How To Clean The Nose Pads On Your Glasses

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Since your glasses are an essential part of your daily life, they can equally get greasy and grimy quicker than you can imagine. While cleaning the lenses is common practice, getting rid of the dirt on the remaining parts may not be so obvious. So, how do you clean the nose pads on your glasses?

Spray the eyeglass cleaning solution onto a microfiber cloth and wipe the nose pad surfaces and areas around them. Soak the glasses in a bowl of warm soapy water for 10-15 minutes to remove leftover grime, then dry them. To dislodge green dirt, scrub the nose pads gently with a toothbrush.

Tests have shown that glasses’ ear clips and nose pads can be notorious harbors of bacteria and dirt. And as creepy as it sounds, fostering germs on sensitive skin areas like your nose and ears poses significant health risks. Let’s get started so you know how to clean your nose pads safely and hygienically.

How to Clean the Nose Pads on Your Glasses

Cleaning glasses

Many folks who wear glasses believe it’s difficult to clean the nose pads, as specific techniques may not get all the dirt off. But if you don’t clean them properly and the grime builds up, your glasses will quickly lose their appeal, besides the nose pads smelling like some old gym locker. 

The good news is that there’s a simple way to clean them and get the load off your mind.

Supplies Needed

  • 2 Microfiber cloths
  • Distilled water
  • Eyeglasses cleaning solution
  • Pre-moistened alcohol wipes (optional)

Process

  1. Wash your hands thoroughly and dry them, so it’s safe to touch the glasses.
  1. Spritz the eyeglass cleaning solution onto the microfiber cloth to make it damp (not wet).
  1. Use the cloth to clean the surface of the nose pads. You can also use pre-moistened alcohol wipes, but be careful not to touch the lenses.
  1. Clean the areas between the nose pads and the frame to remove as much grime as possible.
  1. Fill a small bowl with warm distilled water and stir in a few drops of hand soap.
  1. Soak your glasses in the soapy water for 10-15 minutes to clear any leftover grime.
  1. Dry your glasses with a clean microfiber cloth, careful not to smudge the lenses.

How to Remove Green Dirt from Glasses Nose Pads

The green dirt on your nose pads can take a toll on your glasses, making you feel uncomfortable wearing them. Follow these steps to remove the green dirt and keep your glasses clean:

  1. Mix a few drops of dishwashing detergent with 1 tablespoon of baking soda in a bowl of warm water.
  1. Swirl the mixture to make it lather.
  1. Dampen the microfiber cloth and use it to wipe off the green dirt.
  1. For stubborn stains, gently brush the nose pads with the toothbrush.
  1. Rinse the microfiber cloth and use it to wipe off the grime.
  1. Dry the nose pads with the lint-free cloth that came with your glasses.

You can also take your glasses to an optical shop with an ultrasonic cleaner to have the green dirt removed. The device vibrates the nose pads at a very high sound frequency to dislodge the tiny dirt particles.

Where Does the Green Dirt Come From?

The green dirt on the nose pads of glasses is usually due to the corrosion of their mounting screws and the metal in contact with them. Don’t freak out if you thought it was mold or some other sort of fungus.

When you sweat, your skin also releases oils and salts that corrode the mounting screws and metal surfaces in contact with your nose pads. Eyeglass frames are typically made of monel, an alloy of copper and nickel. 

While it’s usually skin-friendly, it turns green when corroded. Over time, the effect becomes more noticeable, which is why you’ll see green dirt on older nose pads.

Can Nose Pads Be Replaced? 

Hands hold eyeglasses and nose pad broke off them against brown desk

You can replace the nose pads on your glasses if you can’t get them clean or they’re damaged. Remember, the nose pads wear down over time and may break off entirely or get so dirty that you can’t stick with them any longer.

Be sure to buy replacement nose pads that are the same shape and size as the old ones. In addition, you can find nose pad kits that come complete with all the tools you need to change them, including a tiny screwdriver, new screws, and a magnifying glass.

Here’s how to replace your nose pads:

  1. First, hold your glasses with the nose pads facing toward you.
  1. Next, use a jeweler’s screwdriver to remove the small screws holding the nose pads.
  1. Place the tiny screws on a magnet or in your hard-shell case, so you don’t lose them.
  1. If your nose pads don’t have screws, gently pry them out with a flathead screwdriver.
  1. Next, attach the new nose pads on their mounts on your glasses and gently screw them in place. For snap-on nose pads, put them on the mounts and gently push them until they click in.

How to Store Your Glasses to Prevent Them from Getting Dirty

Throwing your glasses onto your nightstand or your traveling bag without protection is the quickest way to expose them to scratches and smudges. 

But if you want to get the best out of them and make them serve you for longer, you want to store them safely, just as it’s essential to clean them regularly.

When Not Wearing Them

If you aren’t wearing them on the go, always keep them in a hinged, hard-shell case. If you lost yours, you could get a case replacement from an optical retailer. You can be lucky to find one at your nearest drugstore.

If you don’t have a hard-shell case, you can’t go wrong with a soft pocket-style case, provided you keep the glasses in a zippered chamber of your traveling bag.

While Sleeping

Ideally, you’ll also want to store the glasses when you sleep. Fold the frames and place the glasses on a clean, stable furniture surface with the lenses facing up. 

You must keep them away from an alarm clock as you may accidentally knock them off when tempted to snooze or silence the alarm in that sleepy anger.

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