How to polish glasses lenses at home?

Even if you handle your glasses with care, they can get scratched. Damage may be barely noticeable to the eye, but significantly spoil the appearance of the accessory. In this case, the image is distorted, and the eye muscles are in constant tension, which is not good. We’ll tell you how and what to polish glasses with in this article.

How to determine the nature of the defect?

To determine the extent of the damage and how it occurred, carefully inspect your glasses. If the lenses have scuffs and minor scratches, you can fix them yourself using products that are found in every home. If the damage is more serious, then to eliminate it you will need special equipment - a grinding machine.

However, it is worth noting that no available remedy can completely eliminate defects. If you cannot get rid of them on your own, it is better to seek help from professionals.

How to polish glasses lenses? It depends on the material they are made of. Eyeglass lenses are made of glass or plastic, and some models are also equipped with a polarizing filter. The latter are complex multilayer structures with protection from ultraviolet radiation.

The condition of each type of lens is corrected in its own way. For example, it is much easier to remove scratches from plastic glasses than from glass ones, and lenses with a polarizing effect cannot be “cured” on your own.

Causes of scratches

Scratches occur both during active use of the item and during storage (in a pocket or bag). Damage occurs due to dust particles settling on the glass. When a person wipes their lenses, these grains leave behind traces.

Less common causes of scratches include:

friction on hard surfaces;
poor care;
accidental fall;
weather factors;
improper storage;
frequent wiping with a napkin.

Glasses have a wide range of applications: sun protection, vision correction, creating a business image. Cheap models are often simply thrown away and replaced with similar ones. But for glasses specially made to order, this option is definitely not suitable.

You need to clean your lenses at least once a day. It's best to do this in the morning. Over the course of a day, a lot of dust and residue from protein reflections accumulate on glasses. If you limit yourself to the edge of the hem or sleeve, this will contribute to the appearance of new scratches (albeit not always noticeable).

Gradually, the optical capabilities of the glasses decrease. You have to strain your eyes, they become red. The signal of fatigue enters the brain, and from there it is transmitted throughout the body.

How to polish polarized glasses?

Glasses that protect your eyes from bright light often become covered with scratches, which impair the quality of visibility. If the glasses have a polarizing filter, he may also suffer from such defects, and this already entails difficulties in orientation in space for the owner of such glasses.

Scratches can be eliminated by polishing and filling in irregularities with improvised means. You can use toothpaste, baking soda, or wax to polish your car or furniture.

If you are going to polish your sunglasses with toothpaste, then you need to choose the most common one, without whitening additives and abrasive components that can scratch the lens even more.

You will also need soft napkins, cotton pads or a piece of soft cloth.

It is worth noting that all these methods can only help get rid of small defects. If the scratches are large, the lens will have to be replaced or new glasses purchased.

Is it possible to remove the damage?

You can remove shallow scratches from glasses using the polishing method . If the scratches are deep, only grinding (cleaning glass using fine abrasive compounds) will help eliminate the defect.

It is important to remember that not all lenses can be restored. Thus, corrective glasses with diopters or lenses with a special darkening, anti-reflective or mirror coating cannot be polished or ground.

Cleaning will cause the lens to lose its properties and the protective coating to disappear. Such glasses can only be replaced with new ones.

How to polish damaged glass with soda?

Baking soda is the most popular product used to polish glasses. It is found in every home, and therefore is widely used to solve various household problems. How to use baking soda to polish glasses? The procedure is as follows:

Prepare a paste of baking soda and water.
Take a small amount of paste and apply it to a cotton pad or soft cloth.
Gently apply the mixture to the lens using circular motions.
Rinse the lens with water.
If necessary, repeat the procedure again, since the composition does not always cope with the task immediately.

Is it even possible to polish plastic?

Despite the quality, price and manufacturer of such lenses, with constant use they become worn out and scratched. To extend the life of the accessory, as well as improve its appearance, it is recommended to properly care for it, that is, polish it periodically.

Important! The procedure must be carried out using only those preparations that do not contain abrasive substances and will not have a dangerous effect on plastic glasses, damaging their surface.

Polishing glass with toothpaste

The substances included in the toothpaste gently polish the outer layer of the lens, eliminating irregularities, scratches and other minor defects.

