What Is Lens Cloth Made Of? (Can You Wash Eyeglass Cloths?)
For those people who wear glasses, a good lens cleaning cloth is a necessity. It helps them see better by cleaning the smudges, fingerprints, and other grime off of glasses. Washing them is another matter.
What is lens cloth made of? Usually, the lens cloths are made from microfiber fabric. Then you can wash them and there are at least 3 different methods you can use to get them clean again.
To learn more about lens cloth, what fabric they are made from, and how to keep them clean, just continue to read our article. It has the information that makes your glasses cleaning chore better and easier.
Lens Cloth Fabric 101
What Are Lens Cleaning Cloths Made Of?
It is possible that you may have found lens cloths made from different fabrics. We have seen suede mentioned once, but lens manufacturers only accept lens cloths made from microfiber material.
Those microfibers may simulate suede but generally, they are made from polyester and polyamide or nylon blends that are very soft to the touch and should not be abrasive against your lenses.
Microfiber is made with split fibers to make the cloth more absorbent and give it more surface to clean with. The cloth is also softer even though it is basically made from plastic. If you find a lens cloth made from a different fabric don’t pass it up as it will be just as good as microfiber materials.
In the old days before microfiber, deerskin was often used to make lens cleaning cloths. That material had excellent benefits that made sure your glasses and other lenses were nice and clean when you were done.
The thing about using microfiber for cleaning glasses is that it is a magnet for dirt and grease. That can present a problem when you are trying to clean your lenses. Instead of wiping the grime off, you are putting it on.
What Cloth is Best For Cleaning Glass?
It seems that you can get cleaning cloths in cotton, microfiber, and lens tissues. The last one may be pre-moistened eliminating one step from the glass cleaning process. While microfiber is the fabric you will see most often, it may not be the best one to use.
Microfiber’s claim to fame comes from being able to clean the dirt and grime off glass very easily without scratching or leaving a mark on the glass. Cotton, on the other hand, is also soft and should not leave marks if you use the right material. But its fibers are larger than microfibers and you may find it harder to get the dirt off using this version.
Finally, there are pre-moistened lens tissues or towelettes. These cloths have lens cleaner on them already so you can skip one step and not use bottled lens cleaner. They are very convenient to use but may not be as good as microfiber.
Most people recommend microfiber cloth but that may be because it is just about the only material these cloths are made in today. Microfiber does have its benefits but sometimes one likes to have a good choice especially when they do not like plastic materials.
Are Glasses Cleaning Cloths Lint-Free?
If by chance you have a cleaning cloth made from cotton or even linen, expect to see lint on the material from time to time. These materials do not resist lint and make the cleaning cloth a little harder to use.
Microfiber cleaning cloths are usually lint-free which makes using them a lot easier and more convenient. You do not have to worry about the condition of the cloth unless it gets too dirty to use.
The packaging should tell you if they are lint-free or not. That will make your search for these cloths a lot simpler. Hopefully, they are not more expensive than other cleaning clothes you may find on the store shelves.
Do Microfiber Cloths Scratch Eyeglasses?
No, microfiber cloths don't scratch eyeglasses and that is one of the benefits of using this material when you need to clean your glasses. The microfiber is made to be non-abrasive and protects your lenses at all times throughout the cleaning process.
This is one issue that provides the reason why you do not use your shirttails, jacket sleeves, shit sleeves, or other non-microfiber materials. Those alternatives will scratch your lenses and make it harder to see through.
Also, scratched lenses can be costly to replace. While you may find different products that claim to remove scratches from your lenses, those products are made with waxy materials and are temporary.
The best solution to stop scratches is not to put a mark on your lenses in the first place. You do that by using microfiber lens cleaning cloths instead of other fabrics to clean your glasses. Be careful with the way you handle your lenses as you don't want to spend the replacement dollars it will take to see clearly again.
Also, once you get scratches in your lenses, there is no miracle cure and no way to remove the scratches. You have to replace them.
Can You Wash Eyeglass Cloths?
The good news here is that yes you can. Yet, there is even better news as there are 3 methods to clean them in your washing machine, 2 methods to clean them by hand, 1 method for your dishwasher, and 1 method for your microwave.
We cannot go into detail for all of these different methods but we can provide a few bits of information on several of the options you have available:
- Microwave- make the cloth damp but not saturated with water, place it in your microwave for 60 seconds. Let the cloth cool and when it is, it is ready to go to work again. The cloth cannot be very dirty for this option to work.
