The anti-reflective coating on my prescription glasses is so scratched I can hardly see out of them. Occulist won't remove it and wants to charge me for new lenses! Any suggestions as to how I can remove the coating myself?
By Janine from UK
Add your voice! Click below to answer. ThriftyFun is powered by your wisdom!
Go to an Automotive Parts store and purchase Plastic Polish/Cleaner/Scratch Remover (several good manufacturers such as Maguiers, 3M,Mother's, Novus). Use a non-abrasive cloth and begin the hand-polishing process. It should remove the coating and minor scratches. Don't be aggressive; use a little TLC :)
I might give this a shot using toothpaste as that is also used to polish plastic
I have not tried the automotive plastic cleaner, but I,m sure it would work. If you or anyone you know is planning a trip to the
United Kingdom, At any automotive of hardware store, pick up a Color Restorer called T-Cut Original. Restores tired car paint to original new look. Also great for removing Anti Reflective junk.
Thanks so much bro, I tried this with a kitchen cleaner; just not automotive cleaners; and it's working perfectly
I just finished trying the tooth paste. Rubbed it on for about a minute, rinsed, they are just like new.
what kind of toothpaste did you use please. Great tip..
i got a pair of Oakley put everything on them paid big bucks, however I added the anti reflective coating, what a nightmare can't clean them. please don't put anti glare on your glasses is horrible.
I tried to remove the anti-glare coating with rubbing alcohol -- it made more scratches.
I tried to use toothpaste and an electric toothbrush -- It did nothing.
Then I remembered that my sweat had made the coating cloudy. So I made a salt solution (dissolve a teaspoon of table salt, NaCl, in a cup of water) and used the electric toothbrush. It removed the coating, but several applications were necessary to get it all. It might be a good idea to remove the lenses from the frames, if possible, (I didn't) as the salt solution may be corrosive to the frames. At a minimum thoroughly rinse the glasses.
Thank you for this tip. It worked. My daughter could not see through her glasses that cost me $500 with no insurance. I didn't know what to do. I bought the Maguire's. It took about an hour and a half and major elbow grease with my fingers and now she can see through them. I still see a little residue around the edges but my fingers were numb.
I tried maguiers... I polished until my thumb finally started to cramp. No difference at all. Got it at Advanced auto.
Perhaps it only works on certain ones. No change in mine what so ever.
I tried toothpaste tonight after buying maguires at advanced auto. No change...
This worked!
Get some screen cleaner an softly scrap it off. I just did it. It works amazing an I can actually see again
Go to Hobby Lobby or any craft store and buy Armor Etch it's a glass etching and rub on and wash off with water. I could hardly see out of my glasses and I tried this product today and it took the coating off and they are like new glasses
The product worked. Thank you,
I saved a lot of money.
i just used it to remove the protective coating on my glasses which are polycarbonate and reduced scratches by 90%. Armour Etch worked. caution--- DO NOT USE ON GLASS LENSES.
Thanks for you advice on the how to try to clean the glasses we tried it and my husband said wow it worked.
You can only do this if the glasses are NOT glass, and are plastic. Glass WILL etch and you won't be able to see through them.
I have just used the Armour Etch product on my glasses and I am truly amazed as to how well it worked and since my glasses were not scrached they are like brand new now. Do take care and follow safety inst.,works in five min. coat them well so you cant see the lens and rince
This is only good for plastic not glass lenses.
Will this product scratch the lenses? ... because it is an etching product after all.
This is, literally, the worst idea in the world. Armor Etch is used to frost wine glasses, mirrors, etc. Using this on your glasses will destroy them.
I tried that today (4/15/2019) and it didn't do anything for my glasses- luckily, I tried it out on an old pair. I left it on the lenses for 5 minutes and the coating was still just as hard as ever.
Supposedly, I read, you use glass etcher only on plastic lenses. They say to soak glasses lenses with 90% rubbing alcohol for at least 10 minutes (hours?) to soften AR coatings. Then scratch off (gently) with a plastic scraper.
I buy inexpensive glasses online and I'm proud of it. The eyeglass industry is a racket with the way they make you get a new prescription every year whether you need it or not. "You may be going blind". No, I'm not! I'd know if I was. You just want my money. People without glasses don't have to put out $100 a year, why should I? I'll know if I need a new prescription, thank you. Online glasses solves this "tax" imposed by the eyeglass industry lobby, and I'll never go back unless I need to.
If I thought for one moment that I could buy cheap glasses online I would. My Rx is so bad, that I can't wear cheaters. So don't think it works for everyone!
