How to get rid of scratches on glasses

For anyone who wears glasses or sunglasses often, scratches on the lenses of your glasses are a major and ongoing annoyance.

Since the pandemic, I’ve been wearing my glasses a lot more than my contacts for various reasons. This also means that my lenses have gotten scratched much more quickly than when I only wore them at night.

Between dropping them accidentally, not keeping them in their case and my children manhandling them, my glasses now have a decent collection of marks on the lenses.

For example, here are the scratches on the left side of my glasses:

So, you can see why I was game to try out this Spy-via-Lifehacker baking soda suggestion for how to get rid of scratches on glasses.

How To Get Rid Of Scratches On Glasses

First, I cleaned my lenses with cold water and soap and wiped them with a microfiber cloth (important to use because some other cloths can scratch your lenses).

Then, I made a baking soda paste by adding just a bit of water to some baking soda. I rubbed the paste on the lenses with another microfiber cloth and rinsed it away, followed by a wipe with another microfiber cloth.

The result: I guess it helped a little? Granted, I have some pretty deep scratches on my lenses and this technique isn’t supposed to help those. It may have polished away some of the smaller scratches.

Take a look and see what you think.

While some tips on how to get rid of scratches on glasses suggest using toothpaste or glass-etching products, The Manual says that these are actually more likely to cause damage.

How To Stop Scratching Glasses In The Future

As the Spy/Lifehacker article mentions, I could have prevented some of these scratches on my glasses by keeping them in a glasses case when not in use. The lining in the case I had came unglued, so I just bought a new one.

I also wipe my glasses on my shirt a lot during the day. That can cause scratches because it can rub dirt and dust into the lenses. Paper towels can also leave tiny scratches. So, I ordered a bunch of microfiber cloth glasses wipes so I can stash them in my car, bags, office and by the TV.

And if my preschooler absconds with one like she has in the past to use with her sunglasses, I have a bunch more I can use.

What are your go-to tips for how to get rid of scratches on glasses?