My glasses are dirty with a sort of grey smudge at random on both sides
of the lenses. I don't work in an industrial environment so the only
contamination is from domestic sources, and I haven't been painting
anything.

I've tried:

Copious warm tapwater with detergent.
Zeiss lens wipes from the optician.
Meths from a hardware store, so with the blue dye.
Isoproyl alcohol from the chemist.
Ultrasonic cleaner with warm water & drop of detergent.

None of these have had any effect.

Can anybody recomend a solvent that won't attack the plastic of the
lenses that I could try? I have available petrol, Hammerite thinners
(i.e. naptha), and white spirit.

TIA

--
Graham J

Graham J <nobody@nowhere.co.uk> wrote:
> My glasses are dirty with a sort of grey smudge at random on both sides
> of the lenses. I don't work in an industrial environment so the only
> contamination is from domestic sources, and I haven't been painting
> anything.
>
> I've tried:
>
> Copious warm tapwater with detergent.
> Zeiss lens wipes from the optician.
> Meths from a hardware store, so with the blue dye.
> Isoproyl alcohol from the chemist.
> Ultrasonic cleaner with warm water & drop of detergent.
>
> None of these have had any effect.
>
> Can anybody recomend a solvent that won't attack the plastic of the
> lenses that I could try? I have available petrol, Hammerite thinners
> (i.e. naptha), and white spirit.

Non abrasive toothpaste?

<http://www.glassescrafter.com/information/remove-scratches-on-eyeglasses.html>

--
Cheers, Alan

On 8 May 2021 at 15:54:23 BST, "Graham J" <nobody@nowhere.co.uk> wrote:

> My glasses are dirty with a sort of grey smudge at random on both sides
> of the lenses. I don't work in an industrial environment so the only
> contamination is from domestic sources, and I haven't been painting
> anything.
>
> I've tried:
>
> Copious warm tapwater with detergent.
> Zeiss lens wipes from the optician.
> Meths from a hardware store, so with the blue dye.
> Isoproyl alcohol from the chemist.
> Ultrasonic cleaner with warm water & drop of detergent.
>
> None of these have had any effect.

If isopropyl and an ultrasonic cleaner haven't shifted it, it's quite
likely to be surface damage. Take them to the opticians for looking at
rather than getting out the wire brush and dettol. Since if you do,
you'll be visiting them anyway.

Cheers - Jaimie

--
Sent from my VAX 11/780

Graham J <nobody@nowhere.co.uk> wrote:

> My glasses are dirty with a sort of grey smudge at random on both sides
> of the lenses. I don't work in an industrial environment so the only
> contamination is from domestic sources, and I haven't been painting
> anything.
>
> I've tried:
>
> Copious warm tapwater with detergent.
> Zeiss lens wipes from the optician.
> Meths from a hardware store, so with the blue dye.
> Isoproyl alcohol from the chemist.
> Ultrasonic cleaner with warm water & drop of detergent.
>
> None of these have had any effect.
>
> Can anybody recomend a solvent that won't attack the plastic of the
> lenses that I could try? I have available petrol, Hammerite thinners
> (i.e. naptha), and white spirit.

I've known some transparent plastics go slightly milky after being
cleaned with Isopropanol, had you previously used an alcohol-based
cleaning agent?

Are they coated, with the 'smudg'e being where the coating has come off
or worn through?

--
~ Liz Tuddenham ~
(Remove the ".invalid"s and add ".co.uk" to reply)
www.poppyrecords.co.uk

On 2021-05-08, Liz Tuddenham <liz@poppyrecords.invalid.invalid> wrote:
> Graham J <nobody@nowhere.co.uk> wrote:
>
>> My glasses are dirty with a sort of grey smudge at random on both sides
>> of the lenses. I don't work in an industrial environment so the only
>> contamination is from domestic sources, and I haven't been painting
>> anything.
>>
>> I've tried:
>>
>> Copious warm tapwater with detergent.
>> Zeiss lens wipes from the optician.
>> Meths from a hardware store, so with the blue dye.
>> Isoproyl alcohol from the chemist.
>> Ultrasonic cleaner with warm water & drop of detergent.
>>
>> None of these have had any effect.
>>
>> Can anybody recomend a solvent that won't attack the plastic of the
>> lenses that I could try? I have available petrol, Hammerite thinners
>> (i.e. naptha), and white spirit.
>
> I've known some transparent plastics go slightly milky after being
> cleaned with Isopropanol, had you previously used an alcohol-based
> cleaning agent?
>
> Are they coated, with the 'smudg'e being where the coating has come off
> or worn through?

