Darn! My Sunglass Lenses Are Scratched!

OK, I have several pairs of sunglasses (which all pilots should have) and from time to time the lenses get scratched.

Yep, no matter how hard I try they get scratched.

Sometimes I use a piece of paper to clean them, or an old rag, or whatever and viola! - they are scratched!

Now what?

Well, I have 5 suggestions for you to try!

Toothpaste

Ok, who doesn't have some toothpaste laying around?

First make sure that you have a non-abrassive tube of toothpaste and some cotton balls available.

Be sure to avoid any toothpaste with whitening or plaque removal properties.

In my experience Arm & Hammer Dental Care Sensitive, Colgate 2-in-1 Fresh Mint, Colgate Sensitive Max Strength, Colgate Total, Colgate Regular or Sensodyne all work very well.

Next, apply a small amount of the toothpaste on the lenses and using a cotton ball or two simply buff the lenses for a few minutes. Then, check to see how much progress you have made.

If these scratches are deep you may have to spend a bit more time buffing them until the scratches are gone.

Baking Soda

If you are not sure your toothpaste is non-abrasive go to your refrigerator and grab that box of baking soda. 

In fact, baking soda has a very low abrasion rating and it is very safe to use on your lenses.

Put a little bit of the baking sode in a bowl, add some water, stir until you have a nice paste and using a scratch free cloth apply it to your lenses. If you don't have a scratch free cloth simply use your finger to carefully put some on your lenses.

Use some cotton balls to buff the lenses until the scratches are gone!

Metal Polish & Rubbing Alcohol

Choose a low abrasive metal polish and using cotton balls buff away at the scratch. 

If you decide to use rubbing alcohol simply use a cotton ball to buff out the scratch.

Here is a short video showing you how:

Car Cleaning Wax

All guys have some car cleaning wax to buff and shine that beauty.

For a quick fix work the wax into your lenses and it will help fill in and smooth over any scratches.

As always, don't rub too hard!

Glass Etching Cream

Do not use glass etching cream on glass lenses! You will be sorry if you do.

This products is very effective on plastic lenses.

Glass Etching Cream contains Hydrofluoric Acid which will remove the outer coating on plastic lenses and will buff away the scratch(s).

Warning! It will also remove any films attached to the lens like a lens tint or anti-glare coating.

Conclusion

The best solution is keep your lenses from being scratched in the first place.

Keep you sunglasses and/or glasses in a soft carrying case, always keep a soft microfiber cloth handy to keep the lenses clean, and never try to rub off sand or debris from your lenses by hand.

As always keep your wings straight and level Hersch!

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