Home Remedy Myths: Vinegar, Baking Soda, Toothpaste – What Really Happens

Toothpaste is frequently cited online as a secret tip for removing scratches and making lenses shine. In reality, virtually every toothpaste – even ones labelled 'gentle' – contains fine abrasive particles designed for cleaning teeth, which act like sandpaper on glass and plastic. The result is fine micro-scratches that often only become noticeable after weeks.

Baking soda has a similarly gritty texture to toothpaste and causes the same damage to sensitive lens coatings. Some guides even specifically recommend it for removing existing scratches – but tests by opticians show it tends to make scratches worse rather than better.

Vinegar can dissolve limescale spots, but is only safe on lenses with absolutely no additional treatment (anti-reflective, hydrophobic). Since modern lenses practically always carry at least one of these coatings, vinegar usually isn't a safe choice in practice – without prior confirmation from your optician, it's best avoided when in doubt.

The consensus among the optician sources cited here: lukewarm water, a drop of mild washing-up liquid (without moisturising additives), and a clean microfibre cloth. Contact-free ultrasonic cleaning avoids the scratch risk entirely, since nothing rubs against the lens (see What is an ultrasonic cleaner and how does cavitation work?).