Readers Fixing Readers: How to Fix Scratched Glasses with Minimal Effort
Posted by Joe | March 15th, 2009 | 79 Comments »Make sure you read this entire post as well as the comments. Some people have had success with this method, while others have not. This worked great for me and I am happy with the results. Others say it has not worked for them. I am not a professional nor any kind of authority on eyeglasses or optometry. Also read this thread at ThriftyFun for more testimonials. Proceed at your own risk.
Like many people who spend long hours staring at the tiny print in books, I wear glasses. My current pair were bought on eBay. Made by an Australian designer Martin Wells in the early 70s, the frame model name is “Monte” and I got them from a retired optician in Ohio if I remember correctly; they were new-old-stock (meaning they had been sitting in a box for over 30 years, having never before been fitted with lenses) and I think I paid around $40 for them. If the style of your glasses is more important to you than brand name, I suggest checking eBay for your next pair. New-old-stock (sometimes abbreviated NOS on eBay) frames are abundant, prices are much lower than designer frames in the boutiques, most sellers list all frame dimensions so you can be sure they will fit your face, and you will get a set of frames and nobody else has. This is my second pair of eBay-bought new-old-stock frames and it won’t be my last. My only regret about buying them is that I didn’t buy the seller’s second pair of them; I love these glasses and if I had a second, reserve pair I could rest easy knowing that if anything happens to my glasses I could just pop the lenses out and put them into my other pair. Alas, I wavered at time of purchase and just have the one set.
Around the time I got my new frames and had them fitted with lenses, I also got my cat Dinky Mouse. He is a very chew-happy feline and was even more so as a kitten. I caught him numerous times chewing on my glasses as they lay on my nightstand and one day noticed that the left lens was becoming scratched. I never let him near the glasses again.
I decided I could live with the minimal scratches — or, more accurately, chips in the protective lens coating — and continued on with life. Recently, however, I noticed the chips getting worse. These chips weren’t very deep and some quick internet research revealed that my lenses were fine; it was the coating that was the problem. See, when I bought the glasses I allowed myself to be talked into this anti-reflective coating stuff that is meant to allow you to see better while driving and allow people looking at you to see your eyes better. Really, though, it’s just a ruse to milk an extra $100 out of you; it removes some of the glare the bespectacled endure during their living of life from behind plastic, but it’s really a negligible improvement. And now my coating was chipping away. The stuff is crap.
It was getting to point where it was difficult to see out of the left lens; the right lens, however, was perfectly fine. People noticed the chips. I had to do something. I had been told about a year ago by a friend who works in optics, that she could remove the coating for me if I wanted but I never ended up taking her up on the offer. I moved cities and that was that. My previously mentioned internet research also introduced me to the stories of others. Many said that when they approached their optician about the chips, they were told that the lenses were finished and that they should just buy new glasses. Nevermind that they liked the frames and their prescription hadn’t changed, no, it was time for new glasses. Remember, though, how the person telling you this makes their money. How much did you pay for your last set of frames? Molded plastic or thin metal really costs in excess of $300? And in my case, even though I bought the frames myself, they still got money from me by overcharging for the lenses; it appears that they offer a discount to people who buy their frames and lenses together. You provide your own frames, no discount.
Then I found an answer. A thread at the website ThriftyFun enlightened me. There is a glass etching product called Armour Etch, available at your local craft mart like JoAnn Fabrics or Michael’s, that can remove all the coating from your lenses. Now, this product is meant for glass and has a clouding effect on it. It does not harm plastic, though, and that is why it is perfect for glasses; most lenses these days are made from plastic rather than glass. If you happen to have lenses of real glass, do not use Armour Etch on them. If you have wire/metal frames you may want to pop the lenses out before using Armour Etch on them so as not to harm the frames. For those like me with plastic frames, you can just jump in. And just a warning, I know absolutely nothing about optometry; the only thing that I have going for me is that I’m handy and I’m willing to take risks to fix things that are broken. Mimic me at your own risk.
As you can see in the picture below, my lens was pretty well scratched up. Very sad and very noticeable. I take decent care of my glasses so having them end up like this was disheartening.
So I made the decision to try it and got the Armour Etch. I bought it from JoAnn Fabrics online; they had some special coupon online for 40% off and including shipping a 3oz. bottle cost me about $12. The 3oz. bottle is the smallest you can get and it is more than you will ever need.
This stuff is toxic; it’s a chemical and the bottle says it should only be used by people who are 18 or over. I think this is just to cover them from lawsuits. But really, this stuff is toxic and you might want to wear rubber gloves. I applied it to my lenses with cotton swabs. Before I went full tilt, I did a small tester area on the afflicted lens. After I waited 5 minutes I washed it off and, satisfied with the results, applied it to the entire lens.
You need to apply the Armour Etch to both sides of the lens as the coating is on both sides. It’s also important to wait at least 5 minutes before removing the chemical; it just takes that long to react with the coating. When applying, go slow and don’t paint it on. Armour Etch is pretty gritty and can actually scratch the lenses if you go nuts. Instead, dab it on and just go wild with the amount — not the force with which you apply it. If you don’t apply liberally, you’ll miss some areas and have to do a second coat.
As you can see above, I had to reapply to some spots on the left lens as I didn’t put on enough initially. My second time around, I made sure to put a ton on. Just don’t let it drip off. If you get it on your skin, wash it off immediately (make sure to read the instructions on the bottle). And if there’s even a remote possibility that you could let yourself get this stuff in your mouth or eyes, you should stop reading right now because playing with chemicals is not your forte. Be careful!
Again, let me state that it’s important to let it sit for 5 minutes before washing the Armour Etch off. Otherwise, it’ll look worse than when you started. Be patient. Also, when you remove it go slowly. I washed it off in my bathroom sink and tried to let the water remove as much of the chemical as possible. I used toilet paper to remove the rest and took my time.
Here they are cleaned off, all the coating removed, and no more pesky chips; I can see well again!
