How to Fix Scratched Glasses

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Use these three methods to repair your scratched glasses

Co-authored by Kerry Assil, MD

Last Updated: April 11, 2025 References

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Fixing Minor Scratches

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Fixing Serious Scratches

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Fixing Very Serious Scratches

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Warnings

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Everyone who wears glasses will eventually find scratches on their lenses that can impair the wearer's vision. Many of these can be fixed with relatively little effort. Depending on the severity of the scratches, you may be able to avoid costly new lenses.

How to Fix Seriously Scratched Glasses

Apply toothpaste to the scratched lens. Use a soft microfiber towel or fabric to rub the toothpaste over the lens in a side-to-side motion. Then, wash off the toothpaste using warm water, glass cleaner, or a combination of both. Then, use a microfiber cloth to remove smudges and toothpaste residue.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Fixing Very Minor Scratches

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Apply liquid to the lenses. You can run the lenses under water for a minute, or you can use specialized cleaning solution designed for use with glasses.^{[1]
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Research source} Window cleaning sprays also work well.
- Do not yet apply any chemical that contains abrasive materials or has a high acid content (as will be mentioned in later examples). Glasses typically have layers or coatings over the lens itself. As you are polishing or cleaning, you are really just wiping this exterior coating. When you remove scratches, you are buffing or removing a small amount of the exterior layers. It is best to keep this to a minimum in the initial phases of scratch removal.^{[2]
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Find a soft, microfiber cloth specifically designed for cleaning. You will use it to clean the lenses.^{[3]
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Research source} Do not use rough fabric. Though these may seem better designed to peel off layers of material, you really want to keep it to a minimum.
- It is essential to use microfiber cloth because the incredibly small size of the fibers makes any new scratches or buffing marks so small that they are invisible to the naked eye.
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Do not use swirling or circular motions, as these can create circular smudges on the exterior of the glasses.

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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Fixing More Serious Scratches Using Toothpaste

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^{[4]
X
Research source} Toothpaste contains microscopic abrasive particles that can polish and grind down the exterior layers.
Again, do not use any fabrics that are coarse or abrasive on their own; they will leave additional scratches in the lens.
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Rub the toothpaste over the lens using a side-to-side motion. Do not use circular motions as they can create circular scuff marks.
- The abrasives in toothpaste are harsher than microfiber cloth alone. Concentrating on a single area for too long could penetrate the exterior layers and damage the interior lens.^{[5]
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You can use warm water or glass cleaners, or a combination of the two.
Remove any remaining smudge marks from fingers or traces of residue from the toothpaste.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Fixing Very Serious Scratches Using a Glass Etching Substance

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Purchase the necessary materials. Normally, glass etching involves the use a fairly powerful acid to cut or burn an image into glass.^{[6]
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Research source} In this particular context, it will be used to burn off the exterior layer of the glasses. You will need:
- A glass etching substance. A brand known as Armor Etch produces one popular variety of the material, but there are others as well.^{[7]
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- High quality rubber gloves to protect your hands.
- Cotton swabs or some other material to use for applying the substance to the glasses.
Do not rub the substance in, but merely apply it to the surface. Because of the strength of the acid in glass etching substances, you must work quickly. Only apply enough of the substance to cover the lens.
Again, etching solution contains powerful acids. Over-exposure to these acids will likely damage the lenses.
Use water to wash off the etching substance, unless the instructions call for alternatives. Wash thoroughly to guarantee that no residue from the substance remains.
Use this to wipe and dry the lens, again using only side-to-side motions.

Join the Discussion...

How to remove scratches from glasses?

WikiAxolotlRunner633

Scratched up my glasses pretty bad and now it's making it tough to see. I'm looking for some quick hacks to buff the scratches out of the lenses so I can see clearly again.

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Warnings

Understand that any polishing will remove a bit of the protective exterior layer of material.

Thanks
Helpful 4 Not Helpful 0
The above methods should only be performed on plastic lens glasses that have coatings over the exterior. Most glasses currently produced fit those classifications, but older glasses cannot be fixed in such a way.

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Helpful 3 Not Helpful 1
Whatever you do, be careful. Glasses are expensive, so use your best judgment.

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Helpful 3 Not Helpful 2