Your comment isnt all wrong its true that glasses can cost people a pretty penny but as someone who used to have 20/20 vision and now can only hope i dont go legally blind i find your statement 99% wrong many people actually wont realize they need a new prescription
Wow! Thank you! I wont take chances with my eyes but I am done with their price gorging! I want to get the film off of a pair of glasses too and I am going to try your suggecpstion. Thank you,
Save yourself the time and money. I used a cheap brand of plain rubbing alcohol, soaked for about 5 minutes. Gently scrape coating off and polish with a soft cloth.
I did it and it works. Took over 30 minutes Depending on how severe r the scratches bUt it works!!!!
You cannot do this with a plastic or acetate type frame
Didn't work.
I used 91% alcohol, soaked glasses 15 minutes and tried to use a magic eraser, didn't help.
I think it is rubbing alcohol or isopropyl alcohol. Hopefully, the original poster will read and respond but she left the comment over 5 years ago.
I managed to remove all coating. The recipe:
- square glass bowl (e.g. for lasagna)
- cleaning vinegar
- sink unblocker (sodium hydroxide)
* remove if possible all plastic parts
* put the glasses in the glass bowl with vinegar, for a day
Now the coating has become brittle
* outside, put the glasses in the glass bowl with water, add the sodium hydroxide, do not inhale the poisonous vapors! Leave for a day, then clean and scratch off the coating with cottonpads
I used a wet dryer sheet and it worked for me
I just tried this method and it works wonderfully! It took about 10 minutes. My glasses are like new again. Thank you so much for this information.
Barb
This worked for me: rub toothpaste in a circle for a minute (gently). Use fingernail to scrape off the film. Rinse &repeat. It took me 30 minutes to remove the cloudy film. So happy. Don't listen to the employees at eyeglass stores. This is doable.
I had the same problem of broken down anti-reflective coating on my plastic lensed glasses. I has tried to remove it with my fingernails and caused scratching that made the view even more unclear. Tried a few things, but the solution was rubbing a small amount of Meguiares "Ultimate Compound" used for cutting faded car duco. Used a microfibre cloth & 5 minutes later coating and scratches removed!
The compound is worth the money! I used them on my glasses after my wife said how do you see out of these and it worked like a charm!
Beware that these instructions may not work for recent models (2015+) as the surface below the coating may be uneven, and removing the coating gives an almost unusable result. (The application of the coating evens up the surface.)
Beware that these instructions may not work for recent models (2015+) as the surface below the coating may be uneven, and removing the coating gives an almost unusable result. (The application of the coating evens up the surface.)
Example of surface below:
I used magic eraser and it worked! I tried everything and nothing seemed to help. Just on a last ditch effort I tried the magic eraser and was amazed.
Were they platic or glass
I just used the magic eraser and it worked! Thank you for your correct answer.
I removed the film with Armour Etch and found the exposed surface had minute "bumps /Bobbles", I resolved this by using sensodyne as a rubbing compound, an electric toothbrush speeds up the process or you can use a cotton wool ball. (Beware not all toothpastes are fine enough for this purpose)
I have had nothing but problems with the anti-reflective coatings in terms of how long they last, even when using the correct cleaning methods - so I no longer get them.
I just got through with using Armour etch and it worked great, my glasses were so cloudy and foggy I couldn't use them, I was using and old pair I had, I tried the toothpaste, window cleaner, hand soap and Armour cleaned them up. I put a dab on my finger and gently rubbed front and back and got results first time, I had to do a second rub and it got the left over.
Easy-Off oven cleaner works great on Poly-Carbonate lenses.
I don't know if about glass lens.
Armour Etch has a printed warning right on the bottle: "DANGER: Causes Burns which may not be immediately painful or visible." The product contains hydrofluoric acid for goodness sake!
The suggestion reporting says to "put a dab" of Armour Etch on your finger and then rub the lenses with it. This is very bad advice.
Me, too. Scratches, holes in the coating, looks like peering through water all the time. Extremely irritating! To read, I have to look over the tops of my glasses. Looking forward to replies as to how to get this "stuff" off my glasses. Thanks for asking the question.
I also hate my anti-reflective coating on my glasses. I do not have an answer either. I just know that next time I buy glasses, they will NOT have this coating on them!
Good luck in finding an answer. I am curious as well.
I've never had a problem until my most recent pair of glasses...purchased from a different optometrist - cheaper lenses than my regular opto quoted. I'm wondering if the lab applied a poorer quality coating...I had my last pair for 10 years - the glasses wore out before the coating!