I do notice glare, however. But what would one expect? When you remove the anti-glare coating, life is going to look a little different. But honestly, it’s not an issue at all as these were the first lenses I ever had treated with the anti-glare coating and most certainly my last.
Upon further inspection, some scratches are noticeable and these scratches are in the actual plastic lenses. I don’t know if they’re caused by the Armour Etch (by my slathering the chemical on with the cotton swab too quickly) or if it’s just normal wear-and-tear that was not noticeable with the coating on. The scratching is so light, however, that I can’t notice it while I’m wearing my glasses and people looking at me can’t notice it either. It’s only when I hold the lenses under the light and really inspect that I can see the scratches.
Above is the lens pictured above that had the most problem. Now it’s perfectly fine.
But here you can see very minimal scratching. However, it looks very superficial and my (unprofessional) opinion is that over time these scratches will indeed buff out naturally from daily cleaning with a microfiber sham. If you happen to have the appropriate equipment, you could probably buff these out pretty quickly.
I’m very satisfied with my experiment and would absolutely do it again. I saved myself hundreds of dollars and did something for myself (which I love). If the coating on your lenses is so scratched up that you find it difficult to see out of them, you really don’t have anything to lose. Again, though, try this at your own risk, make sure you take your time, and don’t blame me if something unexpected happens. Good luck!
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Tags: 1970s, armour etch, australia, dinky mouse, ebay, frames, glasses, joann fabrics, lenses, martin wells, michael's, monte, new-old-stock, nos, optometry, thriftyfun
March 17th, 2009 at 9:31 pm
I just got DEEP scratches on my glasses—-i fell in my face.
Do you think this would help?
March 18th, 2009 at 2:58 pm
No, I don’t think this will help. This method is just for removing the chipped anti-glare coating from your lenses. If you have deep scratches on the lenses themselves, there’s nothing you can do about it but get new lenses.
March 19th, 2009 at 7:42 am
neato pictures
April 5th, 2009 at 7:00 pm
I had a pair of glasses that had gotten so hazy that I gave up on them and went back to a previous pair that were slightly better. I went to an optomitrist and asked if there waqs anything that could be done and was told that they could not be repaired. After a little searching around the internet I found this webpage and figured I had nothing to lose so I would try the Armour Etch out. I picked it up in Michael’s for $12 and followed your directions and five minutes later the glasses were as good as new. The haze was completely gone.
Thanks
April 5th, 2009 at 8:19 pm
I’m glad my tutorial helped, Howard. I think it’s pretty disingenuous of optometrists to say that nothing can be done to fix lenses with scratched coating. Ultimately, though, they’re in the business to make money and trying to get you to buy new lenses is just something they have to do. In this crummy economy people need to do whatever they can to save a bit of money and using Armour Etch on scratched glasses can save you hundreds of dollars.
If anybody else who has read this tutorial had a successful experience with this method, I would love to hear about it.
April 8th, 2009 at 5:24 pm
I tried this on my glasses. I had some bad scratching too. No only did it NOT WORK, there is a horrible film outline around where I applied it… DO NOT TRY THIS!!!
April 8th, 2009 at 7:06 pm
Hi Kelly.
Did you leave it on for the full five minutes or did you just put it on and wash it off? Was the scratching just on the anti-glare coating or was it on the lenses themselves? Are you positive your lenses are plastic/polycarbonate and not real glass?
You need to apply the Armour Etch in a thick coating on both sides of the lenses and leave it on for five minutes. The first time I did it, I still had film on one of my lenses; I had to reapply to get all the coating off. Also, this only works if the scratching is on the coating, not the actual lenses. And lastly, if your lenses are made of glass this will ruin them; it only works on plastic/polycarbonate lenses.
I’m sorry you had a bad experience; I would suggest reapplying the Armour Etch and leaving it on for longer. I can only speak for myself, though, as this totally worked for me and I’m very happy with how my lenses turned out.
April 9th, 2009 at 5:35 am
My lenses look almost exactly like yours did before you removed the coating. I have stopped wearing my new glasses because the anti-glare coating is coming off my right lens. I am definitely going to try this and let you know since right now I have nothing to lose. If it doesn’t work, I’ll just get new lenses.
April 9th, 2009 at 3:49 pm
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!
I have been struggling for over a week with glasses so severly scratched.
I quickly ran out and bought the Amour Etch…and it proformed a miracle.
I can SEE without smudges and scratches.
This i a wonderful product!!!!
It only took five minutes……..
Thanks again,
Kay
April 13th, 2009 at 9:28 pm
i used this and it ruined my lenses. THEY ARE PLASTIC and now are so cloudy i can hardly see out of them. i wouldnt advise using this stuff. yes i left it on for 5 minutes. put it on twice because the first one didnt work. now i can hardly see at all through them and cannot afford new ones at this time. DO NOT DO THIS TOO YOU GLASSES PEOPLE! IT IS NOT WORTH THE RISK! the success rate is very small.
April 21st, 2009 at 11:15 pm
excited that it might work and want an honest review? DO NOT TRY THIS all this review says is that scratches blend in with other scratches! see! ummmm…..No because you just F**ked up your glasses.
April 21st, 2009 at 11:39 pm
Hi sakura. I don’t really appreciate your comment. This did work for me. I had scratched anti-glare coating on my glasses that made it difficult to see and other people could see it. I used the Armour Etch and it removed the coating. Look at the first picture with the scratches and the picture with the light shining on it after I was finished. Do you think I’m a shill or something and trying to sell Armour Etch? I don’t give a shit about the brand. Why would I even post this on my blog if it didn’t work for me? Do you think I’m trying to screw with people?
All your review of my review says is that, ummm… YOU fucked up YOUR glasses.
I don’t know anything about glasses (except that I’ve been wearing them for about 15 years), I’m not a optometrist, I am not an expert on chemical reactions. I found this method on another website, decided to take a risk, and it worked out for me. I was excited about my experience and decided to share it. I’ve got warnings all throughout that I don’t know what this will do to your specific glasses. If anybody reading this knows anything about the chemical reactions behind this, when it should or shouldn’t be applied, I would love to hear about it.
