Eyewear Care & Ultrasonic Cleaning
The Complete Guide to Cleaning Your Eyewear
Most people clean their glasses the wrong way – with a shirt hem, a paper towel, or a dry wipe across the lens. This guide explains why that damages coatings over time, which methods are actually safe, and how ultrasonic cleaning works.
Why proper cleaning matters in the first place
Glasses sit closer to your mouth and nose than almost any other object you use daily, and have constant skin contact via the nose pads and temple arms. That makes them a magnet for bacteria (more on that in the hygiene section) – and the highly sensitive coatings on modern lenses (anti-reflective, hydrophobic, hard coat) react very sensitively to the wrong cleaning methods.
The good news: with the right knowledge, you can avoid both problems – dirty glasses AND damaged coatings.
The three common cleaning methods at a glance
- Microfibre cloth (dry or slightly dampened): the most common method, but only safe if the cloth itself is clean – a dirty microfibre cloth acts like sandpaper (dedicated article coming soon).
- Cleaning spray + cloth: chemically loosens grease and residue before you wipe it off. Good on the go, but the wiping motion remains a residual risk for fine scratches.
- Ultrasonic cleaning: cleans contact-free via cavitation – tiny bubbles that dislodge dirt from grooves and hinges as they implode, without anything rubbing against the lens. That eliminates the mechanical scratch risk entirely. Full details: What is an ultrasonic cleaner and how does cavitation work?
What you should never do
- Dry wiping with clothing (t-shirt, jumper, jersey) is the most common cause of micro-scratches: embedded dust and sweat-salt particles act like an abrasive.
- Paper tissues or napkins contain wood fibres that can also leave scratch marks.
- Home remedies like vinegar, baking soda or toothpaste are often recommended but risky on coated lenses – more in our dedicated myth-busting article (coming soon).
- Placing the glasses lens-side down in the tank: they should always rest on the frame or temples. If the lenses rest directly on the tank floor, cavitation vibration can knock them against the stainless steel and scratch them.
Not just hygiene: the appearance factor
Clean glasses are also part of a well-groomed overall appearance – more in the article Benefits of clean glasses beyond hygiene.
Further topics in this area
Specifically for sports glasses: Why sweat salt is especially aggressive. For sunglasses: Cleaning polarized or mirrored lenses correctly.
Coming soon: an honest look at common home-remedy myths (vinegar, baking soda, toothpaste).
Author: Moritz Weinert, Gründer NURO Labs · Last updated on 8 September 2026
Keep reading
- Warum du niemals Spülmittel in einen Ultraschallreiniger geben solltest
- Was ist ein Ultraschallreiniger und wie funktioniert Kavitation?
- Ultraschallreiniger vs. Brillenputztuch vs. Reinigungsspray: der ehrliche Vergleich
- Vorteile einer sauberen Brille jenseits der Hygiene
- Sportbrille nach dem Sport: Warum Schweißsalz besonders aggressiv ist
- Sonnenbrille mit polarisierten oder verspiegelten Gläsern richtig reinigen