Best glasses cleaner: Eco-friendly and convenient options for staying smudge-free
Don’t worry about greasy glasses ever again. These are the best glasses cleaners to keep your lenses smudge-free
There’s nothing more annoying than trying to watch TV or being at the cinema and having your vision obscured by a greasy fog. That’s where the best glasses cleaner can help: if you’re used to giving your specs a scrub with the edge of your shirt or a tea towel (with less than impressive results), a dedicated cleaner is the way to go. Believe it or not, there are many efficient ways of cleaning your glasses nowadays, from special cloths to eco-friendly sprays.
In this article, you’ll find our pick of the best cleaners to help keep your vision as clear as possible. And if you’re not sure what type of cleaner is best for you, our guide below can help.
How to choose the best glasses cleaner for you
Can’t I just wash them in the sink?
This can seem like the most convenient option, and saves money too. But then comes the issue of drying your glasses, where a tea towel might leave behind traces or a paper towel might crumble into bits, leaving you no better off than before. It’s also not practical if you’re out and about. Instead, it’s best to have a microfibre cloth, or something similar, to get rid of grime and leave your lenses shiny and clear.
What chemicals can I use to clean my glasses?
Strong cleaning chemicals such as ammonia can ruin the coating of your glasses and make them susceptible to scratches and damage. Therefore, you’re better off opting for something that’s less harsh. In our list below, we’ve included options that are friendlier to your glasses and the environment.
Do I need to buy both a cloth and a spray?
For the best results you should use some form of spray to loosen grease and grime, combined with a microfibre cloth to wipe it away. However, there are plenty of other options too, from specialised brushes to handy little tools, all of which make cleaning your glasses easy on the go.
What if I’m going travelling?
If you’re worried about space and can’t bring lens cleaner and cloths with you, you can also buy pre-moistened wipes. These can often be bought in bulk, so you’ll always have some to hand.
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Best glasses cleaner to buy in 2023
1. Ecomoist Natural Lens Eyeglass Cleaner: Best eco-friendly glasses cleaner
Price: £10 | Buy now from Amazon
As you know, when you purchase new glasses, you’ll often get the option of paying extra for special layers of coating to prevent things such as glare, fog and scratches from ruining the lenses or making it hard to see. If you’re not careful, dangerous chemicals and rough materials can remove this coating and cause permanent damage to your spectacles.
With this UK-made and environmentally friendly spray, you won’t have to worry. It can clean all kinds of lenses, from your camera to your glasses, and it comes with a large microfibre cleaning cloth, which is easy to use. Its extra-large size means you also won’t have to wash it as often. What’s more, since you only need a couple of pumps of the cleaner to get rid of dirt and grime, the bottle should last for a long time. All in all, it’s a handy and eco-friendly solution to keeping lenses smudge-free.
Key details – Ingredients: Purified water, organic plant-based cleaning agent, natural water softener, natural accruing acids from vegetables (food grade)
2. Eco-Fused Microfibre Cloths: Best cleaning cloths
Price: £7.49 (Pack of 12) | Buy now from Amazon
Sometimes all you need is a good cloth to wipe down the lenses of your glasses. But when the average tea towel, T-shirt or napkin isn’t enough, you need something that scrubs grease and collects dirt without leaving your glasses scratched and damaged. This microfibre cloth is made of polyester and, unlike paper towels or other cloths, won’t leave any lint or residue on your glasses after cleaning.
What’s more, with a pack of 12, you can make sure you have one with you at all times, in your favourite bag, coat pocket or car. The pack consists of five large black and grey cloths and 2 smaller white cloths. These can be hand- or machine-washed, but you shouldn’t iron or bleach them.
Key details – Material: Microfibre
3. Zeiss Lens Wipes: Best disposable glasses cleaning wipes
Price: £14 (Pack of 200) | Buy now from Amazon
These disposable wipes are the size of those little hand sanitiser packets you get on board aeroplanes and are ideal for when you’re on the go. Simply tear open the packet, rub your lenses with the cloth inside, wait for it to dry and voilá. They can also be used for cleaning camera lenses, your phone screen or your tablet.
While they’re convenient, it’s worth keeping in mind that these aren’t as eco-friendly as other options on this list. They also contain some ingredients you don’t want to get in your eye, so it’s best to wait for it to dry before putting your specs back on. Despite this, they’re still a super convenient way to clean on the go and worth having as a backup if you don’t mind the disposable element.
Key details – Ingredients: Isopropanol, ethanol, methylchloroisothiazolinone, methylisothiazolinone
4. Peeps Eyeglass Lens Cleaner: Best glasses cleaning gadget
Price: From £19 | Buy now from Amazon
There’s something clumsy about cleaning your glasses. It never feels as easy as it should be. There’s always the risk that, having cleaned one lens, you might touch it again in cleaning the other. Well, this glasses-cleaning gadget might just be the solution.
Slide the cleaner out of its case, and you’ve got a standard brush on one end and specialised carbon microfibre pads on the other that “pinch” onto the lenses of your glasses for easy, touch-free cleaning. Peeps claims the pads are good for a thousand cleans too, which should last you well.
While this gadget should make the job a lot easier, it’s still recommended you use the brush side first to ensure there’s no debris on your lenses. Otherwise, you could accidentally rub this into your glasses, causing scratches.
Key details – Material: Polycarbonate, carbon
5. Boots Lens Cleaner Spray: Best budget lens spray
Price: £2.99 (30ml) | Buy now from Boots
A good microfibre cloth can only get you so far. Sometimes grease and gunk is so stuck on the lens that a cloth simply wipes it around. A good lens spray will solve this issue, dissolving any oils, leaving your specs sparkling clean.
This handy bottle from Boots is easy to take with you anywhere and most importantly doesn’t cost too much. Just be careful not to get the liquid directly in your eyes, as it can cause irritation. Once everything is dry, it’s safe to put your glasses back on.
Key details – Ingredients: Aqua (water), SAS-60 (sodium alkyl sulfonate), potassium lauryl phosphate
6. Ray Ban Care Kit: Best glasses cleaning kit
Price: £11 | Buy now from Ray Ban
If your glasses have taken a beating, they might need more than just a wipe. Or, perhaps you’re wearing your Ray Bans (or other specs), and you’d just like a proper kit to complement your eyewear.
Either way, this set not only helps you keep your lenses clean but it also comes with a metal screwdriver for tightening those tiny screws on the hinges of your specs, which tend to loosen with everyday wear and tear.
The kit also contains a black microfibre cloth featuring the Ray Ban logo, a little aluminium spray bottle with lens cleaning fluid and a tiny case to carry it all around in. What more could you want?
Key details – Ingredients: N/A