Meanwhile, I'm very interested in removing it rather than spending $180 for new lenses!
I am just wondering where you people are getting your glasses from?! I work in an optometrists office and sell glasses. Years ago, with poorer quality materials, this was a problem, but with new products and technology to apply coatings, we never see this happening anymore. (there is the rare case of a bad batch, but that is very seldom)
If the glasses are new, there should be warranty against that, at least in our office, we offer a 2 year warranty with anti-glare coatings. Sometime you do get what you pay for, going cheap isn't always best. You only do have one pair of eyes!
mine were expensive glasses. it's about at the 2 year mark that they started to be a real problem, right after the warranty ran out. And i can't afford new perscription and new glasses every 2 years.
I always pay for the most expensive, but unfortunately i have several times found that the optometrist only gives me the cheaper version to get a higher profit. not great long term customer service, though.
Lens crafter...... Less than two years old
Sherri, the newest coatings they have are junk! Used so new glasses are needed more often I'm my opinion. So unless your office does not use the new fancy coatings you are very misinformed I had mine get destroyed twice in one year. First my mother was drying her hair and my glasses were on the sink.she thought nothing of setting dryer down for couple seconds, destroyed coating in a matter of seconds! Second time I left on my dash in car when it was 34° outside, ran into store for 15 minutes! DESTROYED the coating in 34° temperatures! Explain that........ Not to give you grief, but your wrong
Mine have done the same thing more than once. I Never want anti reflective coating again!
Well I buy my glasses from an optometrist. 500 a time. Last coatings lasted 3 years and this new pair, now barely 3 years old are following the trend. I am careful to use the cleaner supplied with the glasses and the cloth they give you but the coating just decodes to peel and crackle all at once. It's not scratching, it's the coating crazing and flaking off!
Got mine at Sears Optical and were only 5 months old when it started. They tell me it can be taken off but not by them and no warranty unless you paid extra.
Well my glasses are 2 yrs old and they were not cheap at all. They are Gucci and my is coming off.bits so blurry I can't even see out so that's not a true statement sorry. Gucci I have Gucci eye glasses and the coating is coming off! Just saying.
We got them from a top of the line optometrist and paid close to a thousand, when approached about repair or replacement they said they had never seen that and we must have done something to cause it, not covered.
Optometrist have a licence to steal! Now we find out that heat affects the coating and guess what she uses her glasses to see while baking and apparently the heat of an open oven will cause problems with the coating, how stupid of not to realize she shouldnt wear her glasses while baking. We and our extended family and close friends, last count close to 632 people, will not be using your so called proffesional optometrists for glasses any more!!
Ditto. By far the most expensive glasses I have every bought during the last 45 years. Was told that the antiglare application technology had solved previous problems so I was talked into getting it. Worst glasses I have every bought due to antiglare coating deterioration, and the blurred vision due to smudges where the coating deteriorated. Manufacture said not their problem since I waited for my next doctor appointment, which was one week beyond the two year warranty. I will never get again and so much for my thinking that the higher the price the better the quality. Seems similar to deterioration of clear coat on some manufactural cars after a few years.
The last two pair of lenses I bought, have had the same problem, and they were not cheap. Both were brought at the optometrist office. So, I am going back to Wal-mart and getting no coating.
I got mine at Lens Crafter. It's only 8 months. They said they can't take it off. I paid $545.00 never again will I put that cheap coating on. It's a rip off.
$700.00 from a national chain is not inexpensive...I was told it was the heat.
I got mine from America's Best -- 3 years ago. I hardly ever wear them because I prefer contacts... I recently started wearing them again and they are HORRIBLE!
Lens Crafters also paid $700 and coating is shot over 2 yrs
Your warranty, unfortunately does not cover my lenses. I need a helpful solution to remove the coating from my glass lenses.
Mine were from LensCrafters. 3 sets of lenses in 2 years. I've cleaned them according to their own rules and recommendations. It has to be an issue of poor quality materials and/or process. My previous pair was from an optometrist's office, and I had them for 8 years with no issues.
Gucci is a frame not a lens. Ask what lens option u have. Nikon. Zeiss. Seiko. They all make lenses. Ask questions
Lens Crafters. My glasses were VERY expensive too.
Arm and Hammer Extreme White toothpaste
I only wear mine in the house in my office. Air conditioned in the summer so if it's the heat I'd like to see them show me how it happened!
