How to clean your glasses without damaging them
Even the finest glasses don’t clean themselves, yet there are many ways to keep your eyewear spotless. James Witts explains how to clean them properly
On bright days, it is essential to wear triathlon, running or cycling glasses to protect your eyes from the sun’s powerful UV rays, avoid any debris entering the eye and reduce eyestrain while training or racing.
Worn frequently during training or race efforts, glasses will soon get grubby as sweat and dirt from the great outdoors builds up on the glass.
Learning how to clean your glasses without damaging the protective coating is key to keeping them scratch-free.
Most premium quality triathlon or running glasses should be durable and hardwearing, but will still require care to prolong their lifespan and avoid those pesky scratches that could impair your vision.
Interested in bagging yourself a pair of tri-specific sunnies? Check out our best sunglasses for triathlon reviewed.
We’ve also rounded up the best running sunglasses on the market.
How to clean sports glasses without damaging them
Firstly, clean them under warm water to remove dirt and debris. You should then apply a couple of drops of washing-up liquid between your fingers and work the soap suds into the arms, nose pads and rubber grippers.
Rinse thoroughly. As a side note, if you’re in an area of hard water, ideally use distilled water or you’ll leave streaks. And if you have removable lenses, remove and clean as the oil from sweat can be damaging.
When it comes to drying, this might sound a little out there but blow the water off via the cool setting of a hairdryer. Also, hold the lenses by the edges, again to prevent smearing.
Then dry your glasses with a micro-fibre cloth, which usually comes with your glasses. Don’t use paper towels because they contain tiny pieces of wood that scratch. It’s the same with cotton – they’re formed from small particles that can leave marks.
As for fogging up, one neat trick is to squirt a little shaving foam onto each side of your lenses and buffet it away until it disappears. Again, use a micro-fibre cloth for this to provide the perfect finish.
220 Triathlon Team
Journalists, reviewers, coaches and athletes 
