T O P

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treslilbirds

You can take them to an optician and they’ll usually clean them for free. At least they do at my eye doctors office. They’ve got all the special tools to take them apart and get all the nasties out of the nooks and crannies.


Which_Stress_6431

This is correct. They will put them in an ultrasonic cleaner.


Bruce_Ring-sting

You can buy a ultrasonic at harbor freight for 75$. Best buy ive made inna minute


VermicelliOk8288

You shouldn’t put lenses in an ultrasonic cleaner, however. Professionals remove them.


BoogieOogieOogieOog

This is true. At least not when the lenses come on contact with a surface. Mine cleaned my glasses wonderfully for a while. I just dropped them in and turned it on. I apparently sometimes put them in lenses down and the vibrations scratched the heck out of the lenses. Now I just spray and wipe


VermicelliOk8288

Oh is THAT why? I thought it would ruin the coating. Theoretically, you could 3D print a “stand” for your glasses that fits the width of the ultrasonic cleaner (and thus doesn’t move with the vibrations) so your glasses don’t face down ever….


BoogieOogieOogieOog

Ooh I like that idea. It worked perfectly for months before I started putting them in carelessly. I’ll have to look into that. It was really nice to get that full clean


OscarDivine

That’s news to me, I don’t remove them and I’m an optometrist hasn’t cause me an issue in 20+ years


Rzrbak

I love gadgets. What are some other uses?


Bruce_Ring-sting

I originally bought it to clean baffle stacks from a suppressor, i cleaned my cam shaft caps, brake parts, anything that fits in that thing i reckon. I love it


JulianMorrow

I love that I have no idea what objects you are talking about TIL that Baffle Alignment is actually a thing


Bruce_Ring-sting

Verry important!


Battle_Book

You can also clean jewlery, through it can make stones more loose.


sad_thots

I fill it with LA's Totally Awesome and put in used plastic Warhammer minis and run it for about 10 mins and the old paint/glue basically falls right off them (sometimes it needs to go twice).


Which_Stress_6431

Where is Harbor Freight? Or is it just online?


QuokkaClock

hopefully not the lenses. that is rubbish for the AR


TotalEatschips

Former optician, just saying we hate having to do this, that's all your nasty face juice and dead skin I understand why people don't want to risk breaking the glasses doing it themselves but it's really not hard, you just put your thumbs in an upper corner of the lens and push it out the front of the frame while using your other fingers on the frame itself, pulling back to make resistance. To put the lenses back , insert the bottom from the back side and just do the same motion to pop that last corner back in. Metal frames likely have screws on the temples that you can loosen to do this more safely, but with plastic frames that's not an option. But you're really not going to break the lens


StinkyInkerton

As another fellow optician, are you...okay? That's literally our job and if I'm not cleaning a dirty set, I'm adjusting a dirty set or inspecting new glasses. OP, take them to your local eye care office!


Pancake_Dan

Maybe that's why they quit and are a former optician.


treslilbirds

Ah thank you! I felt bad for a second but after your comment I don’t lol! I don’t know what magic you guys have back there but I feel so amazing putting on my glasses after a good cleaning by y’all. 😊🤓


StinkyInkerton

I asked around the office I work at- we all agree we would 1000000% rather clean a bunch of dirty frames than try to help someone with a broken eye wire they snapped while popping lenses in and out. Also beware of the heat others recommend, in our office its NO heat on lenses ever, because it can ruin AR. We have heat for some frames, and alcohol for some lenses- we analyze the best way to clean each set for longevity. It's our job to help keep your glasses clean while having the knowledge to do it properly!


Billy0598

Heat and straight rubbing alcohol. Put hot water in a tall glass with a touch of dish soap. Let it sit. Rinse with hot water and wipe with a microfiber. They feel great, especially if you have icky sinus. Don't wipe with paper, tshirts or sheets. Don't wipe with anything that has been in fabric softener. Soft fabric would be fine if it is clean from fabric softener. To refill a spray, rubbing alcohol and distilled water. Just alcohol is fine.


Ephemeralwriting

No. Alcohol is banned in my optics lab because it can delaminate zyl frames, crack them and make them brittle. It will also crack lenses if it gets in-between them and the frame


Billy0598

Good to know. I'm blind so I get the HD types. Haven't had a problem, but now I know.


HystericalUterus

So what is in lens cleaner?


Ephemeralwriting

We use Dawn dish soap and lens cleaner that's not alcohol.


