I'm new to glasses, finding it impossible to keep them clean. Advice?

[invictius]

Was recently diagnosed with astigmatism, glasses not mandatoy but I sure do need them to tell the difference between 1080p and 4k (Built in antialiasing without them, yay!)  No matter what I clean them with, they either retain a smudge/streak/smear and no amount of cleaning will get it off.  Microfiber cloth only, cloth with water, water only, special glasses wipes, glasses spray-on cleaning solution, warm water with dishwashing liquid on my fingertip, etc.  I can still see through them fine most of the time, which is surprising because if I had a smudge on my eye, I'd be seeing that smudge overlaid on everything.  Dust particles also don't seem to affect my vision (As in seeing the particle).  Are they meant to be worn mildly smudgy and dirty?  Even my new pair came out of the case with sparkly looking dust particles - the moment I tried to clean them (After using a lenses brush to remove the dust) - it was smudge city.

[OniriA]

Edited October 16, 2023 by OniriA

[invictius]

17 minutes ago, OniriA said:

Wouldn't they cause scratches since they're a very coarse surface?

[TheMagicMushroomMan]

Just use whatever organ juice is available.

[DannyMan]

Just use the len wipes 

[Arrowhead]

1 hour ago, invictius said:

Are they meant to be worn mildly smudgy and dirty?  Even my new pair came out of the case with sparkly looking dust particles - the moment I tried to clean them (After using a lenses brush to remove the dust) - it was smudge city.

You'll eventually find that having to have them 100% clean all the time is more annoying than just dealing w/ the occasional smudge.

 

I know some people that are meticulous about keeping their glasses clean, while others just aren't bothered by it. I'm somewhere in between. It's more annoying to constantly clean every little particle off than it is to just 'deal w/ it' sometimes.

 

I don't usually clean my glasses every day, but usually every second day or so, (unless the smudge / obstruction is really bad, then I'll fix it then and there). Also, I use just a normal dry tissue / toilet paper to clean them.

 

I have been wearing glasses for 24 years - and they've never been scratched from that - it's always good to have anti-scratch though - most modern glasses have it included. Nothing worse than permanently having to see a scratch over everything for however long it takes to get the glasses fixed / replaced.

 

But yeah, wipes are fine, but get expensive if you're cleaning your glasses multiple times a day. Just my two cents. Glasses aren't perfect - they can take some getting used to.

 

:)

[Grazza]

Warm soapy water. Wipe gently with fingers. Rinse. Leave to dry on their own for a while. Then wipe with a suitable and fairly dry cloth.

 

Main thing (which goes for any lens) is always to use cloth to wipe them, never paper. At a microscopic level paper is wood splinters, which will quickly ruin any glass lens with countless tiny scrataches. Make sure the cloth you use is clean, and ideally one specifically designed for lenses.

 

Also, if you can get suitable glasses off the shelf, buy a whole bunch of cheap ones from Amazon, and dot them round the house, place of work, vehicle, back pack, travel bag, etc. Then you will always have a pair in an emergency, rather than getting paranoid about losing your only pair. With astigmatism this might be trickier than just (e.g.) myopia, but you can probably find emergency glasses that are of some use. Even if it is just to help find where you've put the real ones.

 

Edited October 16, 2023 by Grazza

[Hebonky]

I thought they all came with a small cleaning rag?

Edited October 16, 2023 by Hebonky

[thiccyosh]

1 hour ago, OniriA said:

 

Based.

[Guff dotD]

I personally use Alchohol-based single use wipes (they come in bulk) when my glasses get really mucky.

[Jello]

1 hour ago, OniriA said:

That's kind of a dick thing to post. Especially to someone who's new to wearing glasses.

 

But yes, never use toilet paper or paper towels to clean your glasses. They're made of coarse wood fibers, and they'll scratch the Hell out of them. Just get a few lens clothes designed specifically for use with glasses, and some lens cleaner. Or you can use your fingers and some soapy water like Gazza mentioned. But yeah, you're going to almost always have some smudges on them, I've been wearing them for around twenty years now, little more, and it is hard to get used to at first. But just give it some time, you'll get used to it. But again, never use coarse materials, like paper towels or toilet paper, or even your shirt. A cotton t-shirt is still coarse enough to cause scratches over time.

[TheMagicMushroomMan]

Do you have special lenses or anything? I've had some pairs that are easier to clean than others.

[LVENdead]

For day to day, use a microfiber cloth and just wipe them as they become overbearingly smudged. You probably got one with your pair of glasses and it's sufficient to get the job done. You can use the cleaning spray you may have also gotten for any smudges that are difficult. It's not impossible but it's impractical to keep them COMPLETELY clean all the time, and eventually your eyes will get used to it. I basically only clean my glasses when I can tell they are dirty.

[OniriA]

1 hour ago, invictius said:

Wouldn't they cause scratches since they're a very coarse surface?

 

I've been wearing glasses for years and use the soft pocket tissues if I have ém as they are soft. It's fine and practical for any situation. 

The first time I got glasses I used to want to thoroughly clean them and was careful with any scratches but eventually you just use what's most practical.

However if you don't have those then either toiletpaper (wich is also fairly soft) or the kitchen ones if you don't have anything else still does the job.

Just don't press too hard. I've been doing fine for years with ém. I barely have any scratches on mine.

