge and spray both sides of the lenses with
the eyeglass cleaner. Use the microcloth to clean/dry the lenses.

DO NOT USE COTTON SHIRT! It will scratch the lenses.

[John Szlachta]

Use regular dish soap (not dishwasher machine soap) - and warm water.
Wash everything, the lenses, nosepads, temples, etc. Rinse thoroughly.
Use common kitchen paper towels to dry. Do not rub too hard, use more
of a pat dry method with gentle wiping. I wash my eyeglasses once or
twice daily for about 12 hours of usage.

Most eyeglass stores sell a spray cleaner, which is just isopropyl
alcohol (common rubbing alcohol) and water. You can make your own
version for far less at home - be sure to use distilled water if you
do. The store-bought paper towels are lint-free and may contain cotton
fibers with less wood content - the wood content can scratch some
lenses. Although these fancy paper towels might work better, it's very
unlikely you'll notice any difference and they're much more expensive.

Examples of what not to use to clean your glasses include toilet paper
and facial tissue - these contain a small amount of moisturizer that's
good for your nose of butt but not so good for your lenses (it
smears).
The same can be said about hand soap or other bathroom soaps. They
commonly contain some lotions or animal fats that won't remove the
grease and oils from your lenses like dish soap will.

I don't know any serious optician that uses chamois cloth or t-shirts
and expects good results. If you're in a pinch, use whatever clean,
soft cloth you have available and the breath method - the idea is to
make the entire lens moist and wipe whatever oils you can from the
lenses.

[rudolphre...@gmail.com]

Hi Elgin,

Here are some links with good eyeglass cleaning instruction/tips that
may be helpful.

http://www.ehow.com/how_12526_clean-eyeglasses.html

Also thanks for sharing your Optical4Less story.
I feel inspired to write my own story now because I also had a good
experience with O4L as well.

Thanks,
Rudolph

On Dec 26, 2:08 pm, ElginStill <elgin.st...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Hello everyone,
>
> I am quite new to eyeglasses so I still have a few questions to ask
> all the experienced users here. You can read about my awesome first

> time buying experience with Optical4Less here:http://groups.google.com/group/glassyeyes/browse_thread/thread/1653a1....

[rudolphre...@gmail.com]

The store-bought paper towels are lint-free and may contain cotton
> fibers with less wood content - the wood content can scratch some
> lenses

To add to what John has said, I would say DON'T, DON'T, DON'T use
coffee filters, facial tissues, or any other similar products. They
are made from WOOD and can scratch your lenses.

Just My .02,
Rudolph

[Chuck Knight]

My glasses are all from Zenni, and they come with a microfiber cleaning cloth.  I've used that cloth, religiously, practically every day...and have no scratches from cleaning.

My routine is to use one of those cleaner sprays, because I had it already...  Wet both sides of the lens, and then wipe.  If I'm away from home, I'll use warm tap water or maybe a little hand soap with the water, depending on how bad the smudging is.  The liquid isn't even necessary because the fibers trap the dirt/grease, but it does help.

Dust is just microscopic sandy grit...wetting it and rinsing it away, it dissolves into something that won't scratch your lenses.

At least that's how mine seem to work.

     -- Chuck Knight

[N8N]

I've started using the microfiber things (got a couple of them with my
recent eyeglasses purchases) and am sold on them. However when my
glasses get really grungy I use the dish soap and then an old piece of
flour sack to dry them. Seems to be the only thing I can find that
does a good job of drying/polishing but does not either scratch the
lenses or leave fuzzies behind. Can't seem to find paper towels that
don't leave a few fuzzies. (if someone could recommend a brand that'd
be great, because that would make paint prep easier too, fewer tack
cloths to go through...)

nate

> >http://groups.google.com/group/glassyeyes/browse_thread/thread/1653a1....

>
> > My questions: How do you clean your eyeglasses properly? Are there
> > certain methods? Is using a cotton shirt to wipe the glasses damaging
> > to the glass?
>
> > Thanks in advance,

> > Elgin.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

[ElginStill]

Hey everyone,

Thanks for all the tips and suggestions. I will surely keep my
eyeglasses from O4L as flawless as possible.

Yours,
Elgin.

[Paul]

Once you buy a few pair of online eyeglasses, you'll have enough
cleaning cloths for many, many years. One for each room, one for each
pocket, etc.