I appreciate hearing comments from people that this doesn’t work for; that way, readers can make their own informed opinions. I do not appreciate, however, a pithy comment attacking my article detailing my own personal experience when I make it abundantly clear that I don’t know what the fuck I’m talking about. A more constructive comment would include you detailing your own experience so we can all make informed decisions about what this will and will not work on.
I did it — it worked for me — here’s how. Try at your own risk. If you’ve got something to lose, like you can’t afford new lenses if you try this and it doesn’t work, then you should probably avoid taking risks.
April 22nd, 2009 at 2:10 pm
Joe,
When you say the AR coating was scratched, do you mean that it looked as though it was bubbling up in certain places?
I think this is what my problem is and I definitely have polycarbonate lenses with the AR coating. The store where I purchased my glasses confirmed that the only problem is with my AR coating and they said that my only option is replacing the lenses. However, I’m going to give this a shot tonight or tomorrow. I’ll let you know how it works out.
JT
April 22nd, 2009 at 2:26 pm
Hi JT.
I wouldn’t say bubbling but when you really looked at the scratching in the light, you could see that it was the top layer coating. When I put the first coat of Armour Etch on my lens and washed it off, there was some coating left over and you could definitely tell there was a filmy layer on top of the lens itself. It looked as though I could just take an exacto knife or something and scratch the rest off if I wanted (though I wouldn’t do this — I’m only saying this to try to illustrate what it may look like).
I think the coating had been chipped a while back and got worse over the last year with my daily cleanings; I’ve read elsewhere that people had luck getting the coating off by aggressive polishing or using toothpaste (which has a mild grittiness, so it makes sense).
I would suggest doing a tester area first (as I also suggest in the above article). That way, you can be sure it’ll work for you. I did a tester area on one lens, both front and back in the same place. After I washed off this initial test, I could see that the rest of lens was covered in this AR coating/firm and could see right through the test area clearly. If your test area fogs up, looks really scratched, or otherwise doesn’t seem successful, I might pass up on doing it on the entire lens unless you have nothing to lose.
April 22nd, 2009 at 2:36 pm
Thanks. I have the perfect spot on my lense for testing (AR is scratched and it’s not an area of the lense that I look through). If it doesn’t work for me, I promise to be more cordial than other worthless commenters.
April 22nd, 2009 at 2:44 pm
Ha. Thanks a lot JT. Good luck!
April 24th, 2009 at 10:54 am
Joe,
It worked perfectly for me. After it worked on the spot that I tested, I applied Armour Etch very liberally to the inner side of the lenses, waited five minutes, then rinsed in hot water. Then I did the same thing to the outer side of the lenses. Doing one side at a time allowed gravity to help each side.
To others out there that have had problems: if this didn’t work for you, you may not have polycarbonate lenses. This stuff is designed to scratch glass but not plastic. It is a derivative of hydroflouric acid which is a STRONG acid that cannot be contained in glass but can be contained in polyethylene, polycarbonates, and certain other plastics.
Thanks for the instructions, Joe. You helped save this poor, married fulltime student with a toddler a lot of money!
April 24th, 2009 at 11:09 am
Thanks a lot for your comment, JT. I really appreciate your detailed and thoughtful review. I’m happy that it worked for you and hope it works for many others.
April 24th, 2009 at 12:58 pm
Nov. 07 paid $500.00 for glasses at Sears, had the anti glare coating put on. within 6 months, they were so scratched I could hardly see. Called Sears, was told they could fix them at an additional cost to me. Trying to save enough money to go through the buying process again. Decided to look elsewhere for new glasses when I came across this website. 3 cheers for Armour Etch. I had to coat my glasses 4 times to get all the scratched coating off, but they now look like new, and I can finally see clearly again. Thanks for the wonderful post.
April 26th, 2009 at 2:39 pm
Thank you for the suggestion. I will go out and buy the product as soon as next ss check arrives. I cannot use the glasses as they are presently so nothing can make them worse.
Thank you again.
April 27th, 2009 at 12:12 pm
Joe
I have bought my Armour Etch and am ready to try this tonight. My only fear is that I believe I only have anti-scratch coating on my glasses not A/R. My lens have scratched beyond belief in only a year. Will the armour Etch also take off the anti-scratch coating?
thanks!
April 27th, 2009 at 12:19 pm
Hi Debbie.
It will take off all coatings, as far as I know. Make sure you do a little tester area before you totally go for it. I did a tester on my most scratched lens, in an upper corner, on both sides; essentially, I took a q-tip and dabbed a circle on the same location on both sides and let that sit for five minutes to see what happened. When I washed that off, I could see clearly through the tester spot and I really noticed the coatings on the rest of the lens.
If you do a test area and afterward it looks worse than when you started, you might not have polycarbonate lenses. With my experience, I was so happy to see what the tester area looked like that it was a no-brainer to do the entire lens.
If your glasses are so scratched that it’s impossible to see and you really have nothing to lose, go for it. But be careful and be patient. Good luck!
April 27th, 2009 at 6:29 pm
Joe
I DID IT!!! IT WORKS. IT’S AMAZING!! I followed your tutorial to the letter and all the coatings and scratches came off after two 5 minute Armour Etch sessions on each side.. Joe you just saved me over $400.00 for new lenses. I have been in a fog for months and feel like I just got a new lease on life. As I sit here looking at my computer monitor my vision is just as sharp as it was the day I got my new glasses. Taking off the coatings did not alter my vision at all. How great to have people like you who take the time to let the rest of us in on great new ways to solve a problem. God Bless you!
Debbie
April 30th, 2009 at 9:05 am
I’m so happy for you Debbie. Your comment demonstrates exactly why I knew people would appreciate me sharing my experience. Thanks a lot!
May 2nd, 2009 at 11:32 pm
I saw this and ran out two hours ago to buy the Armour Etch from Michael’s. I first tried it on an old pair of glasses that I still use in an attempt to protect my “newer” glasses” and it worked amazingly! I did it twice for 5 minutes and they look brand new. My newer glasses are just about done. Thanks so much for the tip!