Dishwasher- lay the cloth on the top rack. Make sure it is flat and then wait for the cycle to finish. Lay the cloth over your faucet to dry.
Hand wash- this can be done with or without detergent. Sometimes simple water will do the trick. But if there is other dirt embedded into the cloth, a few drops of bleach-free detergent and does not contain fabric softener with a few minutes of soaking will get that cloth clean again. Rinse in cold water.
Machine washing- wash them on their own if possible but if you can’t, do not wash with cotton fabrics. The lint transfer will ruin the cleaning loth. You can use cold or warm water without cleaning aids or a second method would be to use bleach and fabric softener free liquid soap and air dry for all methods.
If you use a gentle soap, you can dry in the dryer but be careful and check regularly to see if they are dry. Never wash the cloths in hot water microfiber is still plastic.
How To Clean Microfiber Cloth For Glasses
As you have just read, you have 3 main options you can use to get those microfibers cleaning cloths clean. Which option you use will depend on what is most convenient and efficient for you to use.
The key is if you are using your washing machine do not wash the cloths with lint producing fabrics. The lint gets stuck in the microfiber’s pores and ruins the cloth. Also, bleach and fabric softener are two other items to avoid as well as dryer sheets.
The reason to avoid bleach, fabric softeners, dryer sheets, and hot water is that those chemicals and temperature levels do not interact well with the synthetic microfibers. As long as you remember that these cleaning cloths are made from synthetic materials, you should know how to wash them correctly.
The best method to use is the pure water method whether it is done by your washer or your hands. Also, use cool to warm water and add no other fabrics to the wash cycle. Heat is not microfiber’s friend so avoid using the dryer unless you put it on a low setting. Again avoid placing lint producing fabrics in the same dryer load.
Can You Wash Crizal Lens Cloth?
According to Amazon, regular washing machine cycles cannot harm this cleaning cloth fabric. When you wash them use the gentle cycle and avoid using fabric softener. These cloths are made from the same material as other cloths so you have plenty of cleaning options available when they get dirty.
If the package says not to use some of those methods, then it is best to avoid using them and stick to washing them in your washing machine. That is if you can get the genuine Crizal lens cloth.
It seems that there are a lot of fake logos and trademarks place on inferior cleaning cloths that do not meet Crizal’s standards. We found a long list of negative reviews making this claim as some people will do anything for a buck.
Make sure to get the real Crizal cleaning cloths to make sure your lenses stay nice and clean all the time. The package should provide you with the right cleaning instructions to make sure you can keep using these cleaning cloths for a long time.
How To Clean Norwex Lens Cloth
One way to clean this brand of lens cleaning cloth is to put a drop of soap on the wet material and work that soap in by hand. When done, rinse thoroughly and then hang up to dry. Do not leave them rolled up while still wet.
Sometimes a quick rinse will do the job also. That rinse works when there is only a light dust coat on the material. Then like the other microfiber cleaning cloths you can use any of the methods listed above.
Just be careful about using the dishwasher or microwave options as it is not known how well the cloths will react to those extreme temperatures. Or you can boil them in water on the stove for deep set-in stains. This takes just 10 minutes to do.
Finally, you can pour boiling water over the cloth and add a little soap and let soak for 10 minutes. If you can avoid the dryer and simply hang the cloth up to dry no matter which method you use.
Where To Buy Microfiber Lens Cloth
This is going to be the easiest part of using lens cleaning cloths. Your first stop may be your optometrist. They always have a large supply of these cloths on hand and if they do not give them away, they may sell some to you. It never hurts to ask.
Then you can go to those big box stores that seem to stock a myriad of items for every need you may have, Walmart, Target and other similar stores should carry them. At least, they advertise them online.
That brings us to Amazon which carries just about anything fit to sell. The problem with Amazon is that some unethical third-party sellers on that marketplace sell fake products so shop with care.
There are also problems with getting the item you paid for as some people were sent the wrong cleaning cloth. The internet may be convenient but there are too many issues to make it better for shopping than going to the store in person.
Some Final Words
Lens cloths actually play a very constructive role in your life. It may be a minor role but having the right cloth on hand makes sure your glasses last and you can see clearly all the time.
Don’t be afraid to wash them when they get dirty.
