Top tips for keeping your sunglasses & eyewear clean

29th July 2020

As mentioned in a previous news post, in the midst of this worldwide pandemic it’s important to keep your eyewear clean. Here are some top tips for doing that:

• Don’t use a handkerchief or corner of a shirt/blouse. These can contain particles of dust and dirt which can easily scratch your lenses when you start rubbing. Paper towels and napkins are just as bad. They’re essentially pulped wood and surprisingly abrasive whilst also leaving particles of dust on the lens.
• For best results ideally use a proprietary lens cleaning liquid; condensation from your breath isn’t recommended even if you’re using a microfibre cloth. Alternatively you can rinse your sunglasses/eyewear in warm (not hot) water. Run a bowl of water and add a couple of drops of mild washing-up liquid to it. Then simply give the sunglasses a good dunking to remove all the dirt and gently rub them with your fingers in the water. Then dry with a clean, lint-free cloth (eg. microfibre cloth). However, don’t apply washing up liquids – particularly citric ones – directly onto lenses as they can be abrasive, some containing salt.
• Don’t forget to give the frame a good clean too. When you wear your sunglasses or spectacles the areas most likely to be contaminated with grease, dirt and grime are the nose pads, temples and the frame surrounding the lenses.
• It’s very important to avoid household glass cleaners: general purpose household glass cleaners can contain vinegar, ammonia or even bleach making these cleaners too ‘aggressive’ for eyewear lenses – they can strip away mirror or anti-reflective coatings. We have some low cost options on purpose-made lens cleaners in our accessories section.