May 9th, 2009 at 10:10 am
WONDERFUL! I ordered Armour Etch off Ebay and had to wait a few days, but it was well worth the wait. My very expensive glasses are like new again, maybe even better than new. Thank you so very, very much. Thank you again.
May 9th, 2009 at 2:24 pm
Didn’t work out for me at all. Scratches remained, and it became very scratchable. Just lightly touching my nail to the lense scratches it now. I expected the anti glare coating to come off, but not in an uneven way which gives my glasses a rainbow effect.
I followed your instructions exactly, and had it on for 5 minutes the first time. After it made it worse, I tried again for 15 minutes. Not any better.
To those who are considering doing this, think long and hard whether you can live with your glasses as they are now. I could have, but the idea of getting rid of the few scratches was enticing, and now I have unusable glasses.
June 15th, 2009 at 11:12 pm
Hi — I am definitely going to try the method, starting with a dab on each side in the corner of the lens. I too have been told that there is NO way to remove the Anti-reflective coating. Bull Roar! Of course they want us to all have to buy new lenses!
June 16th, 2009 at 6:54 pm
Wow wow wow wow. Worked perfectly on my first try.My glasses were severely scratched. Now they are like new. Thank you. Thank you !!!!!
June 27th, 2009 at 3:37 pm
Joe,
I’m 52 years old and have been wearing glasses since I wa 2 1/2 years old. I’m not sure when the anti-glare/scratch coating came to be, but I can tell you that I’ve had at least 15 pairs of glasses that I’ve had to replace because of this very problem.
This problem is so aggravating, it’s like trying to look through greasy smudges, wow, what a headache (literally). I, like most of the rest, have been told the only way to resolve the issue was to replace the lenses…NOT ANYMORE!
I must admit, the warnings on the label of this stuff, scared the daylights out of me, but I forged ahead. I donned my best mad scientist outfit (rubber gloves, painters mask and old pair of usable glasses), found a large open area outside, turned a plastic trash bin upside down (to use as a work table) and went to work on my lenses…ten to fifteen minutes later I was good to go, my glasses had a bright clear new look and so did I…Thank you!
July 3rd, 2009 at 1:04 am
Works like a charm! I’ve got very expensive high index polycarbonate lenses, and was very annoyed when the coating started to peel off. Everything looked cloudy and my glasses always looked like they were dirty.
Picked up a 3oz bottle of Armor Etch for $8.30 at my local craft store, applied it to the outside of each lens, waited 5 minutes, and MAGIC HAPPENED.
Totally clear. It’s like I got new lenses! Thanks!
July 7th, 2009 at 6:02 pm
Another three cheers for Armor Etch! Did exactly as you said in your tutorial and I can actually see again. Thank you!
July 20th, 2009 at 10:42 am
Joe -
Thank You, Thank You, Thank You! This worked perfectly. Now I have a “brand new” pair of glasses.
August 10th, 2009 at 11:33 am
Wowzer… worked like a charm…
August 11th, 2009 at 12:43 pm
I tried it this morning on a pair of glasses that I recently replaced due to discolorizations (splotches) and scratches in the antireflective coating. It worked GREAT! All but the largest and deepest scratches were removed. I got a 3 oz container of ArmorEtch at Hobby Lobby for $8 and spent another $5 on good chemical resistant gloves. I actually like the antireflective coating before it goes bad. I can tell the reflection differences between the old glasses (that I repaired this morning) and the ones that I normally. It did give me a nice backup pair for only $13, which is what I was going for. Thanks for sharing!!
August 11th, 2009 at 4:34 pm
My glasses were so scratched I could not see out of them. I read about amour etch and thought, what the heck do I have to lose. I got it at AC Moore. Now my glasses have anti glare (first time for that and last) and they are transitional and bifocal. Also, in a metal frame. I took the lenses out of the frame, and i followed your instructions and applied it with a Q tip. Waited the five minutes, rinsed off with water and most of them were gone but I could see a smudge here and there. So I reapplied on the outside only, waited the five minutes and the scratches are gone. I can see out of them and they are still transitional. Thank you for the info on this. I can’t believe it worked !!!!
August 16th, 2009 at 5:38 pm
I tried Armour Etch on my Bolle sunglasses and it worked perfect.
August 19th, 2009 at 9:12 pm
Joe,
I tried Armour Etch and used it EXACTLY how you explained to use it and it worked PERFECTLY. You saved me over $200 bucks! Thanks!
August 21st, 2009 at 6:44 pm
omg that all i have to say this prouduct work so well it amaxing its like buying brand new lense thank u so much for recommending this prouduct and telling us how well it works i have visited so many opticals and they said nothing can be done and look now i have brand new lense i love this prouduct and i will recomment it to everyone
also always try a little piece first just in case i tryied it on both of my glasses and my new latest glasses worked perfect and the other work good.
August 29th, 2009 at 8:15 am
I have a pair of sunglasses with plastic frames and plastic lenses and the coating was flaking-off making it difficult to see. I used armor etch just as you prescribed except just on the outer surface as I’ll explain below and it worked exactly as stated. Your instructions were almost flawless; I really slathered it on and it worked the first time. One note, I originally just rinsed the goo off and it looked like the coating hadn’t budged but after I applied a little liquid dish soap it rubbed right off under running water. POOF like new except for one scratch that I had previously noticed suspected had penetrated the coating. Works on coatings, not on “scratches”. Thank you so much as I had just been to the optical shop and was quoted $150 to replace the lenses. I got armor etch for $8.50 at hobby lobby which was btw much cheaper than buying online, so I don’t recommend falling into that trap. Even with website discounts by the time you include shipping prices ranged from $10 to $20 online! And shame on anyone who has been told the coatings cannot be removed and bought new lenses instead, read on below and go out and find a shop that will do it if you don’t want to do it yourself.
