The short answer: rinse your glasses under lukewarm water first to float off dust and grit, add one drop of dish soap, rub each lens gently with your fingertips, rinse again, and dry with a clean microfiber cloth. The rinse is the important part — scratches happen when you wipe a dry, gritty lens.
The 30-second method
- Rinse both sides under lukewarm running water. This alone removes the particles that scratch.
- Put a single drop of dish soap on your fingertip and work it over each lens and the nose pads.
- Rinse the soap off completely.
- Dry with a clean microfiber cloth, or let them air-dry and buff lightly.
Lukewarm, not hot — heat can craze some lens coatings over time.
What to never use
- Your shirt, a tissue, or paper towel — wood-based fibers are abrasive and hold grit.
- Window or glass cleaner with ammonia — it strips anti-reflective and mirror coatings.
- Acetone, alcohol, or vinegar on coated or acetate frames unless the maker approves it.
- Spit or breath fog then a dry wipe — the classic move, and a reliable way to grind in fine scratches.
Why dry-wiping is the real culprit
An anti-reflective coating is thinner than a soap bubble. A speck of dust caught under a dry cloth acts like sandpaper and leaves hairline arcs you can see against a bright screen. Once they are in the coating, they do not polish out. Rinsing first is not optional fussiness — it is the whole trick.
Keep a cloth where you need it
A microfiber cloth in the case, one at your desk, one in the car. Wash them every couple of weeks in the laundry — a dirty cloth just redeposits oil. A clean lens starts with a clean cloth.
From our test bench. We deliberately abused a coated lens to see how fast it fails: ten dry wipes with a dusty cloth left visible micro-scratches under bright light. The same lens rinsed first survived weeks of daily cleaning with no marks. The method matters more than the cloth.
FAQ
Can I use lens cleaner spray instead of water?
Yes, a spray labeled safe for coated lenses works well when a tap is not handy — spray both sides, then wipe with a microfiber cloth so the fluid lifts the grit instead of a dry cloth dragging it. Water and dish soap does the same job at home for less.
How do I clean the nose pads and hinges?
The same soapy rinse, plus a soft toothbrush for the crust that builds up around plastic nose pads and hinges. That green or white buildup is dried skin oil and sweat; a gentle scrub clears it without scratching the frame.
Part of The Eyewear Care Manual · Shop cases and cloths · Last updated: July 29, 2026