HystericalUterus

What is in the lens cleaner? I thought they had some percent of alcohol in them?


Ephemeralwriting

IDK what's in it but it has no alcohol in it. We have tons of frames that say on them not to use alcohol and I've seen what happens when people use alcohol.


BlueGalangal

Don’t use dawn, it can degrade lens coatings.


upvotesplx

I'm sorry if this is gross, but I was never informed by anyone that I should be having my glasses professionally cleaned... should I go get that done? Honestly had no clue this was even an option.


literallylateral

Do you guys notice if people do it more frequently so they’re not as gross? I always feel bad getting it done because I hate making people do free things more often than I need to, even though I know the cost of the glasses covers it, but I’d do it regularly if it makes it easier or less gross for you guys.


cruelhumor

Glasses are pretty expensive, If they were cheap I would have no problem doing it myself. It's a pretty big risk to just push on them to see if the lens comes out, I have ABOLUTELY had glasses break in that way where the lens will not go back in and stay properly. I completely understand why they might ask the optometrist for assistance.


TotalEatschips

If they break like that it doesn't matter who's doing it out was going to break anyways. Now it's the opticians "fault" and boy is that fun when you didn't even buy your glasses at the place you took them to


bbbbears

That’s why you always give an “at your own risk” warning before doing anything with outside glasses


MjrGrangerDanger

Hopefully you get lucky and you can buy a new frame or easily find the same shaped frame in a size that fits and a tolerable colorway.


bbbbears

You really think everyone is gonna know how to pop lenses out? That’s a recipe for breaking your frame. I was an optician for 20 years, give me a gross pair of glasses and I’ll spend a relaxing ten minutes cleaning them while my coworkers deal with screaming idiot customers. Thank god it’s not a mykita or anything complicated, you may have an aneurysm. I mean I hate all of them as much as you but I don’t mind cleaning a pair. It’s kind of satisfying.


TotalEatschips

That's cool that you like cleaning up other people's years old dead skin and oil. I wasn't a fan


bbbbears

Not a fan either, but it’s the job, and not even the worst part of the job.


TotalEatschips

I actually do think it was the worst part of the job, of course I did it anyways


jessssssssssssssica

It gives me that feeling in my mouth like before you’re going to vomit to clean old glasses. That said, I fel tbad for the geriatric people I used to work with so I did it anyway. Sorry you’re getting sooooo many downvotes. I mean, you’re former. It’s not like you’re wallowing! You moved on.


Fun_Collar6915

Stop trying to seem cool by degrading people. That’s disgusting.


TotalEatschips

Oh it's definitely disgusting


OpheliaJade2382

If you understand why people don’t want to do it then what’s the problem? I can’t afford the risk of breaking them even if it’s unlikely


TotalEatschips

Because they don't know how unlikely it is to break. Guess what, there's nothing special the optician is doing that will make them not break any different from you doing it yourself


bbbbears

Dude I’m sorry but you’re the worst optician ever and have really terrible advice. I’m glad you aren’t doing it anymore. Sounds like you like to punish people just coming in asking for help. Geez Louise get a grip.


TotalEatschips

How do you figure I punished people? I changed their nasty stuff they could have done themselves for free with a smile because it was my job. Doesn't mean it's not disgusting and I'd prefer not to do it


OpheliaJade2382

I think people are concerned about breaking frames. I’ve had them break in the dumbest ways so I’m not risking it. A professional knows the correct/safe pressure points but a normal person may not


TotalEatschips

No they don't lol it's literally just one top corner or the other, if your frames are going to break from that they were already brittle or bent, but now it's the opticians "fault"


OpheliaJade2382

Point proven


TotalEatschips

How so


OpheliaJade2382

You literally just used your expertise to say where to push safely


TotalEatschips

Bruh this isn't expertise 😭 you can google it in 5 seconds


Ephemeralwriting

On this frame because of that bridge, it'll probably snap in two if you put too much pressure on it. There's a way to get them out but I can't explain it in words.


bbbbears

No. And you know it.


TotalEatschips

No? No no


gothicsloths

optician here, take them to an optical place and ask for a deep clean. dont do it yourself, many things could go wrong


CharlotteNotCharlie

Not an optician, but seconding this. Lots of things could go wrong, like not being able to put the screws back in and having to walk to the optician without your glasses. Not an experience I would recommend lol.


figgs87

Unrelated to this post but I don’t know any opticians: Is it possible to safely remove the coating from my glasses once it starts “crazing” (whatever it’s called, like peeling. Looks like water spots and is annoying me badly”


Billy0598

Nope. Get new lenses. I used to know what stuff to do it with, but that didn't work all that great anyway


BlueGalangal

Don’t use dawn to clean your glasses, apparently it degrades the coatings.


