Lens Cleaning

[Martha]

To clean my plain old anti scratch-coated looking glasses, I just used to use mild hand soap, lukewarm water to rinse/wash/rinse and soft tissue to dry them. But I was advised that potentially, even the softest paper tissue could damage delicate lenses. I understand that small dust particles which customarily accumulate and get attached to the surfaces of the lenses drawn there by an irresistible attraction through static electricity, then various hard impurities embedded between the fibers during manufacturing process of the tissue, are not good friends of plastic lenses.

I would not want to ruin my (close to perfectly clear and to me at least expensive) new glasses.

My question is: To avoid lasting damage, what is the best way to clean antiglare coated soft lenses?

Thanks in advance,

M.

[For-Life]

Bah! Do what you have been doing.

You have been doing a great job with what you have been doing. If you do not like tissue then maybe use a good paper towel like Bounty or Brawny.

I advise my clients to clean their glasses with tissue and they never come back scratched. Maybe on an uncoated (no scratch resistant coating) lens they might scratch, but never on a coated lens.

The main thing is to clean them wet, and you have been doing that.

[harry a saake]

I posted this once before and asked people to try it, but nobody responded.
however, the best way to clean those ar glasses is to , first rinse them off with warm water, second, spray them generously with any one of the ar cleaners, third, rub them real well with your fingers all over the lenses, then rinse them off again with warm water, leave them sit for a minute and you will almost have no water to dry off, if you do blot it dry with the cleaning cloth that came with your ar kit

[Chris Ryser]

Martha,,,,,,,,,, you being in Montreal, you have some of the best lens cleaning outfits to help you.

Look in the yellow pages and you will find them.

In the meantime take some dishwasher soap, smear it over the lenses, let warm water run over them, then take the diswasher brush and scrub the dirt off. Rinse the whole thing good, put em back on your nose and you will be able to see all you want twice as clear.
:idea:

[Chris Ryser]

............................spray them generously with any one of the ar cleaners, third, rub them real well with your fingers all over the lenses, then rinse them off again with warm water

Harry, most of those AR cleaners are made with 30% ISP and 70% water. They clean well, but ISP is not too compatible with AR coatings.

You would be better off using a NON solvent lens cleaner for a longer life of the AR coating.

[Robert Martellaro]

To clean my plain old anti scratch-coated looking glasses, I just used to use mild hand soap, lukewarm water to rinse/wash/rinse and soft tissue to dry them. But I was advised that potentially, even the softest paper tissue could damage delicate lenses. I understand that small dust particles which customarily accumulate and get attached to the surfaces of the lenses drawn there by an irresistible attraction through static electricity, then various hard impurities embedded between the fibers during manufacturing process of the tissue, are not good friends of plastic lenses.

I would not want to ruin my (close to perfectly clear and to me at least expensive) new glasses.

My question is: To avoid lasting damage, what is the best way to clean antiglare coated soft lenses?

Thanks in advance,

M.

Martha,

Soap and water is fine. To the best of my knowledge cellulose (tissues) will not scratch the surface of ophthalmic lenses. I use Kimwipes, a pure paper product with no cream or fragrance added, at the office during flu season and flat cotton baby diapers otherwise. Because my lenses are AR coated I use a microfiber cloth at home. Luminex makes the best. They are washable and re-usable. A real time saver if your in a hurry because they leave no smears or streaks. By the way, the soap must be free of cream or oils. I use Dawn or Joy at the shop and Ivory pump at home. If you use cotton towels make sure they are laundered with liquid detergent without fabric softener during either the wash or dry cycle.

The AR coating will last longer if you avoid the following- hair spray, finger nail polish and removal, varnish, glues, solvents, pretty much anything but plain soap and water. Also avoid rubbing your eyes and scratching the back of the lens with your nails, rubbing the front of the lens against a camera, microscope, fitover and clip on sunglasses, extreme heat and rapid temperature changes.


Hope this helps

[Specs]

I'm amazed at how many lousy lens cleaners are on the market. I've recieved many samples from many vendors over the years and I am just amazed at how some of them even got to the point where they are available to the marketplace. The lens cleaner we use and offer for sale really works and doesn't streak. Its offered by Winco Optical in Reading ,PA., its called Klear-O-Fog. Anti-fog factor works well short term and needs re-application for daily anti-fog action but it is a great cleaner. As others do, they'll personalize the bottling too. (I have no financial interest in any way shape or form)

[Chris Ryser]

I'm amazed at how many lousy lens cleaners are on the market.

Being a chemical products manufacturer I have said it many times and say it again on this thread:

99% of the lens cleaners on the optical market are made form 30% Isopropyl and 70% percent water.

You can go to the next Home Depot and buy a can of Isopropyl Alcohol and make your own stuff. It will clean good and not smear.

However ISP is a solvent and if used long enough will start and continue attacking the base of an AR coating and delamination can occur.

Therfore lens cleaners sold in an optical store by professionals should products that are made purely with surfactants (chemical soap family) which will not harm anything and provide a good a cleaning action as the solvent type that has dominated the market forever.