Your Oakley sunglasses are exposed to things like face oil, colognes, sweat, and perfumes on a daily basis, leaving them dirty and full of smudges. Luckily, it’s pretty easy to clean these sunglasses so that they continue to look great and function as they should.
To clean Oakley sunglasses, you can use the official cleaner (available on the company’s website) to spray both sides of the lenses and the frame, then wipe the glasses with the electrostatic bag they came in. Or you can wash the glasses with soap and water and dry them with a microfiber cloth.
Using the right material and technique is very important when cleaning your Oakley sunglasses; otherwise, you risk scratching the lenses. Let’s take a closer look at how you should clean them, the materials you should use, and what to avoid.
How Do You Clean Oakley Sunglasses?
There are two primary ways to clean your Oakley sunglasses — with an Oakley cleaner or with soap and water. Let’s look at these two options in more detail.
Using Oakley Cleaner
For this method, you need the official Oakley cleaner that’s available on their website. Make sure you don’t use abrasive pads or other solutions to wash the sunglasses since these things can lead to damage.
Spray the Oakley cleaner on both the back and the front of the lenses. Then, find the electrostatic bag that your sunglasses came in.
This bag can clean the glasses without scratching them. Put one of your hands in the bag to have more control while wiping the lenses.
Make sure you hold the glasses firmly with your hand and avoid putting your fingers on the lenses directly. Doing so may leave fingerprints. Alternatively, you can use the electrostatic cloth included in the Oakley cleaning kit.
With the palm of your hand, go back on forth on the sunglasses (the front side) to polish them and use your fingers to wipe the back sides as well as any dirty crevices.
Once you’re done cleaning the lenses, do the same with the frame. Spray the sides of the glasses with the cleaner and use an electrostatic cloth to wipe them until they’re completely dry.
Using Soap and Water
For this method, take a large bowl that can easily hold your glasses and fill half of it with water. Then, add a little bit of dishwashing liquid and swirl it around to mix it. Make sure you only use mild dish soap since other cleaning solutions might damage the lenses.
Dip and swirl the glasses in the solution to get rid of dirt and oil. Next, take a soft, nonabrasive cotton cloth, submerge it in the solution, and use it to wipe the glasses. Rinse the sunglasses with warm water, making sure that you get all the bubbles and soap off of them.
Once you’re done, shake the glasses to remove some of the water from them. Finally, wipe both the frames and the lenses with a microfiber cloth. Make sure the glasses are fully dry before you store them in the electrostatic bag.
Which Cleaning Materials Are Best?
The best material to wipe your glasses without scratching them is a microfiber towel or cloth (on Amazon). Just make sure that you wash the glasses without fabric softener since it can break down the material of the cloth and ruin its softness.
Which Materials Should You Avoid?
Avoid using t-shirts, dry napkins or paper towels, and bathroom towels to clean glasses.
Clothing often tends to leave behind scratches and it’s usually not very absorbent, which means it doesn’t get rid of all the fluids. As a result, you end up with streaks and scratches on your glasses.
Similarly, even though paper products feel soft to the touch, they can leave behind scratches. The minute tree-pulp particles present in tissues can cause tiny cuts in the lenses, which ultimately ruins visibility.
Also, avoid using common bathroom towels since they can cause damage and leave lint behind.
The Best Cleaning Solutions for Oakley Sunglasses
In addition to the cleaning solution available on Oakley’s official website, you can also use the following products to clean your glasses:
Microfiber Glass Cleaner Brushes
Reusable cleaner brushes like these from The Flash Store (on Amazon) are best for getting rid of grime and surface oil. They’re easy to handle, portable, and allow you to clean the front and back of the lenses together while you hold the glasses firmly.
Anti-Fog Glass Cleaner
An anti-fog cleaner (on Amazon) makes sure that the lenses stay clear and don’t limit visibility, regardless of the weather. Such cleaners come in the form of a liquid that’s directly applied to the plastic and allowed to sit for a bit.
Over multiple uses, the cleaner forms a coating on the lens that makes it difficult for moisture to collect and hinder your vision.
Glass Cleaner Wipes
Another alternative is glass cleaner wipes (on Amazon). These are great for cleaning your lenses quickly and easily and getting rid of abrasive materials and dirt. Such cleaner wipes are typically folded cloths made using fine tissue treated with some alcohol-based cleaning solution.
Just make sure you choose wipes specifically designed for glasses instead of some normal alcohol wipes since they can cause scratches.
Ultrasonic Eyeglass Cleaners
These cleaners use liquid solvents and high-frequency sound to absorb surface contaminants, making them great for cleaning your glasses.