Cleaning "Nice" Sunglasses

[Amer]

Hey guys! So after breaking my third pair of cheap (but still $20) pair of walmart/walgreens Foster Grants this year (always a problem in the temple/arm area), my wife offered to buy me a nice pair of sunglasses for my upcoming birthday. I've never owned a "nice" pair of sunglasses although I used to wear glasses in my youth before switching over to contacts at 12.

We went to Sunglass Hut because I felt like it was one of those things where I just couldn't buy it blindly online. I thought about finding a pair I liked and then just going online, but the girl helping me was so friendly and helpful that I decided to buy them there and I admit I was a little weary of fakes online.

So I wound up with a pair of Ray-Ban Polarized RB3477's - not true Caravans, but the same family. Man, I love them. They were just the perfect combo of style/color/and price I wanted. They feel like the well built regular glasses I used to wear instead of the cheap sunglasses I had. No rattling nosepads. No weak temples. Clear and easy to see through. Nice and light. Polarization that makes my cheap sunglass "polarization" seem pathetic.

Anyway, I really would like to know how you guys go about cleaning them. The girl helping me told me to never use my t-shirt, etc. and to always use the included cloth or some other similar microfiber. She also told me to never clean them "dry", that they should always be cleaned with moisture of some sort otherwise it could scratch or remove the anti-reflective coating on the back. She told me to never use soap, but the included Ray-Ban instructions say to just use soap and water. I was thinking of buying one of those glasses/sunglasses spray solutions that I used to use on my glasses, but I just couldn't decide. What's really throwing me is the "anti-reflective" coating on the back of the lens. I really don't want to mess it up but I've already accidentally touched it a few times around the edges.

Any other pair of cheap sunglasses and I would just pull out my t-shirt or undershirt and just wipe em off, but I don't want to mess these up. What say you, B&B?

 

[Luc]

I think you should follow the instructions on that were sent by the manufacturer. I had Ray Ban, Bollé and Seregentti (current) and they were fantastic. The little microfiber cloth is really good to clean the lenses. I never use my shirt but just that. I use water only if I get something that the cloth cannot clean for some reason. But that's rare. I never scratched my glasses that way.

What I can tell you is do not use those spray solutions. I used one on a pair of Bollé aviators and I killed the lenses coating. I saw the coating drip like water off the lenses and they were crap after. Repeat, do not use the spray solutions.

 

[Agravic]

I wear prescription eyeglasses and sunglasses and am rather OCD about avoiding scratches as well as damage to the coatings.

I would recommend using the microfiber cloth supplied with the eyewear. I obtained extra cloths from my optician, and keep them in various locations (office desk, car, bedstand, etc), so that I always have one available. Make sure the microfiber cloth is clean as well, because any particulate matter or foreign matter will cause damage to the lens i.e. abrasive effect.
Worst case scenario, a clean Tshirt will suffice if no alternatives exist, but this practice should not be the norm. A clean Tshirt is better than a dirty microfiber cloth.
NEVER use commercial tissues or paper towels etc. - they will scratch your lens without a doubt!

I agree with Luc - do not use the spray solutions - they are garbage and in my experience don't help in terms of removing grime/oil etc.

Good luck!

 

[little Big feather]

I wear AO sunglasses (Army issue flt. glasses) 365 days a year,,,I use dish detergent and/or ZEISS lens cleaning wipes from Wal-Mart....

 

[superbleu]

dish soap and water is the best. Shake dry, and blot with water spots with t shirt or other soft cloth, let the water reside dry, the use microfiber cloth.
also remember to wash the microfiber clothes every once in awhile.

 

[Jawaburger]

If you use a t-shirt, make sure it is all cotton and clean. If you go to an eyeglasses store, they sell these soft fiber tissues that look like a regular facial tissue, but are specifically made for lenses, and they won't scratch.

 

[rajagra]

In agreement with 2 posts above - the only way to clean glasses well is using dish cleaning liquid and warm water.
What I do is wet the glasses then gently apply dish cleaning liquid directly using finger and thumbs. Rinse off in warm water. Make sure the lenses aren't hot then run them under a thin, steady stream of water from a tap - a filtered water tap is just right. You can make all the beads of water run off the lenses without having to wipe them dry, leaving them perfectly clear and smear-free.

 

[mark the shoeshine boy]

my glass folks tells me to run them under water first to remove any loose stuff first....then soap and dry them off with a good lint free towel...microfiber is just fine....

 

[Robert45]

+1 on running water to rinse any hard matter off before wiping

 

[CRG]

This cloth works really well on my camera lenses and also on my glasses. Nicely sized too.

 

[Toxic515]

I've used a little tiny squirt bottle (like 1 fluid oz) with a drop of dish soap then fill with water on mine with microfiber cloth for.. I guess about 16 years or so. I still wear my Bronze Medalist Gargoyles when I ride my bike, and sometimes when I go out. The only damage at all on the lens is from where the earpieces have made contact on one side when I fold them up.. But it's barely noticeable even now. Gratz on the good shades. I find I'm markedly less prone to lose or break them just because I'm immensely more careful with them.

 

[Doc226]

This is the best thing I have ever found. I keep them in the car, at work and in a drawer at home.

http://www.amazon.com/Zeiss-Pre-Moi...46149719&sr=8-1&keywords=zeiss+cleaning+wipes