Edited October 16, 2023 by OniriA

[invictius]

34 minutes ago, Grazza said:

Warm soapy water. Wipe gently with fingers. Rinse. Leave to dry on their own for a while. Then wipe with a suitable and fairly dry cloth.

Make a mixture of soapy water then dip my fingers in, then rinse by pouring the water over them?

32 minutes ago, Hebonky said:

I thought they all came with a small cleaning rag?

They never seem to get anything off for me, tried them with vr lenses and tv also with no luck.

20 minutes ago, Guff dotD said:

I personally use Alchohol-based single use wipes (they come in bulk) when my glasses get really mucky.

Isopropyl?

16 minutes ago, TheMagicMushroomMan said:

Do you have special lenses or anything? I've had some pairs that are easier to clean than others.

Not that I know of, one lens is just a little different to the other.

12 minutes ago, LVENdead said:

For day to day, use a microfiber cloth and just wipe them as they become overbearingly smudged.

The cloth itself seems to do shit all for smudges, only the wipes seem to do anything about that.  Even with the brand new pair I have.

[EraserheadBaby]

Try to wipe from one edge of the lens to the other.  Like, top to bottom.  The same motion every time.  If you're doing circular motions, sometimes it just pushes the smudge around instead of getting rid of it.  I just use a microfiber cloth in this manner and it works well. 

[Guff dotD]

1 minute ago, invictius said:

Isopropyl?

 

Yeah, just checked the back of a packet and it said it contains Isopropyl.

In the same sentence, it warned not to use them on contact lenses (obvious advice).

[ebrl]

1 hour ago, invictius said:

Are they meant to be worn mildly smudgy and dirty?

Mildly dirty, yes - you're never really going to stop some stuff from getting on it faster than you can be bothered to clean it without going insane.

 

Now, smudgy, hell no.

 

1 hour ago, invictius said:

No matter what I clean them with, they either retain a smudge/streak/smear and no amount of cleaning will get it off.  Microfiber cloth only, cloth with water, water only, special glasses wipes, glasses spray-on cleaning solution, warm water with dishwashing liquid on my fingertip, etc.

The solution is a lot simpler: dry toilet paper.

 

edit: btw I felt like I had to specify "dry" because you were really out there with some of your attempts. "Warm water with dishwashing liquid on my fingertip", really? Your lenses are smudgy and you're putting your greasy fingers on it to clean it?

Edited October 16, 2023 by ebrl

[invictius]

16 minutes ago, ebrl said:

Mildly dirty, yes - you're never really going to stop some stuff from getting on it faster than you can be bothered to clean it without going insane.

 

Now, smudgy, hell no.

 

The solution is a lot simpler: dry toilet paper.

 

edit: btw I felt like I had to specify "dry" because you were really out there with some of your attempts. "Warm water with dishwashing liquid on my fingertip", really? Your lenses are smudgy and you're putting your greasy fingers on it to clean it?

That's what the optician said he does, with clean finger of course.

Toilet paper doesn't seem to do anything but doesn't seem to make it worse, either.

Edited October 16, 2023 by invictius

[Majin]

to an extent they're always going to be dirty so you just have to live with it. it doesnt bother you after a while and subsequently you'll clean it less 

[invictius]

13 minutes ago, Majin said:

to an extent they're always going to be dirty so you just have to live with it. it doesnt bother you after a while and subsequently you'll clean it less 

They still look fine when using them, I'm just surprised how they can get smudges etc and thought something must be wrong.  I can't even see dust specks when using them.

[LoatharMDPhD]

// Are they Rose Tinted?

[OniriA]

12 minutes ago, LoatharMDPhD said:

// Are they Rose Tinted?

 

[Hellektronic]

Microfiber cloth, cleaning solution, not touching your lenses (EVER!).

Scratch resistant glasses smudge like a mother ******, by the way. My brother learned that the hard way after using the same glasses for like 20 years then getting new ones. Be mindful of their smudginess.

[Fonze]

I'm too lazy to carry a microfiber cloth 😅 so for the last 20+ years of only owning 2 sets of glasses I just use my t-shirt/undershirt. No soap+water, just pressure and cloth. Makes it quick and easy to keep them cleaned when I notice too many little particles, weird glares, or for when the world seems otherwise inexplicably foggy. Have never had a problem with scratches that aren't from me being clumsy and dropping them lol. Alcohol wipes or dabbing a shirt or whatever in alcohol to sanitize is a good idea every now and again, don't need much if any pressure on the glass and mainly just focus on the frame to sanitize, then cloth to dry. Most of cleaning's function is accomplished through friction anyway, so beyond sanitizing just make it easy on yourself and it'll be less demotivating to maintain regularly.

[OniriA]

Or you could just grab this thing from the ground and wipe them clean using the ears.

 

[invictius]

Does anyone get glare at the very top of the glasses when looking at a screen?  I was told it was due to antireflective coating.  Is a bit annoying.

[Mr. Freeze]

microfiber cloths and glasses cleaner fluid are your best friends 

[S4turn]

idk if this is actually good advice but i just use warm water and my shirt it works for me

[TheMagicMushroomMan]

3 hours ago, Hellektronic said:

Scratch resistant glasses smudge like a mother ******, by the way.

Yeah, that's why I was asking if he has special lenses. You have all kinds of stuff - different kinds of scratch-resistant lenses, UV protection stuff, etc. and they all clean differently. I have a standard pair now, no special features, and I've never had trouble with smudging or anything compared to my old "scratch resistant" specs that turned out to be more like scratch magnets.