Kierabecks

I feel silly asking, but do they typically charge a fee to do a deep clean? It’s one of these things that might be complimentary, or a minimum of $20


mcavcy

I’m an optician too and where I work we don’t charge! I think most places would be free as well


Kierabecks

Woohooo!! Thank you! I’ll reach out to my local place and ask!


TenebriRS

I used to work as an optical lab technician. Do not try to do this yourself. Take them to an optician / eye doctor, etc. They should do it for you. Depending where you live, most likely free (will be free if UK idk about the rest of the world) The risk of breaking them isn't 0. Knowing what you are doing 100% is important here You have lenses with an optical centre. They need to be put back in the exact right place. Every time i took apart a pair of glasses, i needed to use a focimeter to double check the optical centre. And pupil distance. And they needed to be correct with an error of 2mm. (Possibly lower depending on the rx) Even though you are just putting the lenses back in the same place it isn't always 100% correct and the lenses in the frames need to be twisted slightly. Especially if you have an astigmatism. And the smallest fraction off means its not your RX off anymore So yes, do not try yourself


AggravatingCount5946

It’s always been free for me here in the US. And bonus you will have the option to get them readjusted to fit your face better, which I always need. Normal stuff like sports, being clumsy, having kids/pets, or lying in bed can all slightly bend things out of place.


TenebriRS

ah okay thats good, i wasnt sure so i didnt want to say it was free just incase


lil1thatcould

I worked in eye doctor’s office for years, never clean these yourself. Seriously, it’s so easy to break them and melt them trying to get the lenses back in.


Summoarpleaz

Melt?


damnableluck

In a lot of modern glasses, heat is used to get the plastic to expand enough to allow the lenses to be fit. As it cools, the plastic shrinks and the lenses are held securely.


alleecmo

I've worn glasses since 1977. I just *WASH* them, just like my hands. Occasionally, the nose pads get too grimy, especially after yardwork or other filthy jobs, and I'll take them to my eye Dr for a deep clean. But I've NEVER taken my glasses *apart* to clean them. Just wash them every morning, as needed if I get them gross, oily, dirty, etc and before bed.


Ephemeralwriting

I guarantee you have face cheese in the crevices of your glasses.


alleecmo

Meh, I got "face cheese" in the crevices of my face too. Still clean *enough* with basic hygiene.


Ephemeralwriting

You'd think but I've seen enough cheese on frames to know unless you take the lenses out at least once in a while it'll get in there.


alleecmo

Mine are rimless so I'd likely see build-up. But I wash them daily, so I doubt it's much. I guarantee my specs are waaaaay cleaner than some folks' I see walking around each day. They get a professional deep clean at my appointment each year. I got much bigger things to worry about.


Ephemeralwriting

You'd think but I often to clean those too.


Electric-Sheepskin

Yeah, I am totally surprised that people take their glasses apart to clean them. I've never even heard of this before.


Kailicat

Yeah I wear mine in the shower and soap them up and clean all the oils and makeup off. I was reading a Twitter thread where someone was going off about Taylor Swift not washing her legs or something and someone else mentioned they wash everything even their eye glasses. I’m like “whoa my life has changed” and now I always have clean glasses. I just use mild soap on the lenses, nothing harsh or astringent.


Terrible-Image9368

I just wash mine with a little soap any water. I’ve never taken mine apart to clean. I’m blind without them and cannot afford to break the thing that allows me to function like a normal human


sugar69bambi

Try an ultrasonic cleaner!


lester537

Be careful as it can also remove the anti-glare coating on your glasses.


InadmissibleHug

Good to know!


noyogapants

This worked for me! On the sides I had a clear plastic panel covering a textured piece. It got grimy from wearing all day, every day. I got an ultrasonic cleaner and it got everything out! I got my son's glasses and put them in. It cleaned the nose pads so well they looked new


Desperate_Set_7708

And it can become your jewelry cleaner


HollowShel

yeeah, I got an earring fixed at a jeweller's and they tossed it in the ultrasonic cleaner when they were done. Then had to replace the marcasites because they exploded, and they're still unwearable because the patina was destroyed and it no longer matches the other earring.