Please also be aware of the hazardous chemical in armor etch which is hydrofluoric (HF) acid. Pure HF is an extremely corrosive substance and can cause chemical burns during and after contact with human tissue. HF acid is one of the main ingredients in Teflon or (polytetrafluoroethylene) where the “F” in the name “Teflon” refers to the Flourine in chemical make-up. As supplied with armor etch, the HF acid is diluted in strength with water and carrying agents to be less dangerous but still highly reactive with glass and some metals but will not harm plastics or teflon. The inert ingredients in armor etch include ammonium/sodium biflourides that act as wetting and carrying agents and account for the “gritty” texture that can scratch your lenses if rubbed with any pressure on the lenses. Do not use on wire-framed glasses! I strongly recommend read and understand the uses and limitations. Wikipedia has a very good description of the effects and hazards of HF acid and is the source of the chemical information I’ve cited.
Well, I originally purchased this my first pair of “designer” sunglasses several years back when I lived in another city/state and recall the “sales squeeze” about this coating and that coating and lightweight plastic lenses and polarization etc etc everybody knows the “drill” you get at the one-hour optical shops in the mall. After all that I think I spent well over $500 which I am embarrassed to admit and would never do again especially in this economy. Can you imagine how I felt when the exterior coating began flaking off! The coating was not scratched per se, but seems to be flaking off in tiny pieces forming circular “patches” so that now there are 20 or 30 “patches” of flaked coating on each lens. The flaking was also very persistent along the outer edge of each lens as if the coating is shrinking back from the edges. There was absolutely no flaking on the inside lens surface, so I presume the coating was only applied outside. I work with detailed drawings and such all day and am very conscientious about updating my Rx every year or so but the sunglasses, even though the prescription is several years old are perfectly adequate for day-time driving. I don’t remember exactly which coating was applied and aren’t able to contact the original store that is several states west of my current location.
Well, as I was replacing a broken pair of glasses for indoors I showed my poor, old, flaking sunglasses to my new optician who said my problem could have been caused by heat (I do rinse them off with very hot water before I clean them and store them in the console of my car which gets very very hot in the summer which both are a no-no’s) or chemicals (I may have used an ammonia-based cleanser and do wear them in chlorinated swimming pools, both no-no’s) or just plain old age (these glasses are at least 5 yrs old, maybe 10). The optician also told me the other lab should NEVER have applied AR to sunglasses since AR is for computer glare and night time driving neither of which requires the use of SUNGLASSES. This new shop has been very reasonable and upfront with me and even replaced another pair of lenses due to scratches in the AR coating, then REMOVED the again-scratched AR coating from them 6 mos later and waived the $10 fee! She even showed me a SPRAY BOTTLE that they have in the optical shop (not the lab) that can be used to remove coatings! They wouldn’t do my sunglasses; their policy was not to accept lenses coated by another lab because they warranty their glasses 100%. Quite honestly, I can’t disagree with that policy since they should not be expected to accept responsibility for an unknown coating on unknown lens material that may have been applied improperly. She also said the spray cleaner smells really foul and they don’t like using it in the office and normally send them back to their lab for that reason. We tried to figure out the ingredients, but nothing was listed on the bottle. Could this be something similar to armor etch without the grit and q-tip hassles! I would sure like to know. I also found it interesting that other optical shops cited above either did not know about the cleaner or were misleading customers to sell expensive new lenses. Or perhaps they were just not willing to accept responsibility for another lab’s product. I’m happy with my new optical shop as they have been very honest. Before, I always took my prescription to one of the flashy new one-hour labs which it turns out sold me a useless coating for my sunglasses. Instead, now I go to the locally owned and operated optical shop (YES, the one owned and in the same office as my eye doctor) and even though they only operate weekdays and not as convenient as the mall I know that I am getting my money’s worth. I think if people check around and ask questions and refuse to frequent the dishonest shops, more and more places will come into the fold and give you good service because in the end good, honest service is what keeps customers like me coming back. Long story, but armor etch worked for me and I sure wish I could find some of that stuff they use at the optical shop but they would not sell it to me!
August 30th, 2009 at 4:10 pm
Thanks for the Tip, I was browsing and seen this article and tried your method for restoring my glasses, which were so scratched up and cloudy that I was struggling to see my way around, until I went to a local craft Shop and purchased bottle of Armour Etch, I paid $11.12, great investment for me.
After reading everybody’s comments about the application, I decided to apply the cream on my glasses very heavy, and I just dabbed it on with a cotton ball, I first soaked the cotton before applying, oh, and yes I did remove my lenses before I started because they were metal frames, and I wore some gloves as well.
I coated both sides and waited for about six minutes and ran some warm water over them, on high pressure, also I did have a soft tissue I did use to get the cream off, but I didn’t press on my lenses.
Wow! it actually worked.
My glasses were plastic and had the glare coating as well.my Glasses are very clear now.
Thank You!
August 31st, 2009 at 3:42 pm
Unreal, I can’t thank you enough for this! I tore my contact on saturday and to my surprise I couldn’t pay for a new set at 20 bucks because they said my persciption ran out and it was going to be 189 dollars plus 40 dollars for contacts… I had my old eyeglasses but they were so badly scratched up it was like they were fogged up in winter. I had a massive headache by 10AM today and not enough cash to get the new exam and contacts… I did a search and found your instructions and poof I am saved!
I called Michaels here in town and they had Armour Etch for 8.50 if I used a coupon which I did. Went out picked it up and did this at work because I had no choice I have to work but the headaches I was getting was just too much!
I took pictures
Here is my glasses before I used the Etch stuff
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c234/fwarleader/Glasses/IMG00354.jpg
Terribly scratched up. was like looking through constant fog! My head was bursting….
Here is where I took your advice and used a small dab on test area it just ate the stuff right off in 4 or 5 mins. Easy to see.
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c234/fwarleader/Glasses/IMG00361.jpg
Here is where I applied the goop
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c234/fwarleader/Glasses/IMG00362.jpg
After 5 mins this was the result
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c234/fwarleader/Glasses/IMG00363.jpg
Perfect!
To compare here is the right lens I had not cleaned up yet
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c234/fwarleader/Glasses/IMG00365.jpg
This worked, of course it works with Polycarbonate (plastic lens) you put this stuff on glass lens and wow I wouldn’t want to see the results of that.
