Lens Care: How Do I Get Scratches Out of Eyeglasses?

It’s an almost inevitable part of wearing eyeglasses: scratched lenses. Whether through normal wear-and-tear, an accident, or improper storage and handling, scratches are one of the most common forms of damage most eyeglasses experience.

There are many “remedies” for scratched lenses scattered around the internet, recommending things like baking soda, toothpaste, or even sunscreen as potential solutions. But do they work?

This month, we’ll look at some of these alleged fixes, take a look at what does and doesn’t work, and provide you with a definite answer to the question, “How do I get scratches out of eyeglasses?”

How Do I Get Scratches Out of Eyeglasses?

We’ll lead off with the bad news: you cannot get scratches out of eyeglasses. Anyone or anything that tells you otherwise is not being entirely truthful. And most of the “solutions” out there will leave you with eyeglasses that are in worse shape than they were before you tried to fix the scratch.

A scratch in a glass or polycarbonate lens indicates that at least some of the material making up the lens has been scratched away by contact with a hard or sharp object. Unfortunately, the spot where the material is removed becomes opaque, leaving a usually white line visible across the surface of the lens.

All of the commercially available and internet-recommended “fixes” for scratched lenses work the same way buffing out a scratch in a car’s paint job works. None of them actually replace the missing material that’s removed when the scratch happens. Instead, they all work to reduce the visibility of the scratch by removing more material around the edges of the scratch in an attempt to “blend in” the scratch with the surrounding surface.

That works fine when you’re polishing out the clearcoat on your car, but it’s not an optimal repair when you’re working with something that needs to remain crystal clear. So, with that in mind, the best way to remove scratches is never to get them in the first place.

Eyeglass Scratch Fix #1: Prevent Scratches

This solution is one of only two genuinely effective scratch remedies on our list, and it’s less a remedy and more a set of prevention strategies. Taking some basic precautions with your glasses can help reduce the likelihood of suffering a scratch in the first place:

Use a padded glasses case with a microfiber lining to store your glasses when they’re not in use.
Don’t ever store anything other than your glasses and a soft, microfiber cleaning cloth in your glasses case.
Never put unprotected glasses in a purse or your pocket.
Avoid touching the lenses of your glasses as much as possible.
Give your glasses a daily light cleaning and a weekly thorough cleaning with mild detergent and warm (not hot!) water.
Avoid scrubbing or rubbing at your lenses when they’re dry.
Never use abrasive cleaners or abrasive cleaning cloths (including paper towels) on your eyeglasses.

With these common-sense tips, you can maintain your glasses for years without suffering a noticeable scratch.

Eyeglass Scratch “Fix” #2: Baking Soda

A spoonful of baking soda held over a glass of water.

Of all the quick fixes available, this one comes closest to being a viable solution, but it’s still not recommended.

Essentially, this common internet remedy involves making a paste of one part baking soda to one part water and then using that solution and a microfiber cloth to polish away the scratch.

And if your lenses were bare, plain solid glass or polycarbonate, that trick might be at least an acceptable solution for scratched eyeglasses – but they’re not. Your eyeglasses’ lenses are coated with a number of special treatments to improve their function:

Anti-glare coatings
Anti-reflective coatings
UV-protective coatings
Blue-light protective coatings
Photosensitive coatings (like Transitions lenses)

When you polish your eyeglasses, no matter which substance you use, you’re sanding away at the protective coatings that your optician applied. If you continue to polish, you may even start grinding away at the glass or polycarbonate itself, altering the overall optic properties of your lenses and shortening their lifespan.

Eyeglass Scratch “Fix” #3: Toothpaste

The abrasives in toothpaste are excellent at removing buildup from your teeth. Some folks swear by toothpaste for polishing out minor scratches on painted or polished surfaces. But keep it away from your eyeglasses!

Some toothpastes’ abrasives are just as aggressive, if not more so, than plain baking soda. Only a second of polishing with toothpaste can cut completely through the protective layers and into the glass/poly itself.

Eyeglass Scratch “Fix” #4: Wax

Waxes that dry hard and “clear,” like the carnauba wax detailers use on cars or the paste wax woodworkers use to obtain a shiny finish on furniture, can do a great job covering scratches on opaque objects.

The problem is, your glasses aren’t opaque; they’re meant to be as transparent as possible. Even with the best buffing and polishing imaginable, all waxes dry slightly opaque. You don’t see it when the wax is applied over painted metal or varnished wood, but when it’s applied to a clear surface, you can see a definite reduction in clarity once the wax has dried and been buffed out.

Eyeglass Scratch “Fix” #5: Commercial Scratch Repair Products

All commercial scratch repair products are based on the idea of polishing out scratches, which – as we’ve discussed above – is not a good way to deal with scratched eyewear. You’re better off saving your money and using it towards the only 100% effective way to return a pair of glasses to their pristine, unscratched condition:

Eyeglass Scratch Fix #6: Replace the Lens

If you have a scratch in your eyeglasses, the only way to actually fix them is to replace the lens. Even opticians, when presented with a scratch that impedes the wearer’s vision, will default to replacing the lens.

If a scratch in your glasses impedes your vision, the absolute best way to restore clarity is to visit your optician or eye care center and have them install a replacement lens.

Don’t Ruin Your Expensive Eyeglasses – Let Eyesight Associates Help!

If you’ve got scratched or damaged glasses, new lenses or new glasses are the best way to get your sight back. With eight locations around the midstate and the Golden Isles, we’re always close at hand to help you maintain clear vision! Call 478-923-5872 to learn more or make an appointment.

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