To restore the appearance of glasses, you need to perform the following algorithm of actions:

Apply a small amount of toothpaste to the surface of the lens.
Using a soft cloth or cotton pad, rub the paste over the entire surface of the lenses. It is important to do this quickly, without allowing the composition to dry out.
Leave the toothpaste on for a couple of minutes and remove it from the surface of the glass with water or glass cleaner.
At the final stage, wipe the lenses dry. There should be no traces of paste left.

Features of grinding plastic lenses

Plastic lenses are becoming increasingly popular today. People prefer to buy such glasses because they are light and comfortable to wear. But if the operating rules are violated, they are easily damaged: cracks, scratches, and rainbow stains appear. Lenses should not be cleaned with caustic chemicals or solutions to remove greasy deposits.

Plastic can and should even be washed regularly with warm water and soap. At the optical store, you should purchase special compounds and wipes for cleaning lenses. They are not capable of damaging the surface and boast an antistatic effect. It is important that dust, grease and particles of aggressive compounds do not get on the glasses.

Polishing glasses with Goya paste

Goya paste, a technical composition created for polishing optical glasses, will help get rid of scratches on glass lenses. That is why it will not be difficult for him to restore the appearance of ordinary glasses.

If the lens can be pulled out of the frame, then you need to proceed in this way:

Apply the composition to felt cloth and place the lens on top;
rotate the glass of the glasses on the felt, thus rubbing in the paste and polishing the lens with a cloth;
After the procedure, remove the remaining mixture from the lens using a clean cloth.

If it is impossible to remove the lens from the frame, then it can be processed in the same way as polishing with toothpaste: apply the composition in one-sided circular movements, rubbing it into the lens. Be as careful as possible: the paste should not get on the frame or other elements of the glasses.

This method takes more time than the previous ones, however, the result usually exceeds all expectations: after this treatment, glasses take on their original appearance.

In addition, Goya paste can be used to process lenses not only manually. You can rub in the composition using a grinding machine, but this should be done at low speeds so as not to damage the glass. You can also use a shaving machine for these purposes, replacing the knives with a microfiber cloth.

Prevention measures

The following care and storage rules will help you avoid microcracks and scratches on your glasses lenses

Every day, the lenses are carefully wiped with special microfiber cloths (paper or fabric napkins, cotton pads can damage the glossy surface);
To store glasses, use cases made of thick plastic, upholstered inside with soft fabric or genuine leather (soft cases do not provide reliable protection for glasses);
glasses are not a toy, the accessory should not be given to children;
When removing glasses, place them on the table only with the lenses facing up (you cannot leave the accessory on an unstable, dirty, dusty surface);
Before going to a sauna or bathhouse, be sure to take off your glasses (high temperatures have a negative effect even on high-quality lenses);
When doing construction or repair work, glasses are protected with a special construction shield.

Applying a special protective coating to the lenses will significantly reduce the number of scratches and extend the life of the glasses.

Polishing glass with shampoo or soap

Shampoo, soap, dish soap, and other similar household chemicals can be used to gently polish lenses. Each of them contains microparticles that polish glass.

To get rid of defects, lubricate the lenses with one of the products and remove any remaining residue with a soft cloth. There is no need to rinse the lenses of your glasses under water: you should resort to this method of removing residual product only if it is otherwise impossible to remove it without streaks.

Cost of service in the workshop

High-quality repairs will not be cheap, but regular polishing costs mere pennies. You can ask for the addresses of such workshops in accessories stores or use an Internet search.

This service costs 200–400 rubles for 1 lens. The price may vary depending on what glasses need polishing and what quality they are.

An accessory purchased for vision or protection from sunlight is best taken to professionals. Even after a high-quality procedure at home, after wearing such glasses, fatigue appears at the end of the day. The eyes may become red and sore.

Before you start removing scratches, think about whether it is worth it or not. It may be better to give the accessory to professionals and save your vision.

Glass polishing for silver

Silver polish is also good for restoring glasses. How to polish lenses with this product?

To do this, the glasses are sprayed with the composition, which is then rubbed in a little. Remains of the product are removed with a soft cloth. If necessary, the procedure can be repeated several times.

Also for these purposes you can use polish for metal, furniture, cars, and compositions for treating windshields. Glass processing is carried out in the manner described above.

In the article we told you how and with what you can polish the lenses of your glasses. If none of the above methods gave the desired result, you need to stop trying to restore glass yourself and turn to specialists. They will polish the lenses using special equipment and are guaranteed to bring your glasses back to their original condition.