Ultrasonic Cleaning at Home vs. Professional Cleaning at the Optician

Many opticians clean their customers' glasses for free in an ultrasonic bath – usually as part of a fitting or check-up appointment. A frequency of around every four to six weeks is typically recommended.

One important limitation applies equally to both options: frames made from natural materials like wood or horn are generally unsuitable for the ultrasonic bath, since the pressure from cavitation can cause cracking.

Your own device saves the trip to the optician and lets you clean whenever you need to – whether daily after sport (see Sports glasses after exercise) or spontaneously whenever they're visibly dirty, instead of waiting for your next optician appointment.

If you clean rarely and already visit the optician regularly anyway, the free in-person service works well. If you want to clean daily or several times a week – say, for sports use or in direct customer contact (see Benefits of clean glasses beyond hygiene) – you'll benefit from having your own device, which also pays for itself over time since no more trips or appointments are needed.