If you know anything about eyeglasses, you know they’re expensive. Buying from socially conscious companies like Warby Parker helps to cut down on the cost of eyeglasses, but to really keep your costs low you need to be able to take care of your glasses. Our five-step guide to cleaning your glasses helps you do just that, without taking lots of time out of your day!

Thoroughly wash and dry your hands.

Your hands have a lot of dust, dirt, and grime on them from your daily activities. Like all other parts of your body, the skin on your hands also produce oils. All of these can make your glasses more dirty, along with scratching them in the cleaning process.

Rinse your glasses with warm water.

Make sure the water is lukewarm before you begin to rinse. If the water is too hot it can degrade and break down the plastics and coatings that make up your lenses, shortening your glasses’ lifespan. Carefully check to see that all dust and debris are gone from your glasses before moving on to the next step.

Gently rub a small drop of dish-washing soap onto your lenses and frames.

Dish-washing soaps are usually concentrated, so you only need a very small drop. Gentler soaps are better, and make sure the soap is lotion-free to avoid greasiness and scratches. To clean, carefully rub the soap over every part of the glasses: lenses, rims, nosepads, arms, and especially where the lenses meet the frames (dust and grime frequently accumulates here).

Rinse thoroughly.

Make sure to continue to gently rub as you rinse, so all traces of soap are removed from the glasses and frame. If you don’t end up getting all the soap off, it’ll smear on your lenses when you dry them, requiring you to start the process all over again.

Gently shake and dry glasses.

Shake the glasses before drying to remove excess water and cut down on the possibility of smearing. Take this time to inspect the glasses to make sure they’re clean. When you dry your glasses, use a clean, cotton towel (that hasn’t been washed or dried with fabric softener or a dryer sheet, as these will smear your glasses) and gently rub to dry. You can continue drying with a microfiber cloth to remove smudges and streaks.

Overview

You should never clean your glasses using anything with an acidic base: lemon, vinegar, ammonia, bleach, etc., as these will break down your lenses. Also stay away from wood-based towels and dirty fabrics like your shirt or jacket, these both are made up of tiny fibers that act like sandpaper to your lenses, creating scratches that are impossible to remove.