I haven't had any plastic specs for years now but I certainly
remember the coating eventually starting to wear off. I don't recall
a grey smudge effect though but it's definitely a possibility I would
say.

--
Cheers, Alan

Alan B wrote:

[snip]

>> I've known some transparent plastics go slightly milky after being
>> cleaned with Isopropanol, had you previously used an alcohol-based
>> cleaning agent?

I've used Isopropanol fairly often, without any previous ill-effects.

>>
>> Are they coated, with the 'smudg'e being where the coating has come off
>> or worn through?

I don't think they are coated. How would I tell?

The contamination looks like residue from spashes and I can just about
feel it with a fingernail

>
> I haven't had any plastic specs for years now but I certainly
> remember the coating eventually starting to wear off. I don't recall
> a grey smudge effect though but it's definitely a possibility I would
> say.

I think all "glasses" these days have plastic lenses. Anybody know what
the material actually is?

--
Graham J

Graham J <nobody@nowhere.co.uk> wrote:

[snip]

> I think all "glasses" these days have plastic lenses. Anybody know what
> the material actually is?

Yes you’re right but I think you can still get real glass ones if you
really want them. I guess coating technology’s has improved over time.

--
Cheers, Alan

Alan B <alanrichardbarker@nospamgmail.com.here> wrote:
> Graham J <nobody@nowhere.co.uk> wrote:
>
> [snip]
>
>> I think all "glasses" these days have plastic lenses. Anybody know what
>> the material actually is?
>
> Yes you’re right but I think you can still get real glass ones if you
> really want them. I guess coating technology’s has improved over time.
>

…. technology

--
Cheers, Alan

On 08 May 2021 at 18:13:21 BST, Graham J <nobody@nowhere.co.uk> wrote:

> Alan B wrote:
>
> [snip]
>
>>> I've known some transparent plastics go slightly milky after being
>>> cleaned with Isopropanol, had you previously used an alcohol-based
>>> cleaning agent?
>
> I've used Isopropanol fairly often, without any previous ill-effects.
>
>>>
>>> Are they coated, with the 'smudg'e being where the coating has come off
>>> or worn through?
>
> I don't think they are coated. How would I tell?
>
> The contamination looks like residue from spashes and I can just about
> feel it with a fingernail
>
>>
>> I haven't had any plastic specs for years now but I certainly
>> remember the coating eventually starting to wear off. I don't recall
>> a grey smudge effect though but it's definitely a possibility I would
>> say.
>
> I think all "glasses" these days have plastic lenses. Anybody know what
> the material actually is?

Polycarbonate.

--
Tim

On 08/05/2021 15:54, Graham J wrote:
> My glasses are dirty with a sort of grey smudge at random on both sides
> of the lenses.  I don't work in an industrial environment so the only
> contamination is from domestic sources, and I haven't been painting
> anything.
>
> I've tried:
>
> Copious warm tapwater with detergent.
> Zeiss lens wipes from the optician.

I would avoid those wipes anyway, as Zeiss tell me they are not
bio-degradable.

--
Chris

On 08/05/2021 16:08, Jaimie Vandenbergh wrote:
> If isopropyl and an ultrasonic cleaner haven't shifted it, it's quite
> likely to be surface damage. Take them to the opticians for looking at
> rather than getting out the wire brush and dettol. Since if you do,
> you'll be visiting them anyway.

I agree, and it sounds like new lenses time TBH.

--
Chris

On 11 May 2021 at 06:45:23 BST, "Chris Ridd" <chrisridd@mac.com> wrote:

> On 08/05/2021 15:54, Graham J wrote:
>> My glasses are dirty with a sort of grey smudge at random on both sides
>> of the lenses.  I don't work in an industrial environment so the only
>> contamination is from domestic sources, and I haven't been painting
>> anything.
>>
>> I've tried:
>>
>> Copious warm tapwater with detergent.
>> Zeiss lens wipes from the optician.
>
> I would avoid those wipes anyway, as Zeiss tell me they are not
> bio-degradable.

Indeed - I've been using isopropanol (with 20% water) for a while now.

