How to Clean Sunglasses Lenses

When you have a pair of sunglasses that you love, you wear them everywhere: for a fun-filled day at the beach, a busy day on a job site, or for lounging around by the pool. But with all that use, sunglasses can quickly become covered in grit and grime from oily sunscreen, dirt from the garden, or accumulated dust. 

If you can’t get the smudges and gunk off by simply rubbing your sunglasses on your t-shirt (which you shouldn’t do anyway, it can scratch the lenses), here’s how to clean sunglasses lens so they look exactly like they did when you first bought them.

1. Grab your dirtied sunglasses.

First, you’ll need to track down all of your sunglasses that need to be cleaned. Washing your sunglasses is a bit of a lengthy process, so it’s best to take care of all of them at once. Besides, that way you can maximize your wardrobe with all the great sunglasses in your closet. Assemble them on the kitchen counter so you can clean them one at a time.

2. Add one pump of mild, lotion-free dish soap to each side of the lenses.

Then, you’ll want to grab some dish soap. It’s best to use the simplest dish soap that you can find. A soap that’s highly scented, uses fake coloring, or has lotion added can just make your sunglasses more cloudy if you don’t fully wash it off before drying it.

Try to find something like Dawn Free and Clear dish soap. It’s free of dyes and made with biodegradable cleaning ingredients, so it’s safe to use with lenses.

3️. Gently rub soap across the lenses & frame with your fingertips.

You may assume that you have to buy a fancy brush or cloth when thinking about how to clean sunglasses, but all you have to use is your fingers! Before washing the sunglasses, wash your hands well for 20 seconds (if you don’t want to count, sing two “happy birthdays” to yourself) with cold or hot water. This ensures that you don’t transfer any residue from your hands to the lenses.

Once you have clean hands, gently rub the soap across the lenses and frames with your fingertips. If you notice a patch of dirt or a stubborn bit of crud attached to your lenses, don’t use your fingernails to scrub it off because you could scratch the lenses. Just use the soft part of your fingers for as long as needed until the spot is gone.

4️. Rinse under warm (not hot) water.

Now that your frames and lenses are clean, it’s time to wash away the soap. Don’t use hot water because this can damage the lenses and frames. Instead, you want to use lukewarm water. It should be cool enough that you can put your hands under the water comfortably but hot enough that you wouldn’t want to drink the water straight from the tap.

5️. Shake off the excess water.

To get your sunglasses completely clean, they need to be totally dry. Before using anything to dry them off, shake your sunglasses over the sink. This gets the big droplets of water off the glasses so that they can actually be fully dry after you use a microfiber cloth on them.

6. Dry with a microfiber cloth.

You may be tempted to just dry your sunglasses with an old t-shirt or a dish towel, but you need to put that down right now. Only use a microfiber cloth to dry your sunglasses, because anything else could scratch the lenses. 

Make sure the sunglasses are completely dry after washing. If not, you risk water spots on the lens and you’ll have to start this process all over again.

7️. Rock your good-as-new sunglasses.

Now, you can throw on your freshly cleaned sunglasses and you’re ready to go! Instead of having to buy new sunglasses, clean your old ones to cut down on plastic waste and save money.

If you don’t want to clean your sunglasses with water every time they need a touch-up, try WMP Eyewear’s lens cleaning solution. When used with a microfiber cloth, our solution removes dust and dirt from your lenses without damaging the protective coating. Keep your sunglasses fresh; no water needed!