How Does an Eyewear Cleaning Concentrate Differ from Washing-Up Liquid?

Washing-up liquid is developed for a completely different use case: strong foaming to visibly cut grease while scrubbing with a sponge. That foaming, however, is counterproductive in an ultrasonic cleaner, since it dampens the cavitation effect (see Why you should never put washing-up liquid in an ultrasonic cleaner).

Many household washing-up liquids are slightly alkaline and often contain fragrances, dyes and moisturising additives that can leave streaks on glass. Dedicated eyewear cleaning concentrates, by contrast, are usually deliberately formulated to be pH-neutral, so as not to attack anti-reflective and hydrophobic coatings.

Ultrasonic cleaner concentrates typically contain a lower amount of surfactants (washing-active substances), but more precisely tuned to the cavitation effect – enough to lift grease and skin particles, but low enough to minimise foaming.