--
Cheers, Rob

RJH <patchmoney@gmx.com> wrote:
> On 11 May 2021 at 06:45:23 BST, "Chris Ridd" <chrisridd@mac.com> wrote:
>
>> On 08/05/2021 15:54, Graham J wrote:
>>> My glasses are dirty with a sort of grey smudge at random on both sides
>>> of the lenses.  I don't work in an industrial environment so the only
>>> contamination is from domestic sources, and I haven't been painting
>>> anything.
>>>
>>> I've tried:
>>>
>>> Copious warm tapwater with detergent.
>>> Zeiss lens wipes from the optician.
>>
>> I would avoid those wipes anyway, as Zeiss tell me they are not
>> bio-degradable.
>
> Indeed - I've been using isopropanol (with 20% water) for a while now.
>

Makes a good home made anti COVID hand rub too but it dries out the skin
too much!

--
Cheers, Alan

On 11/05/2021 07:54, Alan B wrote:
> RJH <patchmoney@gmx.com> wrote:
>> On 11 May 2021 at 06:45:23 BST, "Chris Ridd" <chrisridd@mac.com> wrote:
>>
>>> On 08/05/2021 15:54, Graham J wrote:
>>>> My glasses are dirty with a sort of grey smudge at random on both sides
>>>> of the lenses.  I don't work in an industrial environment so the only
>>>> contamination is from domestic sources, and I haven't been painting
>>>> anything.
>>>>
>>>> I've tried:
>>>>
>>>> Copious warm tapwater with detergent.
>>>> Zeiss lens wipes from the optician.
>>>
>>> I would avoid those wipes anyway, as Zeiss tell me they are not
>>> bio-degradable.
>>
>> Indeed - I've been using isopropanol (with 20% water) for a while now.
>>
>
> Makes a good home made anti COVID hand rub too but it dries out the skin
> too much!

You were supposed to add glycerine to the mix you put on your skin.
Obviously not on the stuff you clean your specs with...

--
Chris

Chris Ridd <chrisridd@mac.com> wrote:
> On 11/05/2021 07:54, Alan B wrote:
>> RJH <patchmoney@gmx.com> wrote:
>>> On 11 May 2021 at 06:45:23 BST, "Chris Ridd" <chrisridd@mac.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>> On 08/05/2021 15:54, Graham J wrote:
>>>>> My glasses are dirty with a sort of grey smudge at random on both sides
>>>>> of the lenses.  I don't work in an industrial environment so the only
>>>>> contamination is from domestic sources, and I haven't been painting
>>>>> anything.
>>>>>
>>>>> I've tried:
>>>>>
>>>>> Copious warm tapwater with detergent.
>>>>> Zeiss lens wipes from the optician.
>>>>
>>>> I would avoid those wipes anyway, as Zeiss tell me they are not
>>>> bio-degradable.
>>>
>>> Indeed - I've been using isopropanol (with 20% water) for a while now.
>>>
>>
>> Makes a good home made anti COVID hand rub too but it dries out the skin
>> too much!
>
> You were supposed to add glycerine to the mix you put on your skin.

As I soon discovered! Anyway the panic buying of the real thing didn’t last
long where I live :-)

> Obviously not on the stuff you clean your specs with...

I never tried.

--
Cheers, Alan

On 11 May 2021 at 07:54:09 BST, "Alan B"
<alanrichardbarker@nospamgmail.com.here> wrote:

> RJH <patchmoney@gmx.com> wrote:
>> On 11 May 2021 at 06:45:23 BST, "Chris Ridd" <chrisridd@mac.com> wrote:
>>
>>> On 08/05/2021 15:54, Graham J wrote:
>>>> My glasses are dirty with a sort of grey smudge at random on both sides
>>>> of the lenses.  I don't work in an industrial environment so the only
>>>> contamination is from domestic sources, and I haven't been painting
>>>> anything.
>>>>
>>>> I've tried:
>>>>
>>>> Copious warm tapwater with detergent.
>>>> Zeiss lens wipes from the optician.
>>>
>>> I would avoid those wipes anyway, as Zeiss tell me they are not
>>> bio-degradable.
>>
>> Indeed - I've been using isopropanol (with 20% water) for a while now.
>>
>
> Makes a good home made anti COVID hand rub too but it dries out the skin
> too much!

Tell me about it!
--
Cheers, Rob