cleaning sunnies

[max_power]

ok, i bought my first pair of good polarised sunnies the other week, the difference they have made is amazing
My question is, what is the best way to clean sunscreen, sweat, salt and general crap off the lenses and frames without doing damamge, i've rinsed them in mildly hot water to get the salt off, but the sunscreen and the like still remains? Any tips or hints would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers

D

[PG]

I'd be using warm or cold water with detergent, then a clean water rinse particularly after a few days of salt and sand. If you get saltwater on them don't wipe it off, rinse it off. There's always going to be fine sand or silt particles in it and if the seawater has had a chance to dry even a bit, there'll be salt crystals too VERY ABBRASIVE ! Failing that, ask the suppliers or the place you bought them from what they recommend.

[mini696]

Polarised lens's are great!! Some people have complained the modern cars have something on their windscreens which make it difficult to see through with polarised lenses. I've noticed some things look different with the sunnies on, stereos, mobile phones, sounders and windscreens (looking into, not out of them).

Just a soft cloth, with a bit of moisture would be enough. If you can pop the lens out even better, that way you can clean the grooves and get right too the edges of the lens (check if that'll void your waranty tho).

If you have the sunnies with a reflective outer coating, you'll need to keep anything like sunscreen, fuel, oil (everything) off it as much as possible, but this coating will slowly rub off with time anyway (a LOT quicker for the cheapies).

Thats what I do. I have pairs of Oakleys held together with superglue!! (they are too expensive to have fixed or throw out), but the lenses are still scratch free.

Mickk

[Hutcho]

Max Power,

What brand of sunnies did you end up buying?

Hutcho

[Bad_Bubby]

mate I've been wearing makos for the past 3 years ever since I found a pair on the golf course and decided to try it out:P. They have been sensational...makes fishing so much more comfortable especially in open ocean where the glare is terrible. Usually I just get away with lightly rubbing the lense with my shirt and they come up fine. My current pair is now 2 years old and I have been cleaning them this way for the entire time. There are no major scratches on the glasses from cleaning, only a couple of minor scratches from the arms rubbing into the lense.

[DICER]

I'm with Paul.G - I have sunnies with prescription lenses. Rinse first with water. Rinse with detergent (dish cleaning liquid), a light rubbing action, rinse with plain water, and then a soft towel that is ONLY used for cleaning your glasses (a tea towel is what they use at my optician). Lense tissues are also very good. Avoid kitchen towels. Shiny white dunny paper sheets are actually very good and similar to lense cleaning tissues I use for microscopes at work.

This however is rather cumbersome when say rock fishing and heavy salt spray/splash. So I have a water bottle with a pull up spout and clean towel somewhere in a top pocket. A soft squirt and then a harder squirt with water - dry.

DICER

[max_power]

Hutcho

I bought makos, the difference it makes, especially when fishing the reef flats and bommies with plastics, is amazing, why didn't I do it earlier.

A bottle of water seems to be the best way to remove salt buildup, what's the best way to remove sunscreen?

Cheers

[yockman]

I always keep a spray bottle of that glass cleaning stuff (Windex?) on my boat, just for keep the shades clean. Re the Oakleys, have recently acquired my first pair. Snorkelling round Manning Gorge in the middle of the Kimberley, I saw something glint on the bottom, dived and, you guessed it, came up with a pair of Oakleys!. Looked like they'd been under water for about 6 months, but they scrubed up OK.
Cheers,
Yockman

[ken4159]

optical lens cleaner available at all optometrist

cheers Ken

[Hutcho]

Mako's are pretty darn good, i've had a pair for over 3 years now as well, and rate them pretty well. A mate of mine recently lost his makos, or broke them, and it was his b'day recently, so a few of us pitched in a bought him a pair of "Spotters". They are awesome. Probably a little better then my current Mako's as they come down a bit lower underneath the eye and seem to cut the glare out a tad more.
to get sunscreen off, best way I reckon is to use that spray you can get from any optometrist. ALWAYS rinse them in fresh water first though. that salt water is nasty stuff on the lenses, especially is the lenses are made of glass, not plastic.

But at the end of the day, there is no way a man can fish properly without Polarised sunnies, it's just a whole new world with them on.

Cheers,
hutcho

[jugs]

Detergent and warm water definitely the go!! That sunscreen is a real problem, but then you arent meant to rub it in your eyes........

[agnes_jack]

Rinse with cold water, a drop or 2 of sea drops lense cleaner and polish with a soft clean cloth. That should also remove the sunscreen.

Regards, Tony

[Maria]

Sea drops is what I use on my dive masks too. Not only will it clean your lenses nicely, but it will also stop them fogging up.

Ben

[NeilD]

I got 5 years out of my last pair of Spotters. Never clean a dirty lens without washing it as the minute dirt and dust particles scratch the lens. I use water for a basic clean and good quality tissues. For more persistant dirt I use warm water with detergent and for sunscreen I use window cleaner.
I operate a public swimming pool so I tend to clean my glasses about six times a day (not counting water splashes) the lens tissues and optical cleaners become very expensive and a bit of pain to use. I noticed no difference in clarity when I stopped using them.

Neil