Hate the spots and smudges on your lenses? Cleaning your glasses with your shirt or a random paper towel is something to avoid. It may seem like a valid cleaning method that does its job, but it’s not good for you and your glasses.

In this article, you’ll learn how to disinfect glasses and practice proper cleaning techniques for clearer vision.

5 Steps to Clean and Sanitize Glasses

It’s easy to learn how to disinfect glasses. Here are some steps to follow:

Step 1: Wash Your Hands

Cleaning your glasses with dirty hands can transfer bacteria to your glasses. Use warm water and soap to remove grease and grime in your hands before touching the frames.

Step 2: Wash Your Glasses

Let warm water run down the frame and lenses of your glasses.

Step 3: Clean the Frames

Apply foaming or gentle hand soap on your hands. Use it to wipe the entire surface of the glasses and clean the hidden grimes and oil on parts like the temples, bridge, nose pads, and rims. Then wash the soap away. This helps prevent smudges and spots when moving on to clean lenses.

Step 4: Wipe the Lenses

After rinsing with soap, wipe and dry the lenses using a lens or microfiber cloth. Avoid using anti-bacterial wipes or cloths with abrasive materials to prevent scratches on lenses. Then place it on the eyeglass case when not in use to prevent contamination.

Step 5: Maintain Cleanliness

Bring your lens cloth throughout the day in case your glasses get smudged. This prevents you from using random tools to sanitize your glasses because it might do more harm than good and expose you to bacteria. You can also carry a glasses sanitizer spray with you to help keep your glasses especially clean.

Why You Should Sanitize Your Eyeglasses

The bacteria that causes health infections can thrive in your unclean frames and moist lens. So you must have proper sanitization practices like disinfecting your eyewear once a day. Here are more critical reasons why you should learn how to disinfect glasses:

  • Removes contagious germs and bacteria
  • Prevent eye infections like conjunctivitis
  • Prevent blackheads and acne
  • Helps achieve clearer vision
  • Prevents permanent damage on glasses like scratches on lenses

The Germs on Your Glasses

Some eye infections you encounter could be from your dirty glasses. It can come from your hands, where bacteria and eye irritants can easily attach. Adjusting or touching your glasses then transfers bacteria close to your eyes.

This contagious cycle transfers different kinds of germs and viruses to your glasses. It can cause corneal infections and inflammation.

Here are some bacteria that can require you to sanitize glasses:

  • Mold spores
  • Eye irritants
  • Pink eye
  • Blepharitis
  • Bacterial keratitis
  • Sty

3 Methods to Sanitize Glasses

Learning how to disinfect glasses isn’t a one-size-fits-all step. There are different ways to incorporate sanitation into your eyewear. Here are some ways to sanitize glasses.

1. Soap and Water

Soap is a simple, but effective, glasses sanitizer. The simplest method to use when figuring out how to disinfect glasses is to rinse them with warm water while allowing soap to remove the bacteria and viruses. It’s easy and lets you clean tight parts of the glasses.

2. Lens Cleansing Wipes

There are pre-moistened wipes you can use specifically to sanitize glasses and clean lenses gently without causing permanent scratches. You can use it for coated lenses since it’s excellent for cleaning optical wear.

Simply wipe the lens to remove dust, stains, dirt, and bacteria. Most lens cleansing wipes don’t leave residues. Instead, it can add shine to your glasses, so it’s easier for you to see.

Cleansing wipes have a streak-free formula that can help sanitize glasses effectively.

3. Seek Professional Cleaning

An eye care professional can expertly sanitize glasses. If you have a glasses adjustment, ask if they offer complimentary cleaning. Your clinic might offer free cleaning along with your annual eye visit.

The Do’s and Don’ts When Sanitizing Glasses

You might be cleaning your glasses the wrong way. Here are some tips on how to disinfect glasses without damaging your frames and lenses.

Do: Wipe With a Microfiber Cloth

Ditch the habit of wiping your glasses with any random cloth you see. If you have no lens cloth, use a microfiber one. It’s soft and safe without leaving any lint, smudging, or scratching.

Don’t: Wipe With Your Shirt

Wiping the dirt on your glasses with a shirt is not effective. It only transfers the germs from your shirt to your lens. If your shirt is an abrasive cloth, its fibers can damage the lenses. Moreover, this method will not sanitize your glasses, just clean them.

Do: Use a Cleaning Solution

Cleaning solutions contain a gentle but effective formula safe for your glasses. It’s easy to find online or in local stores. Companies may sell it as a spray or glasses sanitizer. Otherwise, use gentle dish soap with no lotion ingredients that can leave particles on your lens.

If you have contacts, you should also use a cleaning solution to store and clean them to prevent eye infections.

Don’t: Use Acidic Cleansers

Note that not all cleansing tools can be safe to use when learning how to disinfect glasses. They might do the job of disinfecting but can cause your lens to wear off. Avoid cleansers that are particularly high in acidic concentrations, especially alcohol. If your glasses have advanced coatings, acidic cleansers can ruin your lens. Here are some examples of acidic cleansers:

  • Ammonia
  • Window cleaner
  • Rubbing alcohol
  • Bleach
  • Lemon juice or vinegar
  • Nail polish remover
  • Acetone

Do: Buy Lens-Cleansing Kits

If you’re not sure what to use to ensure your glasses’ safety, buy a cleansing kit. It contains products tailored for lens disinfection. It comes with a soft lens cloth and a gentle cleansing solution.

Don’t: Wipe With Breath or Spit

You might want to wipe your glasses using your breath or spit as an alternative to cleansing solutions. However, using your breath or saliva to clean your glasses is the most unsanitary method, though it might be the quickest.

Sanitize Your Glasses Every Day to Keep Infections Away

Dirt and bacteria can easily cause you harm. Germs in your glasses might be the least of your expectations, but your frames contain oil and makeup buildup. Use the steps on how to disinfect glasses to protect yourself from eye infections, or contact the talented care team at Art of Optiks today for further guidance.