Funny thing is I only had to do the inside of the lens the outside was not scratched up too badly. I suppose that is from years of using my thumb on the inside of the lens putting far more pressure on the inside than out and it scratched the crap off over the years.
Anyway you saved me man and I would buy you a beer for damn sure!
Instead of coming up with 250 bucks now I am in no hurry and can wait a few weeks to get the money for new contacts. Of course what works for one may destroy the next persons so anyone doing it be sure to test it and be sure you have plastic lens.
Thank again
Scott
September 10th, 2009 at 10:33 pm
Thank you so much for posting this! The Armour Etch DOES work. I have had this problem with the coating on my glasses becoming scratched and foggy, on the last three pairs of glasses I have had. Always right in my line of vision, The last pair, I was also told, could not be repaired. So, I had no choice but get new glasses. My current pair had become so scratched and foggy in the line of vision on my right eye, that I was having difficulty working (I create computer graphics and textures), and money is so tight right now, a new pair simply was not an option.
I was a bit worried about destroying my ONLY pair of working glasses, so I got out the last scuffed up pair and tested the etching cream on them first. It took about three tries at around 10 minutes each, but it worked like a charm. I then experimented on one side of a lens of my current pair. The coating came off of those after about 8 minutes.
I slathered both sides of my current pair and waited about 10 minutes, rinsed them in water, finger rubbed them and dried them with soft cloth.
I was so excited with the results. I can actually see clearly again. No more haze, no more tiny scratches.
I did notice that each pair of glasses took different lengths of time to get all the coating off, so if it doesn’t work the first time, keep reapplying. It DOES work, and works very well.
Thank you for saving my sight a bit longer!!
September 13th, 2009 at 9:47 pm
My glasses are scratched up pretty bad. I gonna try and source this stuff and try it out.
Thanks for the idea I really hope it works out for me.
By the way how is night driving and stuff like that?
Right now its like looking threw glasses with grease spots on them lol its sucks lol
September 14th, 2009 at 8:28 am
Joe is a genius! Saved me a bundle after the film became a rainbow mess on both my lenses. All the labs I visited said that there was simply no recourse, except to replace the lenses. I have metal frames, and I didn’t even have to remove the lenses. I used a fine artist brush around the perimeter of each lense, then filled in with a broader brush. After 8 minutes, the lenses were Perfect! I can’t thank you enough!!!
September 20th, 2009 at 12:57 am
Worked perfectly for me. I followed Joe’s direction and now my glasses are as clear as the day I bought them. I admit I was very skeptical when I first read your post, so I tried it first on a older pair that were very bady scratched, almost to the point of being useless. Up to this point I have used it on 4 different pairs of glasses, including the ones I wear daily, and it has made all 4 pairs like brand new. Thanks Joe !!!
October 1st, 2009 at 9:10 pm
I’ll say that the Armour Etch applied for 5-7 minutes removed @70% of the scratches from my glasses. I only had fine scratches that covered just 10% of the lens (the part that I actually use the most), but after I did the process described above most of them were gone. I’m more than happy with this solution and everybody should try if they are in that point where you want a different pair of glasses because you can’t use the ones you have anymore.
In my case I had to apply the Armour Etch just on one side of the lens, so I still have the anti reflex on the other side.
October 5th, 2009 at 7:46 pm
Thanks a million for sharing, U can count my amen…it works!
October 12th, 2009 at 5:34 pm
WOW! I can see!
I gave up on these glasses 6 months ago and went back to my old scratched up old Rx glasses after I thought I ruined them compleatly trying to clean the haze from them. But today I broke the old ones and was in a panic because I can’t do my job without glasses. Got on line to see if I could find a shop to repair them and ran across your post in a search. Man you saved me BIG TIME, just like new.
The only problem I had was getting the lenses back in the wire frames with the plastic line across the bottom. I have several friends who also have this problem so I’m going to earn some points over the next few days.
Thanks
Dave B
October 26th, 2009 at 7:20 pm
I have to say this is the single most amazing thing I have ever seen when it comes to glasses. I was begging my mother to buy some just so I could get the annoying scratches and smudges out of my lenses, and she came through tonight. After 2 applications, it’s as if they were brand new! I cannot believe the difference in my sight! There aren’t even ANY scratches on my lenses anymore! THANK YOU! You saved me hundreds of dollars in new glasses!
October 28th, 2009 at 8:28 pm
Just wanted to report another success story. After the first time it just made them cloudy, but I repeated the process two more times and the results were great. I still have a little bit of coating on the inside, and once I have some time I’ll probably try another couple of coats.
Thanks.
October 30th, 2009 at 4:48 pm
Awesome!!! When I get new glasses, I always use the old pair to wear at work (get scratched easily). My work pair is about 3 years old and they were getting so hazy I could almost see better without them. I decided to give this a try and it worked very well. My old pair is now as scratch free as my good ones. The only thing is that without the AR coating, I see reflections in the lens. I will definitely be able to live with that with the scratches gone. Thanks for all the awesome info and great success stories. The good out weighs the bad by a mile. I will recommend this to all I know with scratched glasses.
October 31st, 2009 at 2:45 pm
Wow! I’m amazed. I never thought it would work this well. I had the scratch coat coming off. Applied the solution for six minutes on each side and I have a great pear of glasses again.
Thank you!
October 31st, 2009 at 8:41 pm
Well, I’ve read this whole page about 2-3 times, all the pros and cons, but in serious need of that stupid glare film removed from my glasses. it had marred up so badly right in the center, that not only was it impossible to see clearly, but embarrasing to wear, I always thought people were thinking that I never cleaned my glasses. With the pair I have being the only pair, I admit I was afraid to do this, but finally just decided that if it didn’t work, I’d have no excuse to go get another pair.
I want to tell you “thank you” so much for coming up with this idea. Who’d of thought that the etching cream would remove, but not harm the lense??? I started with one tiny corner, and when it was done, you could clearly see the film line, clear on the spot, then faded greenish on the remaining lense. My husband was with me during the process and he was also amazed. Instead of doing both lenses at the same time, I did the the slow way, one at a time, outside, then inside,,, but wanted to make sure it was working I suppose. It worked just as you said it would, and I only had to do it the one time for each lense.
