How to Remove Scratches from Your Glasses
Scratches on your glasses aren’t just an annoying inconvenience. They can limit your vision and strain your eyesight. Furthermore, If your lenses have any coatings such as anti-glare or UV protection then these coatings are probably damaged beyond any repair. The best option is to replace your damaged lenses with new ones. You can do so by sending us your frame for lens replacement and have it back as fast as 4 days. If you are unable to send us your frames then replacing damaged lenses can be expensive, though, so here are some tricks to try at home that might work on smaller scratches.
How to Remove Scratches from Glasses at Home
Deep scratches will usually require professional help, but you might be able to make minor knicks and scratches in your eyeglass lenses a little bit better using these do-it-yourself strategies.
Baking Soda
Baking soda is a natural abrasive material that is sometimes used to polish various items. It’s a common ingredient in toothpaste because of its ability to gently scrub away debris and stains.
Some sources suggest baking soda can help remove scratches in your glasses if you mix 1 to 2 tablespoons of this powder with about 1 tablespoon of water. Mix until paste forms, then rub onto the surface of your lenses with a soft cloth in a circular motion. Buff for 10 to 30 seconds, and then rinse your lenses off with water.
Baking soda is a fairly gentle abrasive cleaner, so it may safely remove scratches. However, some experts say to avoid using any abrasive materials, including baking soda, on your lenses.
Brass Polish
Metal polishes are another suggestion for removing scratches from your glasses. These polishes don’t include any abrasive products but instead strip the top coating from the surface of your lenses. This fix works when scratches are only in the coating of your lenses and usually only works on plastic lenses. Glass lenses don’t use the same coating, so metal will have little effect on glass. Keep in mind that any additional coatings you added to your lenses, like ultraviolet light filtration, may be removed if you try to fix scratches on your lenses with brass or metal polishes.
If you do decide to try this strategy, dip a soft cloth into the metal polish and buff the scratched areas of your lenses. When you are done, rinse the leftover metal polish residue off your lenses with cotton balls soaked in rubbing alcohol.
Vinegar
Vinegar is a gentle and helpful cleaner for many purposes, but its efficiency in removing scratches is debatable. If there are scratches in a coating that was added to your lenses for ultraviolet light protection, vinegar, and other household glass cleaners may give your lenses a clean appearance but they can also strip away these coatings.
Dishwashing Soap
Dishwashing soap and water is a gentle solution to clean your lenses. Dish soap and water rubbed into your lenses with just your fingers can help remove marks and debris that you might be confusing as scratches. Be sure to rinse all the soap off after cleaning, and dry your lenses with a soft microfiber cloth. Avoid using the edge of your shirt, facial tissues, or other materials to dry your lenses, as these can cause more scratches or leave lint behind.
Etching cream
Some sources may suggest etching cream as a solution for scratches on your lenses. These creams are used to resurface glass.
While etching cream may reduce the appearance of scratches on plastic lenses, it can create a fogged coating on glass lenses. If you decide to try etching cream on your plastic lenses, apply it carefully to avoid the frame of the lenses, wait about five minutes, and then remove the cream using a clean, dry cotton ball.
Waxes and polishes
Car waxes and other polishes are sometimes used to try and remove scratches from eyeglass lenses. The thought is that the waxy substance can help fill in minor scratches to camouflage the damage.
To use this strategy, rub wax or polish onto the lenses with a soft cloth in a circular motion, then buff away the excess with another dry cloth.
Although this technique may help, the wax will wear away over time, and the process may need to be repeated.
Can Opticians Remove Scratches from Glasses?
An optician’s job is to help you find the right frames and lenses to correct your vision. Although they can make minor adjustments to the fit and function of your glasses, opticians will usually choose to replace scratched lenses rather than repair them. Oftentimes, scratches that obscure your vision are too deep in the lens to be repaired effectively.
What not to do with the glasses that have scratches?
Don’t use strong abrasive cleaners to try and rub out scratches in your lenses. While you may mean well, you could just end up causing more damage and deeper scratches.
Tips for Preventing Scratched Glasses
Taking care of your glasses in the first place is the best way to prevent scratched lenses.
- Use soft cloths to wipe your lenses when needed, and stick to cleaning sprays made specifically for eyeglass lenses.
- Keep your glasses wrapped in a microfiber cloth and in a hard protective case when you aren’t wearing them.
FAQ about removing scratches from the glasses
Toothpaste may help to remove minor scratches in your lenses, but this and other products with abrasive ingredients could cause even more scratches on your lenses.
Waxes and car polishes can be used to help fill in minor scratches on the surface of eyeglass lenses. However, this fix fades in time and may require repeated applications.
Like waxes and polishes, sunscreen can help fill in superficial marks on the surface of your lenses to hide scratches. This fix won’t work on deep scratches and will require reapplication.
Deep scratches and other serious damage to your lenses will likely require replacement. Overnight Glasses can help you find the right replacement for your damaged lenses.
Conclusion
There are some at-home strategies you can use to try and remove minor scratches from the surface of some types of eyeglass lenses. However, many of these fixes end up leading to more damage than you started with. If you have scratched lenses in need of replacement, visit Overnight Glasses to find the right solution for you.
