Where's a cheap place to buy cloths for cleaning spectables.

spinybif_2

The advice to use washing up liquid to clean specs is out of date. Many modern lenses have anti-reflecton coatings which are sealed with a silicon compound for easy cleaning. The harshness of the washing up liquid will remove the protective layer and eventually lead to a break up of the coating. As an optometrist we always recommend a correctly formulated cleaning solution - Solution 30 is very good (check frame material first as some budget frames will melt) and a pentax cloth. When the cloth ceases to work rinse out in the washing up bowl before washing greasy pots and allow to dry. Avoid putting in the washing machine if you use fabric softeners as this will prevents the microfibres absorbing grease off the lenses.

mssjab

Albeit for me to disagree with someone who works in/as an optometrist but surely you're joking?

You say that something called Solution 30 is very good but it will melt some budget frames - that sounds really good. What advice do you give someone who has bought (or are thinking of buying) 'budget' frames on how they should clean them - or do you try to talk them into buying more expensive frames? You wouldn't happen to work on commission by chance?
I'd also be interested if you can tell me what the difference is in quality of 'budget' frames at say £30/Pair and those at £75/Pair on a 2 for the price of 1 offer.

Perhaps you'd be kind enough to tell me what make of washing up liguid will melt frames as I've no desire to have the skin taken off my hands, and so I'd like to give the product the pass.

Your comment about washing up liquid (which is a mild detergent, is it not?) is, in my opinion, a load of rubbish. Desolving coatings on lens' - whatever next!!

And you'll find that rinsing out a microfibre cloth in 'clean' washing up water will not clean the cloth. To do this properly, the cloth should be washed as you would do other clothes except, and this is the only part where you're (partially) right, the final rinse must not contain a fabric softener.

I'm afraid that the comments you've made are what one can expect from optometrist's trying to sell their over inflated priced products.

I've been using the method that I wrote about for over 10 years on spectacles fitted with plastic photochromic lenses, without any problems. I suppose that I've been very lucky!!!

jonboy31

I swear by the Vileda blue coloured microfibre cloths, i think I bought mine from ASDA 2 years ago. They are not "bobbly" like the cheaper cloths and clean fantastically well when dry, or if the glasses are quite dirty, a bit of water/breath on the lenses does the trick. I've had my cloth for ages as I said earlier, and when it gets too dirty it goes in the wash (without fabric softener) and comes out like new every time.

John

dbonbon

How about a piece of microfibre cloth?

spinybif_2

perhaps mssjab should check its spectacles - they don't weem to work very well for reading, what I actually said was "solution 30 will melt some budget frames". These include injection moulded frames made from propionate plastics. Ordinary plastic or glass lenses (photochromic or otherwise) will not be affected by washing up liquid but any anti-reflection coated lenses will. As most branded lenses are anti-reflection coated avoiding washing up liquid is sensible.

As to the cost of frames, in many cases you are right, there is little difference between a £30 and £75 except for a designer name and the fact that you get a "free" spare but I work in the independent sector and many of our basic frames are free. In fact many of the plastic frames are made in the same factory as the ones with designer names but this is true of anything bought through a retail channel. However this does not apply to metal frames where the base metal and quality of the coating will differ.

basill

I put mine in the glasswasher at the pub on saturday dinnertimes, they come out loverly and clean after a polish with a clean bar towel.

I must add I have no coatings at all on my plastic lenses, I have found that the first thing to scratch up and cause stars around bright lights at night are the expensive coatings themselves.

Without coatings mine have survived over three years of polishing with a shirt tail and the above dishwasher treatment, no nighttime starring or scratches showing at all. Previous coated pairs were showing signs of wear much closer to a year old.


B

specs78

emc wrote:

A bit mundane, but does anyone know of a source for the clothes for cleaning glasses, or the cheapest opticians for these?

Thanks.

I buy Opticlear lens wipes from Tesco. 26 for 99p. A lot easier than messing around with cloths etc.

zenmaster

Slightly off topic but, basill, I guess you work in a pub?

What's the best thing to stop them steaming up when you walk out of the cold night into a pub (for example).

It's a real pain. By the time I've de-steamed them (wipe 'em on me shirt) at least 3 people have pushed in front of me to the bar.

Solve this one and you will be my friend for life.

Becles

I clean mine with a microfibre cloth and a squirt of diluted white vinegar.

s-j-cooper_2

A cotton t-shirt works fine for me.