Tired of always having dirty glasses sitting on your nose? Worried about damaging them by rubbing them on your favourite sweater? The right way to clean your glasses can be learned. Bring out the cleaning expert in you, it’s time to go back to the basics of proper glasses care!

The right steps to clean your glasses

1-) The microfiber cloth, yes, but not on its own!

There’s no need to introduce the microfiber cloth, also known as a cleaning cloth, lens cloth or glasses wipe. Usually provided with your glasses, it allows you to wipe them clean, but it does not remove grease!

If you see fingerprints, the microfiber cloth will only spread them across the entire lens.

Disgusting, you say? Head to your optician to buy a special cleaning spray for your glasses. A little spray on the lenses, a quick wipe with your cloth to polish and clean them, and just like magic, you’ll see life clearly again!

Remember to wash your microfiber cloth regularly. You can wash it by hand or directly in the washing machine at 30°C for those who prefer the easy way, but always without fabric softener or detergent!

2-) Water and soap, simple and effective

To remove grease from your glasses, you can apply a drop of mild hand soap (pH 5.5). Gently massage the lenses with your fingers and rinse with water.

Even in winter, don’t give in to the temptation of using hot water. The lens coating could come off. Choose lukewarm water, which is ideal for protecting your glasses (if Rose survived the icy ocean, you should be able to handle the almost cold water from your tap).

Do not use paper products (paper towels) to dry your glasses. They could create micro-scratches. Leave them to air dry completely or wipe them with your microfiber cloth to avoid marks.

If you start noticing a lot of micro-scratches, it might be time to consider changing your glasses!

3-) Visit your optician

Most opticians have devices to clean your glasses using ultrasonic technology. Simply leave your pair in a water bath with ultrasonic waves for a few seconds, and goodbye to residue on your lenses!

This service is usually offered free of charge. It’s a great opportunity to visit your optician from time to time for a perfect deep clean.

Habits to avoid!

1-) Paper towels: anything but for glasses!

Paper towels, like other paper products, are made from wood pulp. Rubbing them on your lenses could make existing imperfections worse or create new scratches.

Cleaning wipes soaked with lens-cleaning products should also be avoided. Often rough and too dry, they can leave marks or scratches on your lenses.

2-) Be careful with the tissues you use!

If you have no spray, no microfiber cloth, no running water and an empty bottle of soap, be careful with the tissues you use. It is important to choose soft paper tissues to clean your glasses.

3-) Detergents are too harsh

Avoid any contact between your glasses and detergents, cleaning products or chemicals. They are too aggressive for your lenses and could damage the coating applied to them.

Forget about bleach, window cleaner and stain remover when cleaning your glasses.

4-) Leave your clothes where they belong

We see you, those of you who secretly replace your microfiber cloth with the corner of your shirt.

You have nothing else available to clean your glasses and you’re bumping into every pole on your way? Okay, you can use a piece of fabric to wipe your lenses. The only condition: it must be made of cotton and be clean! You never know when a grain of sand or dust might be stuck to it.

Using a cotton fabric other than your microfiber cloth should remain exceptional. Otherwise, beware of scratches on your lenses.

5-) Supermarket glasses cleaning products

Leave them at the supermarket!

6-) And finally…

Cleaning your glasses doesn’t only mean cleaning your lenses! Don’t forget to properly clean the frame, nose pads, the inside of your glasses around the nose area and the temples.

These areas come into contact with your skin, makeup or hair care products and can easily become greasy.

Let’s finish with one final tip! To avoid dirtying or scratching your lenses, never place your glasses face down. Store them in their properly sized protective case. It would be a shame to follow all our advice only for your glasses to end up scratched next to your keys at the bottom of your bag.