Lenses, not just frames
How to Clean Glasses Without Scratching Them
Rinse first, soap second, microfibre last. Dry grit plus a T-shirt is how coatings die.
Updated 27 Aug 2026 · 6 min read · how to clean glasses without scratching
Water first, always
The scratch is usually a grain of dust you dragged. Wetting lifts it. A dry wipe, even with a ‘glasses cloth’ that has lived in a pocket with keys, is sandpaper. Rinse. Then soap. Then cloth.
Lotion dish soap and hand soap leave film. Plain dish soap, a rice-grain amount. Rinse until the squeak goes.
What not to use
Paper towels are wood fibres. T-shirts are often grit plus polyester. Acetone, nail-polish remover, and many ‘lens wipes’ with alcohol are hard on AR coats and on acetate polish. Saliva is for film villains.
| Tool | Use |
|---|---|
| Lukewarm water + dish soap | Daily default |
| Clean microfibre | Dry after rinse |
| Spray made for AR lenses | Fine, if you still rinse grit first |
| Paper, clothing, tissues | No |
| Ammonia glass cleaner | No |
| Home ultrasonic | Usually no |
How often, and when to stop polishing a wreck
Once a day is plenty if you rinse when they are actually dirty. Coatings that already haze will not un-haze. That is a lens replacement, $40–$120, not a new cloth. Store them so you are not cleaning grit off twice — a case, not a dashboard.
Questions, answered
- Can I use alcohol wipes?
- Once in a pinch on glass. Repeatedly on coated plastic, you shorten the coat. Water and soap remain the default.
- Why do they fog after washing?
- You left surfactant. Rinse longer. A faint AR fog that never dries clear is a dying coat.
- Is the shirt ever fine?
- If you just rinsed and the shirt is clean silk, you will get away with it. You will not get away with it as a habit.
