How to Remove Scratches from Sunglasses

Even if you generally take good care of your sunglasses, you’ll probably end up with a scratch or two on your lenses just through regular wear and tear. After all, sunglasses get bumped around, they get jostled in your bag or backpack, and sometimes they even get dropped.

But don’t despair--there are several effective ways to minimize the scratches so you can continue to wear your favorite shades. Read on to learn how to take care of your sunglasses, as well as how to clean sunglasses for best results.

Use Brass or Silver Polish

Did you know that brass or silver polish can help you to minimize the scratches on your lenses? Here’s how.

Squeeze a dab of the polish onto a clean cotton ball, and gently rub the polish onto your lenses. Don’t use so much that a greasy film remains behind, but continue to rub until the scratches are less visible. Remove the polish with a clean, lint-free cloth.

If you can still see the scratches on your lenses after one attempt, repeat the process.

Make a Baking Soda Paste

Not everyone has brass or silver polish lying around, but just about everybody has baking soda in their kitchen.

For this remedy, mix one part water with two parts baking soda. Stir the mixture until you have a nice, thick paste. Using a cotton ball, rub the baking soda paste into the scratches for about 10 seconds. Use a circular motion as you rub the lenses.

Rinse the paste off your lenses with cool water. Then dry your lenses with a lint-free cloth and inspect to see if the scratches are still visible. If they are, repeat the process.

Furniture Polish Spray

Although this method has to be repeated every few days in order to keep your scratches in check, it’s quick and easy. All you need are a can of furniture polish spray and a lint-free cloth.

Simply spray your lenses and then rub them with the lint-free cloth until the scratches disappear. We also carry our own spray cleaners to help clean off your sunglasses!

Car Wax

Car wax works under the same principles as furniture polish spray, but it’s harder, so you won’t have to apply it as often.

If you know how to wax your car, then you already know how to wax your sunglasses. Just apply the wax to your lenses and rub them with a lint-free, soft cloth using circular motions. Use a different cloth to wipe away the excess wax, and repeat the treatment as necessary.

Toothpaste

Not every type of toothpaste is good for rubbing on your sunglasses, so before you start smearing the stuff around on the lenses of your favorite shades, make sure your toothpaste has the following attributes:

• non-whitening
• non-minty
• non-abrasive
• non-gel

If your toothpaste passes muster, rub it onto your lenses using a clean cotton ball. After about 10 seconds of circular massaging, rinse the lenses with clean, cool water, then dry them with a clean, lint-free cloth.

Sandpaper

All of the tips listed above are temporary fixes. They fill in the scratches, but they don’t really make them disappear. Sandpaper, however, can permanently remove scratches from your lenses, but this method is a lot of work, and it understandably makes some people nervous. Here’s how it works.

Using sandpaper, grind the lens down to the depth of the scratch, then use a buffing wheel to restore the lens’ former shine. Keep in mind that if your lenses have coatings such as anti-glare, hydrophobic, or UV protection, you should avoid this method, as sandpaper will destroy these coatings.

Replacement Lenses

If none of the above methods can handle the scratches on your lenses, you should likely consider replacing just the lenses. This is a good option if your frames are still in good shape. You can keep your favorite sunglasses and continue to wear them for many seasons.

If you’ve never bought sunglasses online before, give us a try! Here at Tabulae, we offer many popular sunglasses styles, and our customer service is second to none. Contact us or check out our pop up shops if you have any questions. We look forward to helping you find your favorite sunglasses ever!