How to Clean Glasses Without a Cloth: Safe Alternatives and What to Avoid

No microfibre cloth at hand? You are not stuck, and you do not need to reach for your shirt. Our guide to cleaning glasses without scratching covers the full routine. This one is for when you have no cloth at all.

Safe methods without a cloth

1. Rinse. Hold the glasses under lukewarm (not hot) running water to wash off dust and grit first.
2. Add a drop of mild dish soap (without lotion) to clean fingertips and rub both sides of each lens, the nose pads and the frame.
3. Rinse again until no soap is left.
4. Shake off the water and let the glasses air-dry on their side.

Other safe options

• Lens wipes made for glasses: single-use and pre-moistened. Useful in a bag. Do not wipe a dusty lens dry first.
• A lens cleaning spray: spray, then wipe lightly with a clean cloth when you have one.
• A clean puff of air: to lift loose dust before any wiping.

What to avoid

• Shirt, saree, tissue, napkin or paper towel. They hold grit and fibres.
• Wiping a dry lens. Dust acts like sandpaper.
• Vinegar, toothpaste, baking soda, alcohol or sanitiser. They can strip coatings.
• Hot water or a hair dryer. Heat damages coatings.
• Your own breath and fingers on the lens surface, which leaves grease and moisture.

Fine cracks in the coating (crazing)

If you see a spider-web of tiny cracks across the lens, the coating has crazed. The usual cause is heat: a hot car dashboard, hot water, a sauna or a hair dryer. It is not dirt, so cleaning will not remove it, and it cannot be repaired. The lenses need replacing. See can scratched lenses be repaired? and repair versus replacement. A premium coating such as Crizal is designed to resist scratches and smudges, and it still needs to stay away from heat. See lens prices.

Keep a cloth and a case

A clean microfibre cloth costs very little, so keep one in your case. See glasses cases and accessories and how to clean and maintain spectacles. Browse accessories.