# Best way to clean prescription eyeglasses? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 17, 2000, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-clean-prescription-eyeglasses/29777 "2000-08-17T20:34:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Myrr21](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Myrr21](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myrr21)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2000, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-clean-prescription-eyeglasses/29777/21 "2000-08-21T02:56:15Z")
Wait, you mean I have to clean them? ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2000, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-clean-prescription-eyeglasses/29777/22 "2000-08-21T03:24:43Z")
I wear my glasses in the shower (how else would I see to get into the bathtub?)(No, I can’t find a bathtub without my glasses on, it’s too small). I use Dial soap on my glasses. Every few days I scrub the frames and the grooves between frames and lenses with an old soft toothbrush. Do NOT use alcohol, or anything containing alcohol, on plastic frames. It causes them to “frost”. ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2000, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-clean-prescription-eyeglasses/29777/23 "2000-08-21T13:29:42Z")
I wondered why my frames are frosted. I often use alcohol swabs. Doesn’t that frost my \*\*\* (censored). ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2000, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-clean-prescription-eyeglasses/29777/24 "2000-08-21T13:47:03Z")
I find walking through a car wash very effective. However be sure to select NO WAX. The next best way to preserve your glasses is to learn to look around the gunk. This way there will be no scratches, no micro-scratches, no frosting, (well there is a little frosting on my glasses right now from my birthday cake) or any other damage. ---
**Author:** ![TheThill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheThill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheThill)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2000, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-clean-prescription-eyeglasses/29777/25 "2000-08-21T13:54:02Z")
Simple answer: just have the butler take care of it. ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2000, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-clean-prescription-eyeglasses/29777/26 "2000-08-21T14:21:23Z")
We can discuss what kind of solutions to use to clean your glasses ad infinitum. But I have the final solution. Have PRK done. ---
**Author:** ![Spider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Spider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spider)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2000, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-clean-prescription-eyeglasses/29777/27 "2000-08-21T14:29:12Z")
Given the above stuff, I’,m sure this is wrong, but an old chem prof once told me that newspaper is good for wiping glasses. He said the paper was not hard enough to scratch glass and the ink acted as a polishing agent. Just thought I’d throw that in. ---
**Author:** ![Hedgemeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/77aa72/32.png) [@Hedgemeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hedgemeister)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2000, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-clean-prescription-eyeglasses/29777/28 "2000-08-21T14:34:27Z")
I just pull 'em off, lick all 4 surfaces, dry them with the inside of my shirt, and they’re good to go. I try not to perform this action too soon after eating chunky peanut butter, though. ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2000, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-clean-prescription-eyeglasses/29777/29 "2000-08-21T17:05:38Z")
My suggestion: wash them as you’ve been doing, but instead of figuring out what to use to dry them, give it one last rinse under very hot water. Then shake them a bit and whatever water doesn’t shake off, will evaporate quite quickly. No need to use any kind of paper or cloth at all. ---
**Author:** ![Silo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ac91a4/32.png) [@Silo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silo)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2000, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-clean-prescription-eyeglasses/29777/30 "2000-08-21T18:01:09Z")
I’ve found an all cotton cloth or Kimwipes EX-L work the best. ---
**Author:** ![stinkydoodle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/22d042/32.png) [@stinkydoodle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stinkydoodle)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2015, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-clean-prescription-eyeglasses/29777/31 "2015-10-22T00:50:33Z")
hey, this is what I’ve found to be the best for me. small travel sized sprayer (you can find 1 from Walmart for $0.99 in the travel toiletry section) 3/4 water 1/4 alcohol couple of drops dawn soap shake well, then spritz and use a microfiber cloth. whatever you do, DO NOT dry your microfiber cloth with a fabric softener, instead, just air dry them by hanging them somewhere in your house. for men, DO NOT squeeze to tightly with the microfiber on the glass surface. tada, if you keep it up, you can keep your glasses scratch free for a long time ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2015, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-clean-prescription-eyeglasses/29777/32 "2015-10-23T14:15:45Z")
15 years later and we still get new advice. Nice. ---
**Author:** ![race\_to\_the\_bottom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c4cdca/32.png) [@race\_to\_the\_bottom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/race_to_the_bottom)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2015, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-clean-prescription-eyeglasses/29777/33 "2015-10-23T18:24:17Z")
Run warm water over the lenses first to dislodge larger particles. Put a small amount of dish soap between your thumb and forefinger, coat the lenses, and swab them under the warm water stream. Rinse with more warm water. Shake off as much water as possible and blot dry with a cotton towel. ---
**Author:** ![jimbuff314](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c57346/32.png) [@jimbuff314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimbuff314)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2015, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-clean-prescription-eyeglasses/29777/34 "2015-10-23T19:47:39Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > 15 years later and we still get new advice. Nice. Well, the OP, though long since banned, _was_ seeking the **best** way to clean eyeglasses, not just a “reasonably good”'way. To me, that leaves the question open unto the vast reaches of eternity. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2015, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-clean-prescription-eyeglasses/29777/35 "2015-10-23T20:57:20Z")
Last week I sprayed a masonry sealant (siloxane) on our chimney. It was windy and some siloxane got on my glasses. Soap and water wouldn’t remove it. Alcohol didn’t work, either. Acetone did the job perfectly. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2015, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-clean-prescription-eyeglasses/29777/36 "2015-10-24T02:06:26Z")
Dishwashing liquid and a fine and/or microfiber cloth. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-clean-prescription-eyeglasses/29777.md?page=1)