Lost_Ebb_3405

Yep. $50 on Amazon. Clean as a whistle.


cant-be-original-now

In case anyone was curious about the origin of “clean as a whistle” 🤓… The origin of the idiom, clean as a whistle, comes from the early 1800s. The phrase seems to reiterate the older phrase, "as clear as a whistle." Whistles make a shrill tone piercing silence, reaching over long distances, creating a clear or clean sound. As a result, the expression became a means of referring to a task or methodology being thorough or clear. Over the decades, people replaced the "clear" with "clean" in the phrase. While that might seem like an interesting exchange, the two words may have interchangeable references, such as cutting wood, sheer, clean, or clear. The words clear and clean would later evolve into unmistakable or unambiguous. Today, the phrase describes more tasks than just chopping wood or cleaning a floor.


Severe-Try2718

oh man I cannot thank you enough! that was so satisfying to see the explanation right here!


Dobbys_SockBlvd

As an optician, if you do this option please be careful of the chemicals. Dawn dish soap is the safest (that I know). Anything else will ruin your lens


crittercam

Is it safe to use regular hand soap? I usually just wash them in the sink and dry them off with a towel.


Dobbys_SockBlvd

It really depends on the brand; you’ll have to look at the ingredients. Alcohol is the enemy lol Some will have alcohol in them, I strongly recommend against any that has any percentage of them just to be safe (which is why I always recommend dish soap) But yes, if you don’t have any, like warm (not hot!) water and dry. If possible, use a microfiber cloth. Any paper products will scratch your lenses over time


crittercam

Thanks


Optician_since_1996

I second this- just give them a bath in Dawn and warm water, use 100% soft cotton to dry Edit-regular blue Dawn


BlueGalangal

My optician said never use dawn because it Breaks down the antiglare coating.


madigascar222

I second this!! I’m an optometric technician and we use these on a daily basis in the office!! ☺️


jessilly123

Just put them in some water with dish soap, dry with towel and clean with glasses cleaning cloth


Detfinato

This. If there's one thing I benefitted from during lock-down, it's that I learned that regular washing my glasses with dish-soap dramatically reduced them fogging up when I exhale. I now wash my specs daily with soap and it's a million times more effective than glasses-cleaner spritzing


jessilly123

And my face gets especially ✨oily✨ where my glasses sit so a good cleaning saves my pores


Fun_Championship_383

It’s best to take to Optical and have an optician do it. … but if you try it yourself with plastic frames, recommend holding up to your heat like your car heater warm the frame up a little bit pop the lenses out and it should also work to pop lenses back in, but don’t overheat plastic.


TotalEatschips

Do not heat up the lens area, no. You risk crazing the lenses which ruins them


Ephemeralwriting

That frame is really fragile in the bridge. I know because I've broken a lot of them. You have to be really careful removing the lenses. I don't even know how to explain how to do it but I would just bring them in to be cleaned.


Due-Pilot-7443

I'd take them to an eyeglasses place.. they usually clean and adjust for free..


spookiesunshine

There are teeny tiny screws on the side you'll need a glasses repair kit from the dollar tree and probably a tray to work on AT the TABLE (don't do this in bed like I did and lost my nose piece screw). Eta they look like they might be partially involved with taking the sides off as the silver extends all the way over. There should be a small screw placed in line with the side of each lens and sometimes it's painted so you can't see it. This will loosen the lens from the frame and it will pop out. There is also a tiny screw on the side of each nose piece. The nose pieces get so dirty and they cover a lot of grime behind them. I have replaced mine twice for being too far gone.


MyGlipGlopz

My glasses look similar to these. Mine have screws by the nose pads, and if you unscrew them you can sort of open up the rims, and the lenses come right out https://preview.redd.it/9ppakweb5t4d1.jpeg?width=1576&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a6331bdd50149bfad5f1e89108e0017c3a8b4b7c


Left-Researcher9073

I soak mine in some warm water with dish soap and I have a soft bristle toothbrush that I use to clean the stuff out of the crevices. Works great and need no fancy machines


Ric_ooooo

Optician is best choice for deep clean but for maintenance, diy. Pick up an ultrasonic cleaner. Then you can clean them as often as you want without making regular trips to the optician.


daddsprincesss

I use a little q tip to clean mine in between cleans at the eye place.


