Short answer: If your glasses keep getting scratched, the cause is usually an everyday habit: dry-wiping dust, using a shirt or paper towel, skipping the case, and setting glasses lens-down. Rinse or apply a lens cleaner that fits your lens maker's care instructions before you wipe, use a clean microfiber cloth, and keep glasses in a case.
The cleaning kit
Z Clear 2oz Anti-Fog Spray + Microfiber Cloth
2oz spray with a microfiber cloth. Spray to lift grit, let it dry, buff. Helps fight fog.
Bottle + cloth
See details & reviews →Cleans · Helps fight fog · Made in Ogden, Utah
You pull your sunglasses out on the trail and there's a new scratch right in the middle of the lens. Here's how it usually happens.
1. You're using the wrong cloth
Tissues, paper towels and T-shirts are among the worst things you can use. Their fibers, and the dust trapped in them, are harder than lens coatings. Use a clean microfiber cloth only.
2. You wipe before you rinse
Dust and sand on a dry lens act like sandpaper when you wipe. Rinse with cool water or apply a cleaner first so the grit lifts off, then wipe.
3. You don't use a case
Pockets, bags and cup holders are full of keys, coins and grit. Store your glasses in a hard case.
4. You set them lens-down
Counters, tables and dashboards all carry grit. Fold them and set them down on the frame or in the case.
5. Your cloth is dirty
A cloth full of oil and dust puts it right back on the lens. Wash microfiber in cold water with mild soap, skip fabric softener, and air-dry.
Glasses keep getting scratched? Use this 30-second routine
- Rinse if dusty.
- Apply a lens cleaner that fits your lens maker's care instructions to the lens.
- Spread with a clean fingertip until dry.
- Buff gently with a clean microfiber.
For the trail and the car
Z Clear Anti-Fog Lens Wipes, 15 Pack (Wet + Dry)
15 individually wrapped wet + dry packets, so you're never stuck using your shirt.
15 packets
See details & reviews →Cleans · Helps fight fog
Already scratched? Read Can You Fill Lens Scratches? What Actually Works for the honest answer.
Related guides
- How to Deal with a Scratched Lens
- Should You Clean Your Glasses with Your Shirt?
- Difference Between Microfiber and Nanofiber Cloth
Frequently asked questions
Why do my glasses keep getting scratched?
Usually from dry-wiping dust, cleaning with shirts or paper towels, carrying them without a case, or setting them lens-down.
Is it bad to clean glasses with a shirt?
Yes. Cotton fibers and the dust they hold can scuff lens coatings. Use a clean microfiber cloth and a cleaner.
Can you remove scratches from glasses?
Not at home. Abrasive hacks damage coatings, and no cleaner repairs a lens. A distracting scratch needs a replacement lens.
How should I clean my glasses?
Rinse or apply a lens cleaner that fits your lens maker's care instructions first, spread it until dry, then buff with a clean microfiber cloth.
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