Now that I have basically new lenses again, we ran out and got me a new glasses case, a lense cleaner pad supply and a lense cloth. I’m so proud to show them off now, and see so clearly! Thank you again, VERY MUCH!! You saved the day
November 11th, 2009 at 6:51 pm
For removal of actual scratches in the polycarbonate, I recommend Novus plastic polish, it’s made for the clear plastics industry specifically to remove scratches in acrylic/polycarbonate plastics. I’ve used it for many years for just that purpose and quite a few others, including removing scratches from my glasses.
Note you will want to remove the anti-glare coating as described in the first post first, or you can also remove it the old fashioned way, wet sanding with 2500-5000 grit sandpaper.
http://www.novuspolish.com/
November 14th, 2009 at 11:29 pm
If I use this product and I have antiglare which apparently is great for working on computers, does it mean that the antiglare will be gone?
Then what – no scratch but no anti-glare protection.
Can someone answer this one.
Thanks.
November 15th, 2009 at 11:44 am
Yes, Tina — if you use this product on your lenses, it will remove the anti-glare coating completely and you will see glare.
November 18th, 2009 at 10:02 pm
THANK YOU!! The scratch coat began flaking off my glasses after about a year & a half. (Go figure that the lense warranty is only for a year.) It was getting progressively worse, to the point that it was like looking through a fog and I had constant headaches.
Thinking the Internet might have a solution, I came across your blog and found the Armor Etch at Michael’s. (Jo-Ann’s no longer carries it.)
Having utmost faith in your experience, I didn’t even bother testing a small spot. I covered the front side of both lenses. Washed off after 5 minutes, and the coating really came off easily where the flaking was worst. So, I did a second coat, leaving on for 7 or 8 minutes. Then I gently rubbed with my nail (through 2 pairs of rubber gloves) until I could feel the scratch coating coming off.
Probably could do a 3rd coat to get last little bit off the outer edge, but that’s not in my line of vision so I’ll take care of that when I do the inside of the lenses. However, the inside isn’t really coming off yet.
This is amazing! My glasses were almost unuseable and I dreaded getting a new pair, as I am currently unemployed and without vision coverage.
The only caveat I have is that with the scratch coat mess off, the actual scratches in the lenses are more obvious. However, none are bad enough to affect visibilty.
I do not hesitate to recommend this to anyone. In fact, I am going to post it on Facebook! Thanks again!
November 28th, 2009 at 10:01 pm
wow, it worked. Amazing, i tried 3 times on both side by slowly dabbing the semi-fluid white stuff on it and left in for 10 minutes, rinsed and washed with warm water. You just save me a new pair of glasses. I have constant headache from my anti-glare peeling off and my coworker constantly told me that my glasses is dirty. But they are not, they are scratches and peeling off of the anti-glare coating.
The result: somehow I have long thin scratches when I washed the Armour Etch (AE) off, but it is not very noticeable, this probably came from the small sand particles from the solution(AE). Overall, I’m very happy with the result with $12 from Micheal’s. Nice, i’d give 2 thumbs up.
November 29th, 2009 at 7:44 pm
Stumbled across your article while surfing for something else actually but since I had discarded a pair of 900.00 dollar glasses to my junk drawer several months ago after being told you cannot get them repaired I decided to try it.
I knew they were polycarbonate with AG and AS applied to lens but I work in electronics industry and some harmful back spray from some board cleaner got on them and it fogged and distorted.
Your instructions worked like Merlin the magician and were very well written.Just wish I had ran up on your post earlier.Thanks and have a Merry Christmas and New Year
November 30th, 2009 at 5:04 pm
Excellent topic! Worked like a charm!
My suggestions are these:
1. Make sure you have plastic lenses (most are now)
2. Make sure you have the anti-glare coating (check your original order)
3. Make sure your glasses look like the ones in the pictures above do. Mine looked EXACTLY like that…You can almost tell that the glasses are scratched within the anti-glare film…
December 3rd, 2009 at 8:06 pm
Hi Joe
I too had horrible scratches like in your first pictures. I was at the point of going to get a new pair of glasses. I tried the Armour Etch and let me say…OMG!!!!!
It worked so great. I can actually see without feeling like everything is cloudy. THANK YOU so much for posting about this.
I was not sure how this would work and prepared my self I might have to go get a rush order for a new pair of glasses. I applied liberally using a cotton swab as you mentioned and it worked fine. I did have to apply a couple more coats as I missed some areas and also I have frameless glasses so it made getting into the very corner a bit challenging. But it is all good. Thank you again!
December 9th, 2009 at 1:55 pm
With two pair of glasses, I figured I couldn’t loose to try it on the worst pair. The had tons of scratches and I only wore them when I couldn’t find the other pair. I followed your instructions, and really gooped it on. Five minutes later and my worst pair is my best. I’ll do the other pair next.
Thanks so much for the great blog. The detailed instructions and many successful comments gave me the confidence to try it. I’m glad I did.
December 11th, 2009 at 3:10 pm
Joe
I read your entire blog and understood right from the beginning that it might work. I understood that you tried it with great success and read others had the same. It made sense that the lens was ok and that it was the anti-reflective coating.
I followed your directions to the tea and viola….vision. I only did the outside of the lens and did notice that there is more glare.
Remember folks that Joe said he used it on plastic not glass lens.
Wanted to say that it worked and thank you!
December 16th, 2009 at 4:55 pm
Worked like a charm! Wish I had done this before I bought new spectacles, but oh well! Thanks so much for the info.
December 23rd, 2009 at 9:28 pm
Would this work if my glasses are the kind that will automatically tint when I’m in sunlight? I understand it may get rid of the tinting feature, but it would be something to consider if it got rid of the scratches, also.