I went to Lens Crafters. The one thats always advertizing on TV. I guess they are not good at all. I did not get a 2 yr warranty on the coating. They just gave me 30 days. I paid $500 and it bubbled up, and I can barely see. They wanted me to get new ones.
I also will never get coating on glasses any more. They are ripping us off.
I also went to Lens Crafters, paid $500 with the coating, it's started coming off in two months.
I just want to comment on your statement I have gotten two sets of glasses from 2 different high end retailer all major brand and I have had it happen to 3 out of 4 of them. so your completely wrong
Hi there, I am having this problem for the forth time with the 4th pair of $500 glasses the first 3 pairs were from Spec Savers (Australia) and now I have another pair with the same problem from an independent optometrist. I am defiantly wondering what has happened to the quality of glasses, I previously did not have this problem from 1980-2010... it seems quality has gone down (not the price though..
I have the problem of my coatings peeling as well. The first pair of glasses was Diesel brand that took a while but eventually peeled. The second was Eden. I paid over R3500. 00 for my lenses alone. In less than 6 months it started peeling. When I went back they said I was not cleaning my glasses properly. I was using the spray and cloth they gave me. I don't think cost is a problem when it comes to peeling. So I got less than what I paid for.
I am on my second pair of glasses where the anti-glare coating has started wearing off. This pair had a one year warranty and now that I'm past my 1 year I'm out of luck. My first pair was from Lens Crafters where I paid over $400. This pair is from Costco where they were half the price. It didn't make any difference where they were purchased, the coating just doesn't last. I'm going to try removing it completely myself before investing hundreds of dollars for a new pair, but I won't be purchasing that coating on any future glasses.
Visionworks they only warrnt for one year ..If pay for additional warranty it's only for one year its a no win situation for consumers..
Purchased $600 glasses from LensCrafters. Having the same issue. You shouldn't be so quick to lay blame on a person who has a problem.
I didn't go cheap and both pairs did the same thing.
My prescription never changes and my I want my glasses to last longer than 2 years.
I found your comment offensive. You assume as a consumer that "we" are being cheap? I have insurance, went to what I felt was a reputable office & expected a great pair of glasses with quality lenses & anti glare coating. I only require a small amount of corrective vision with progressive lenses. My out of pocket was $300 but the overall insurance billed amount was $1,086.00. Less than a year later & my anti glare is coming off in places. I own a business wherein we use soft cloths as part of our repair & it's the only thing I've ever used to clean my glasses. So your whole "cheap" theory only applies to your "cheap" shot taken at others.
Yeah that could be true, but I've had my anti glare glasses less than a year and I can't see out of them, and that's just from daily uses and proper cleaning, it's scratched on both sides and they want to charge outrageous prices to fix the issue, and before its said I couldn't afford the warranty not everyone can.
You asked where are we getting are glasses from. In my case I got them from America's Best. These are the worst glasses in 48 years of my life. I took them back while under warranty and they still wanted me to pay full price, because they said my prescription changed in two months that I had the examination,so I would need new glasses altogether, mind you I bought contacts as well and they were the wrong prescription to. I payed almost a thousand dollars in glasses and contacts for nothing. Never will I go there again. I also steer other people from this place.
My glasses are almost new and that coating is awful! I finally recognized I was not going blind! I scraped off the reflective coating after using toothpaste on them and I can't even tell you how the vision improved! It is now 100 percent better and I can actually see now. I certainly will never get any kind of coating!
Hi,
I paid 500 Euros for mine in France and the coating came off after a year. They replaced the lenses and now 18 months later it is coming off again.
Well I paid $800 for a pair of Maui jims..they are horrible.
..coating is stripping away on their own.
I paid $500 for my glasses and they still had this issue. Don't make assumptions.
Thank you Sherri for telling us you work on the sellers side and 'we get what we pay for' (we obviously don't...).It seems that you desire us to pay,pay,and pay more for sub par products,a necessity to most wearers.I am happily wearing my first pair of glasses from 7th grade,circa1981 (lenses in mint condition!).My last 6 pairs of glasses were meticulously maintained, every one of them,Crizal,Zeiss,Sieko, Essilor were JUNK WITHIN A YEAR due to COATINGS THE INDUSTRY DICATES WE NEED.THEY KNOW THE PROBLEMS WITH THESE COATINGS ARE THE VERY CAUSEATION OF OUR DISSATISFACTION, HENCE REPEATED PURCHASING OF...
I got mine from lensCrafters, three months ago. And they told me I needed to buy new pair. The antiglare is coming off already. Unfortunately I did not get an extended warranty .