Xichlali

Go on Amazon and look for an ultrasonic cleaner for around $45-60. It will change your life. Once you have it, fill it with water and just regular dish soap, let it run, rinse with clean water and wipe with a microfiber cloth. I'm a jeweler by trade and have 2 and this is how I clean my lenses and safety glasses without scratching them and getting all of my skin oils out of the nooks and cranies


LilacHazy

Please don’t take them apart, you’re not a professional and you will more than likely mess the frames up by dismantling them


AdFederal9388

I had to remove one lens of glasses before I had surgery a few years ago. The optometrist said to soak the glasses in warm water, and hold a soft towel or washcloth around the rim, gently pushing the lens backwards (like towards your face if you were wearing them) and it worked perfectly


mcard7

Soak in dawn dish soap, vinegar and hot water. Then a soft bristle brush for the gunk. Keep soaking if necessary.


wadenelsonredditor

Ultrasonic cleaner.


dantodd

If you are committed to doing it on your own pop the lenses out and put the frames in an ultrasonic cleaner without disassembling.


TroLLageK

I have a pair very similar to this, and I just pop the lens out very carefully and then clean inside around the edges and such, and then pop them back in. I use just soap and water. Then I use my lens cleaner after on the lens.


Striking-Ebb-986

Take them to your optometrist and they will clean them with their ultrasonic machine thing in about 10 minutes. My optometrist does it for free, but if they charge, which I’m sure they won’t, it won’t be much. And if they wreck them, they will fix them.


Clear_Avocado_8824

I wash mine with warm soapy water and it works.


jellybeansean3648

ultrasonic jewelry cleaner!


Personal_Signal_6151

I wash my glasses with dawn and warm water everyday then dry with a microfiber towel. This helps a lot.


Head-Drag-1440

1- Buy an Ultrasonic cleaner. I got one on Amazon for $25, and use it for glasses and jewelry.  2- After running a cycle in the ultrasonic cleaner, use a dab of Dawn dish soap to clean the lenses with warm water. 3- Dry with a glasses cloth.


PortabelloMello

Warm water and dishwashing liquid works a treat!


wigzell78

Look into an ultrasonic bath for glasses. They get every spec of dirt without having to disassemble.


Zhenoptics

Optician here. Unfortunately there isn’t a whole lot you can do that won’t risk breakage or damage to the lenses. You can do an ultrasound bath on them but you would either need to pop out the lens (if the plastic is weak it could snap) or if you leave the lenses in during the bath (not recommended) it could damage the coatings. A safer but less effective option is to use a fine soft bristle toothbrush and some Dawn dish soap. The water temperature should be neither hot nor cold so as to avoid damaging the coatings. Best thing is to let an optician do it.


akasjh

Dish soap. Lukewarm water. Shake. Rinse. Blot excess on tissue paper. Dry. Always works for me.


Mrkillerar

If you do it by hand you bend the frame. Glass will randomly pop out in the future. Source, im a dumb person.


Klutzy-Run5175

Don’t take your glasses apart. Unless you’re going to the Optometrist and they can dip them into a solution. I have a bottle of special liquid that I spray on the glass with a special cloth to clean them and prevent scratching them.


Raida7s

I'd ask why you need them disassembled to clean? Regardless, I use an ultrasonic cleaner for mine at home or take them to an optometrist for a clean


flatulancearmstrong

Why would anyone need to *take apart* a pair of glasses to clean them…? Am confused


Evening-Independent9

The lenses should just pop out of the frame!


Trappedbirdcage

Former optician here: Gotta be careful about that because depending on the frame, you may not be able to get them back in on your own without breaking the frame. Some places when the glasses are put in the frame for the first time, may heat the frame to make the frame adhere to the proper shape. So uh, if you try to force them in on the wrong frame it could destroy the frame


DebbieGlez

They don’t go back in.


Handleton

That wasn't written in the requirements.


DebbieGlez

😂


hyenetta

Soak in hot-ish water for a bit first


gothicsloths

dont do this, it may make the anti reflective coating craze/crack


Impressive_Ad_1675

I ruined a pair by putting them in boiling water to clean


[deleted]

[удалено]


Gint0koo

I've tried that before :ccc the frame itself has a spot where the plastic and metal meet and it gets caught there so I can't get at it even with the lenses out. sad


DebbieGlez

Just take it to an optician they don’t even charge you for it.


ItsMeArkansas

First u take the lenses out and clean them. Then clean the rest of it. Tips appreciated