How to Properly Clean Your Sunglasses

• Rinse with Water
• Clean with Soap
• Re-Rinse
• Dry with a Clean Cloth

We’ve all heard about how important it is to clean your regular eyeglasses, but what about your sunglasses? Unfortunately, these types of lenses are all too often neglected—tucked into pockets and purses or clasped onto shirt collars and forgotten. Yet the truth of the matter is it is just as important to keep your sunglasses clean as it is to keep your regular glasses or contacts clean. After all, your sunglasses still make contact with your eyes. Here’s a quick guide on how to keep your sunglasses clean.

Rinse with Water

Always wash your hands prior to washing off any glasses you own. Doing so will limit your chances of smudging the lenses with lotion or natural oils and dirtying them again. Run your sunglasses under a gentle stream of lukewarm tap water. If you feel comfortable doing so, pop the lenses of your sunglasses out of the frames before cleaning them. While this step isn’t necessary, it does make cleaning the lenses easier.

Clean with Soap

Squeeze a bit of dishwashing soap onto your lenses—only about a dot each, as a little goes a long way. Never use hand soaps to clean any of your glasses, as they tend to contain moisturizers and other oils that will only make the dirtiness worse. Scrub the lenses so that you create a light lather, working from the lenses themselves to the frames and every other nook and cranny. Sunglasses with logos or patterns will need a gentler touch, so scrub the finer areas of these types of glasses with a handkerchief or cloth (lint-free, of course). A soft toothbrush can also prove effective at getting those hard to reach areas clean.

Re-Rinse

Turn your tap back on and wait for the water to become lukewarm. Again, you don’t want the water pressure to be too strong. Once the water has reached the desired temperature, run your sunglasses under it until all of the soap is completely rinsed away. Making sure all of the soap has been completely rinsed off reduces the risk of residue or smearing as your sunglasses dry.

Dry with a Clean Cloth

While it may be tempting to let your sunglasses air dry, the best way to get them dry after washing is to rub them down with a soft, clean cloth that is free of any lint. The only exception to this rule is for sunglasses with many small details on them, as it would be too difficult to completely dry them manually. Otherwise, rub your sunglasses gently until they are completely dry. Do not use a paper towel, a shirt rag, or a regular towel to dry off your glasses, as these are often too abrasive and could cause scratching.

Once this is done, place your sunglasses into a protective eyeglass case until you are ready to wear them again. Then be sure to enjoy your nice, clean sunglasses during your next day out!