People not sure who wrote this, but I spent $400 on my glasses... don't know about you, but that's not exactly cheap. I have two pairs of glasses with that crap on them and as others have written it can ruin your glasses. Thanks for the tips on removing it. That's why I'm here.
Is two years actually such a long time for glasses to last? My glasses were over $600.00 getting all the best stuff on them! I also wear contacts, so they are not used every day. They are only 1.5 years old. The coating was damaged by heat, either when the optician adjusted my frames (or DID I leave them w/o thinking in the hot car?) It would be great if I can extend the wear time by removing coatings.
Rather than blame inferior materials or workmanship I see the cause of the problem as unwitting exposure to substances which harm the coating. Supermarkets , gas stations, hardware stores expose customers to all manner of toxic substances in the products that we buy.
As employees our glasses suffer the same fate again.
It is the environment.
I work in an office setting and paid $550 dollars for my glasses. Only wash them with water and clean with cloths I purchased from them. Still the coating is coming off.
Nope, had my glasses for 5 months, cleaned as directed, kept in case when not in use. I fell for the ads but from the first day they were a disappointment. There have been weird Reflections bouncing off the lenses, they say that you can still see if they're smudged, not true and worst of all they do not reduce glare significantly. My vision is much clearer without them. I'll never buy them again. Oh yeah and I have not exposed them to any rare gases or environmental strangeness, just normal life.
I've been wearing glasses for 48 years and I have pairs I still use from over 10 years ago with anti-glare coatings that are still fine. My last 2 pair have only lasted 2 years and the peeling starts. We are getting ripped off is what's happening.
I pulled my spotted plastic coating off with the strongest duck tape Lowe's had.I taped it on the front and pulled most of it off.The second try pulled all the coating off and now my glass's are very clear and without that coating.
I bought my glasses from Lens Crafter 18 months ago and the coating on the lens is to the point I can no longer wear them. Went to Lens Crafter and they said its was the result of poor cleaning. (not true) They refuse to admit there's a problem with the coating. Wouldn't do anything for me, so I've taken my business elsewhere. Anyway, I'm going to try Armor Etch to clean them.
joe.gator.57.....did you use the armor etch? My glasses are from Lens Crafters too......
Always find out what anti-reflective coating is being applied - I'm pretty sure they're not all the same. In my case, I've had a pair of glasses with a Hoya anti-reflective coating, and they lasted well for about 6 years. They make photographic filters too, and mine have lasted well too. I finally screwed my glasses up with heat and blissful ignorance, being far too close to a fireplace with my glasses on - little cracks in the coating were the result.
Anyway, I'm pretty happy with this particular coating, and I've insisted on it for my new glasses too. I'll try polishing the coating off the old pair so they can serve as a good backup :)
i too hate my anti glare coating. i can't afford a replacement pair of glasses. so i stopped driving and enjoying life because of the anti glare coming and scratches from trying to remove the anti glare. when to two different lenses stores and was told at both places they had never heard of the antiglare coming off. can't wait until i can afford the ultimate compound.
How can l remove the anti glear off my lenses of my glasses
I did it this way and my plastic glasses are like new:
1 - I bought a small bottle of T-Cut from an automotive store.
2 - I popped the lenses out of the frame and placed them on a saucer with a liberal amount of T-Cut on the saucer and then smeared T-Cut on both sides of the lenses
3 - I used my fingernails to scratch the lens surfaces (front and back) and as I did so the coating was removed bit-by-bit
4 - After 15 minutes of scraping on a lens, I used dishwashing liquid to clean the lens and check my progress; if I noticed that the coating remained in a given area, I made note of where it was by looking into the light and then concentrated on that area using the same technique mentioned above until all the lens coating was gone
5 - My lenses are now like new.
6 - I suspect that this technique will work with other moderately abrasive pastes like toothpaste but have not tried with any others.
NOTE: I will never buy coated lenses again!
How can l remove the anti reflective coating off my lenses of my glasses
I tooky glasses back to WalMart and they tried to remove it. I tried the etch stuff, alcohol, vinegar, toothpaste, wet dryer sheet, sunscreen, and still can't get the remaining residue off. Couldn't see out of my 500 dollar glasses with scratched ar, and still can't see out of them
Can't get that darn glue like substance off. They started bubbling at 13 months, just out of warranty. I know someone has resolved this!
If they are out of warranty, you could still write a letter to corporate headquarters, saying that your glasses did not wear well and you would like the lenses fixed or replaced
Add your voice! Click below to answer. ThriftyFun is powered by your wisdom!
