Cleaning my glasses

Musiqua

This might be an obvious question, but what is the best way to clean your glasses? The lenses themselves are easy enough, but I'm having a hard time cleaning the frames under the nose pads, where quite a lot of grease and dirt has collected. Any suggestions?

I'm thinking of submerging the glasses in hot water to get it off that way. Is that okay or is there a risk of damaging anything that way? The frames are metallic, btw.

Ganluan

I'm wondering the same thing, although a lot of times even my lenses become smudged really easily. I have to use a piece of tissue paper to try and clear them up, because anything else just seems to smudge them even more.

Precursor

Musiqua wrote: »

This might be an obvious question, but what is the best way to clean your glasses? The lenses themselves are easy enough, but I'm having a hard time cleaning the frames under the nose pads, where quite a lot of grease and dirt has collected. Any suggestions?

I'm thinking of submerging the glasses in hot water to get it off that way. Is that okay or is there a risk of damaging anything that way? The frames are metallic, btw.

Call the store where you bought your glasses. Chances are they'll replace the nose pads for you, no charge. You can just go there, get the pads taken off, and clean the crap off before they replace the pads.

DaySleeper

Your optometrist should have lens-cleaning solution available. It's usually a small spray bottle. Using tissues is bad news (especially for plastic lenses) as they tend to scratch things up terribly. I'd recommend using the spray stuff and a soft cloth, similar to a cloth diaper (which is what my parents actually use).

As for cleaning the rest, hot water (as long as it's not boiling) should be fine to soak the stuff. I usually take my glasses all the way apart every now and again and just give them a good washing. A caveat: it is easy to strip the screws that hold the lenses in, so be careful there. The screws that hold the pads on (if you have them) are a little hardier.

supabeast

I just use dishwashing soap and soft paper towels. No scratches in a decade.

crake

Get the pads replaced for a fresh start, and then start cleaning them with vinegar (rinse in hot water) You can swoosh them around in a bowl of it if particularly gunky, but try not to let them go that far. (soaking overnight might revitalize your current nose pads, but I'm not sure?)

Synonymous

There are soft microfiber cleaning cloths that you can buy for $3-5 that're the best thing to avoid scratches on the lenses. Not the OP's question, but since we're discussing lenses on the side...

oniian

Costco usually gives those small cloths away for free and they really good for cleaning your glasses. They are small and usually come with a carrying pouch.

Musiqua

Hm. Maybe I wasn't too clear in my OP. The lenses aren't the issue, I can clean those well enough. It's near the pads that's hard. But thanks for the advice. I'll try some of them out, and get new clean pads for them.

DaySleeper

Synonymous wrote: »

There are soft microfiber cleaning cloths that you can buy for $3-5 that're the best thing to avoid scratches on the lenses. Not the OP's question, but since we're discussing lenses on the side...

I've always found those to be very smeary. I get the best results from clean cotton (usually a t-shirt).

Synonymous

DaySleeper wrote: »

I've always found those to be very smeary. I get the best results from clean cotton (usually a t-shirt).

Do you mean the disposables or the reusable, actual-cloth ones? I've used the latter, and I can only speak to my own experience about them working very well, particularly with avoiding scratching. (Perhaps a vial of the spray-on lens cleaner would help with the smearing in your case?) Paper towels and clothes, with me, have always led to scratches.

(ETA: the ones oniian mentions are a version of the cloths I mention.)

But enough of me! How about that OP's problem, huh?