After a workday, our safety glasses deserve gentle and careful maintenance. Cleaning the pair is among the tasks that keep it in good condition for long, thus ensuring better eye protection at the worksite.
Here’re some simple and effective pro tips on how to clean safety glasses without damaging them. Make sure you have at least one, if not all, of these items: pre-moisturized towelettes, cleaning cloth, and cleaning agent. Some people use vinegar to clean their glasses, and how it should be done is in this quick guide, too. Read on!
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What Do You Need to Prepare for Safety Eyewear Cleaning
There are different types of items to make the cleaning process faster and easier. On my part, pre-moisturized towelettes are must-have accessories during work. Some of my colleagues and friends prefer thorough cleaning once in a while with a cleaning agent recommended by their optical doctors.
Let’s see what we should have in our arsenal to clean safety glasses the right way.
- Pre-moistened wipes – This item can easily remove dirt, grime, and oily smudges on the lenses. Make sure you choose the product made with soft materials to offer gentle cleaning. Besides, if your glasses come with a special coating, you should choose one with a safe formula.
- Microfiber cleaning cloth – This convenient accessory is affordable, effective at lifting off dirt and moisture. Besides, it is foldable to put inside the eyewear case for on-the-go use. You should go for ones made of high-quality textiles, which are soft enough not to damage the lenses.
- Eyeglass cleaners – Usually, people go for ammonia and alcohol-free solutions to protect their glasses. You should choose the ones that ensure potent yet safe polishing for the safety goggles. It is best to go with recommendations from optical doctors.
- Vinegar – This is another set of cleaning items that might be available in your home already. That’s right; you can eliminate stains and smudges on your safety glasses when following the simple steps of using vinegar.
A Step-by-Step Guide to Clean your Safety Glasses
Before taking care of your safety glasses, make sure you wash your hands carefully to get rid of dirt and oil. Clean your hands with a lint-free towel then you can begin polishing your safety glasses.
Step 1: Blow all debris and loose dirt off the glasses lenses
After work, the lenses often trap loose dirt and debris, which are large enough for you to blow them away easily. This is among the preparation steps before you start using cleaning items so that your lenses will not be scratched by debris.
Step 2: Rinse the whole piece under warm water
You can do this step in two ways: Prepare a bowl of warm water, or directly rinse the glasses under tap water.
- If you use the first way, do not make the water too hot.
- If you choose the latter, make sure you adjust the water stream to be small and gentle.
This is for eliminating all debris that you cannot get off by blowing.
Step 3: Clean the lenses with the cleaning agent
The next thing to do is spraying the cleaner to the lens surfaces. If you have a cleaning towel, wipe the sprayed fluid in a circular movement using the piece. If not, use your hands to gently polish both sides of your lenses.
Some agents only require 30 seconds to a minute to settle, then all the streaks will be gone, and your glasses are ready for use again. Others might need you to rinse the spray off before cleaning the lenses with a dry and soft towel. Make sure you read the instruction of your chosen solution to do it right.
Step 4: Store the glasses in a clean pouch
If you use the glasses right away after cleaning, do not forget to wait for them to dry completely. If it’s already the end of your workday, remember to put your safety glasses in a clean and dust-free pouch or locker. Do not just randomly place the pair inside your pockets or your table, which allows it to trap dirt right away.
How to Clean Safety Glasses with Vinegar
If you do not have a cleaning agent and do not plan to buy one, vinegar can save the day with its cleaning power. This is how you create a homemade cleaner for your safety glasses and utilize it effectively.
Step 1: Create the vinegar mixture
Find a small cup and fill ⅔ of it with white vinegar and the rest with clean water. You should put the mixture inside a spray bottle for easy mixing and spraying later. After putting the whole liquid inside the bottle, shake it to blend both components totally.
Step 2: Spray the mixture onto the glasses and clean them
Spray the fluid onto two sides of your glasses lenses, and use a piece of soft microfiber cloth to wipe gently. You can do that in a circular movement to carefully lift off all dirt and absorb all oils clinging on the lens surfaces. You can reapply when noticeable stubborn streaks are still there.
Step 3: Rinse your glasses and wait for them to dry
Afterward, rinse the whole safety glasses in warm water, then shake it a little for the water to drop. Do not forget to wait for it to dry before storing it away in a clean space for the next day’s work.
Conclusion
Many of us tend to grab a shop rag, paper towel, shirt, or facial tissue to clean dirt on our lenses. Those pieces seem soft, yet they can severely damage the glass lenses, especially safety gear with special coatings. Hopefully, after reading our guide, you know what to prepare and how to clean safety glasses well. Besides, remember to wash the micro cleaning cloth and clean your eyewear case often.
Hi, I am Alexander, forty-seven years old this year. I have been in the construction industry for twenty-five years and have provided a wide range of services. When it comes to expert guidance on site safety gear, you can put your trust in me.