How to Clean Eyeglasses
Clean eyeglasses properly using lukewarm water, lotion-free dish soap, and a microfiber cloth to eliminate oils, debris, and streaks without damaging lens coatings.
- Read the tools, materials, safety notes, and steps below for free.
- Tap Start Camera Coach when you want hands-free voice help.
- Allow camera and microphone. Point your phone at the work; the coach watches your progress and tells you the next step.
🧰 Required Tools & Equipment
- ✓ Clean microfiber cloth
- ✓ Sink with running water faucet
- ✓ Soft-bristle detailing brush
📦 Materials & Supplies
- ✓ Lotion-free dish soap
- ✓ Lukewarm tap water
⚠️ Safety Checkpoints & Warnings
- • Never use hot water; high temperatures cause anti-reflective and UV lens coatings to craze and crack.
- • Avoid paper towels, tissue paper, or shirt fabric, which contain wood pulp fibers that permanently scratch delicate lenses.
- • Do not use household glass cleaners containing ammonia, bleach, or vinegar, as they strip protective lens coatings.
📋 Step-by-Step Guide (6 Steps)
Wash and Dry Hands
Lather hands with soap and warm water for 20 seconds, ensuring fingers and palms are clean. Dry completely with a clean, lint-free towel to prevent transferring skin oils or grit back onto the lenses.
- • Hands are completely dry with no residual soap foam or visible debris.
- • Skipping handwashing and transferring sebum directly to clean lens surfaces.
Rinse Frames Under Lukewarm Water
Hold the eyeglass frame by the bridge under a gentle stream of lukewarm tap water. Thoroughly wet both sides of each lens and the entire frame to rinse off loose dust and abrasive grit.
- • Water sheets over both lenses and frame components, washing away loose dust particles.
- • Rubbing dry lenses before rinsing, which drags sharp dust particles across the coating.
Apply Lotion-Free Dish Soap
Place a single tiny drop of lotion-free dish soap onto your fingertip or directly onto each lens. Spread the soap across front and rear lens surfaces using gentle circular motions.
- • A light, clear soap lather evenly covers both sides of each lens without thick buildup.
- • Using moisturizing soaps that contain hand lotions, leaving a cloudy film.
Lather Frame, Hinges, and Nose Pads
Work the lather along the frame rim, temple arms, and especially around the nose pads where facial oil and sweat accumulate. Use a soft-bristle brush lightly on the crevices around nose pad brackets if grime is present.
- • Lather covers the entire frame structure, nose pads, and hinge junctions.
- • Cleaning only the lenses and ignoring oily nose pads, which quickly re-contaminates lenses.
Rinse Soap Residue Thoroughly
Hold the glasses under running lukewarm water to wash away all soap lather from lenses, frame, and hinge areas. Angle the lenses so the water stream sheets smoothly across the glass, carrying bubbles away.
- • Water runs clear with zero soap bubbles clinging to lenses, nose pads, or frame joints.
- • Leaving soap trapped in hinge recesses, which can degrade metal hardware over time.
Dry with a Microfiber Cloth
Gently shake the glasses over the sink to dislodge heavy water droplets. Inspect the lenses, then dry both sides along with the entire frame using a clean, optical-grade microfiber cloth.
- • Lenses are crystal clear, streak-free, and frame is completely dry under direct light.
- • Using a dirty microfiber cloth that has collected dust in a pocket or bag.
Credit: inspired by an original tutorial by Doctor Eye Health — watch the original on YouTube.
Don’t have everything?
- No Soft-bristle detailing brush? Soft baby toothbrush or clean cotton swab
- No Lotion-free dish soap? Dedicated optical lens cleaning spray (applied to dry cloth)