Why is there always a colored oil layer on the glasses? Can an ultrasonic cleaner clean it?

Many people have had this experience: wearing glasses that were bought a few years ago, but the vision is getting blurrier. I wiped the lenses with the corner of my clothes, but they were still blurry. So I ordered an ultrasonic cleaner online, which is said to be able to clean not only jewelry and other small items, but also glasses. As a result, everyone who uses it knows that although a lot of dust has been washed out, the lenses are still oily and blurry, without any change.

So, is washing glasses with an ultrasonic cleaner a waste of money?

Image source: Photo Network

01Where does the oily sheen on glasses lenses come from?

There are many layers of film on the lenses, which are like protective umbrellas for glasses. Different layers of film have different functions, such as anti-oil, anti-wear, anti-blue light, and reducing reflection and glare. It can be said that the additional functions required for wearing frame glasses are all realized by these layers of film.

Image source: Photo Network

Put the glasses that have been used for a while under the light and observe them carefully. If they look oily, the reflection on the lens surface is incomplete and there are many irregular scratches, then your glasses may have a cracked film.

The lens film is very fragile. When the temperature is too high or it comes into contact with certain chemicals, cracks may appear on the lens surface. Therefore, it is recommended that you take off your glasses in advance before taking a bath or sauna, and try not to expose your glasses to high temperatures, let alone rinse them with hot water.

At the same time, you should also avoid direct contact between acidic and alkaline chemicals (including some cosmetics) and alcohol and the lens surface to avoid damage to the lens membrane.

In addition, do not use the corner of your clothes or the glasses cloth to rub the lenses back and forth vigorously. In fact, the glasses cloth is only used to wrap the glasses to reduce the friction between the lenses and the glasses case. Using the glasses cloth to rub the lenses directly is equivalent to polishing with sandpaper, and the fragile film layer is easily damaged.

Glasses with bursting film | Source: Xiaohongshu

Once the eyeglass film is damaged, the light transmittance will be reduced, causing eye fatigue and even vision loss. Since the damaged film is difficult to repair, you can only get a new pair of glasses. It is recommended that you be as careful as possible during daily use to extend the life of the glasses.

02Can an ultrasonic cleaner clean glasses?

Let me give you the answer first: Yes, but it can only clean the dust on the surface and the gaps that cannot be reached by hands. Severe oil stains on the lenses and rusty nose pads cannot be cleaned by an ultrasonic cleaner.

Image source: 1688

The principle of ultrasonic cleaning machine is to use ultrasonic vibration to produce cavitation in the liquid, that is, to form tiny bubbles and burst them under high pressure to produce shock waves, which impact the dirt on the surface of the object and in the gaps, causing it to fall off quickly, thereby achieving the purpose of cleaning.

Using an ultrasonic cleaner to clean glasses can remove dust from the surface and gaps, but this vibration has no effect on dissolving the heavy oil stains on the lenses and nose pads, and may even damage the lens film. If you use an ultrasonic cleaner to clean glasses, remember to face the mirror upwards to reduce friction on the mirror surface.

03How to clean glasses correctly?

🔸Low-cost version: Rinse the surface with cold water first, drop a drop of dishwashing liquid (or neutral detergent) on the mirror surface, rub it gently in a circular motion, then rinse it off with cold water (be careful not to use hot water), and absorb the water with a soft cloth or glasses wipes.

🔸Lazy version: Buy professional glasses wipes, fold them to wrap around the lenses, and wipe the mirror surface in circles. This can clean the glasses quickly and easily, and also has a disinfecting effect.

🔸Ultrasonic cleaning version: Put the glasses face up into the ultrasonic cleaning machine for cleaning. You can also add a little bit of neutral detergent to dissolve the oil stains, but the cleaning time should not be too long.

Tips

🔹If the nose pads are rusted, it is difficult to clean them. It is recommended to replace them with a new pair directly, which is cheap and beautiful.

🔹If the lens is still blurry after cleaning, it is recommended to check whether the film is cracked and get new glasses as soon as possible to avoid affecting your vision health.

Wash by hand with detergent, proven to be effective!

References

[1] Wu Guoqiang, Chen Guoliang. Research and development of a multifunctional anti-blue light lens[J]. Contemporary Chemical Research, 2023, (21): 155-157. DOI: 10.20087/j.cnki.1672-8114.2023.21.049.

[2] Yang Lu, Anti-scratch glasses based on optical coating technology. Zhejiang Province, Wenzhou Kunteng Optics Co., Ltd., 2022-04-30.

[3] Can you wash glasses with an ultrasonic cleaner? Is it suitable? https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1g34y1i7Zw/?spm_id_from=333.337.search-card.all.click&vd_source=cf608c883256e7531a644f708ed6dba1

[4] The glasses are greasy and scratched, maybe the film is broken! The reason why the glasses have scratches for no apparent reason is finally found! https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1Dp421m7Ur/?spm_id_from=333.337.search-card.all.click&vd_source=cf608c883256e7531a644f708ed6dba1

Author: Guo Yichen

Planning & Editing: Tiara

Acknowledgements: Guo Weihong, PhD and senior engineer at the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, provided scientific guidance for this article

Cover image: Photo Network