January 6th, 2010 at 8:18 am
I would like to thank you for the great advice it worked great, I have No line bifocals with transition lenses. I can see thru them like new and it did not effect the transition lenses. They still darken like allways..
thanks again
January 10th, 2010 at 3:34 pm
1) thank you for the tip, it revived my glasses
2) i did have a problem after using the cream for quite a few times, can’t make the glass clear completely (similar to some people claimed in this thread), after careful examination, it seems there are some “glue” like substance remaining that doesn’t react to the cream anymore, and make the glass not usuable, i can remove them using nail carefully but risk scrach the plastic, but i found using some toothpaste and grind it lightly with cloth will remove the “glue” and make it a complete success. so if you run into trouble, give it a try…
January 13th, 2010 at 11:54 am
worked like a charm, thanks soooooo much
January 17th, 2010 at 9:41 pm
Hello everyone. I’m an optician and have known about this trick for years, even done it for some folks. However, I must warn you… do NOT use Armour Etch on polycarbonite lenses (nor glass, but you covered that alreaady). It causes the lenses to go cloudy. I suspect that is what happened to the few whose attempts were unsuccessful. Thaks all- just wanted to let you all know. If you’re unsure if your lenses are plastic or poly, asked the optical shop you originally ordered them from. Good Luck!
January 21st, 2010 at 9:19 am
Wow! What a huge difference! Months of looking through a haze of scratches and discoloration /blemishing of the AR coating and getting odd glances from cashiers, etc. ended with a 5 minute simple procedure. My glasses came out crystal clear with virtually no scratches on the lenses themselves. The AR coating did the job to protect them -unfortunately the eye doctor won’t tell you how to remove it to extend the life of your glasses. I even got the Armour Etch for half price when the woman in front of me at Michaels gave me a discount coupon she couldn’t use. Best $6.50 I could have spent. I removed the lenses from the frames to ensure I got all the coating off and avoid any issues with the frames. I’ll be passing this on to my friends -with plenty of warnings and disclaimers to try at their own risk.of course!
January 23rd, 2010 at 2:08 pm
I was at the point where I had nothing to lose. I had a pair of glasses that I just kept on my nightstand and would occasionally wear them if I thought I’d fall asleep reading in bed. I’ve tried the Armour Etch and the results were outstanding!!! I didn’t read Mark’s comment above (the optician who says not to use this on polycarbonite lenses) and worried that mine might be. I have a very strong prescription and spend hundreds of dollars extra to get the thinnest, lightest lenses. This trick has saved me so much money!!! Thanks for the post!
January 24th, 2010 at 8:26 pm
THANKS for this awesome suggestion! I had my glasses for only 6 months when I made the mistake of cleaning the lenses with a kleenex. My polycarbonate lenses with antiglare coating were scratched only on the inside, but were right in my line of vision. I asked a few optical centers if there was any way to get rid of the scratches and was told no each time I asked. Then I came across this. I tried it tonight and it worked like a charm! I had to put on 2 coats of the Armour Etch (only on the inside of the lenses) for 5 minutes each. It’s like I’m wearing a brand new pair of glasses again!!!
January 26th, 2010 at 8:51 pm
Thank you so much. Im a student cant buy new glasses right now. it all but one or two tiny scratches off. The Armour Etch worked thank you so much. This has saved me hundred of dollars thank you so much!
January 28th, 2010 at 10:38 pm
This would’ve helped me, had i not just gone and gotten another coating of that stuff on my glasses three days ago!! but, if it happens again, i’ll be sure to try this. great idea!
February 2nd, 2010 at 10:54 am
Hi,
Thanks a lot Dude !
It’s WONDERFUL.
I try on my both eyes glasses and it’s work like a charm.
I really appreciate your tips. You save me more than $800 (two eyes glasses).
Have a Happy New Year 2010 !!!!!
One thousands thanks !!!!
February 6th, 2010 at 12:00 pm
Joe:
Another success story!
I did everything as you stated. My first exception was I had to remove my lenses from the metal/half frames. I didn’t want to take the risk of damaging the metal frames with the chemicals.
2nd, I did both lenses on the inner halves first. My reasoning for this was because I didn’t want the chemicals on both sides of one lense and not be able to let it sit for the 5 min. undisturbed.
I did let the chemicals stay on the lense for 7 minutes, hoping I wouldn’t have to do a 2nd application.
After I cleaned both inner lenses and inspected, I was blown away as to how clear they were. I was so impressed I put the lenses back in my frame to give it the true test. Needless to say they are still in the frame and I am using the glasses to send my response. I am normally not a responder to blogs, but I felt this one deserved a response.
Lastly, by doing the inner lenses first and removing roughly 99.5 percent of my scratches I still have the outer lenses with the anti-glare/scratch protection. Thanks to the big man I got lucky and did the most damaged side first. This may be an option for those who are going to try this procedure.
Keep in mind as stated by the author and other responses, this is not a guarantee. Enter at your own risk, and make sure that you have a secondary pair, just in case!
February 6th, 2010 at 3:34 pm
OMG!
Thank you so much for your posting. We went to three opticle shops today and they were going to gladly sell us new lenses for 200-300 dollars and we were that close to buying but we wouldn’t have had any money at all left for the rest of the month. My husband has an automobile restoration bussiness and he needs to see to complete the job that he is working on to get paid….we were really caught between a rock and a hard place. I said I just can’t believe that there is nothing that can be done for these lenses. I said let me just look at the computer and search what can be done. Your article was the first that I read. We got the deadly goop and HE CAN SEE AGAIN FOR 8 BUCKS!!!!
These opticle places are a racket! They really got you where they want you.
Thanks again for your help, you are very appreciated.
Marney
February 7th, 2010 at 6:27 pm
My glasses have “frameless” anodized metal frames (monofilament nylon line holds lenses into frames). Did a 5-minute test spot on a hidden part of the frame and no visible damage was done to the anodized frames, so I applied to both lenses, back first, then front. Except for one tiny scratch that was into the lens, the rest cleaned up beautifully. This is not to say that *ALL* metal frames will resist damage from the acid, so if you have metal frames be sure to test a hidden spot first.