Full Process! Remove Coating from Glasses DIY A to Z
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- čas přidán 19. 11. 2016
- Remove scratched, flaking, or bubbling, anti-reflective coating from your glasses with alcohol and toothpaste or baking soda. You probably already have the supplies on hand, this is the best way we have found to get it done WITHOUT spending a penny. Everything you need to know if you are nervous about messing up your only pair of glasses, but are tired of being half blind!
When you only have one pair of glasses, it's hard to work up the nerve to remove the coating and risk destroying them. All the videos we found were people SAYING it worked for them - we wanted to SEE it working! So, in this video, we not only tell you, but we show you how we did it. Skip to the end to see what we would do to improve the process if we had to do it again. This worked wonders for us, but, at your own risk and all that!
Thank you so much! I don't have insurance and I thought I was going crazy - I didn't even realize that could even be the problem! I've been wearing glasses (almost a pair every year when I was a kid now- about 1 per every 2 to 3 yrs since I'm an old 35 yer old man) since I was 6 and I've never had splotchy scratches like that; it would look like...ya know, scratches on glasses.
Glad we could help!
I recommend Zenni Optical they do prescription glasses online for $6.95 starting out. I have a link to use that will get you $5 off if this doesn't get flagged lol. bit.ly/2LG304y
Do you know what causes that??
@@shanaazmohammed7713 heat (like cleaning with hot water), sweat, micro scratches from cleaning that develop into bigger ones and cause the protective coating to start to peel off.
Thank you for the idea. I have a very high prescription. So that means very expensive glasses. I am so glad you gave me the idea to scrape the filament of. I did it dry,with my finger nail, used face wipes afterwards and dried them with my cotton pagamas. They came out pretty good much better then they were. Thank you Soooooo much!
This solution was so great! I bought 70% isopropyl alcohol at the Dollar Tree and it really worked. I checked it after about an hour and this slimy coating on the inside of the lens just slid right off. I soaked my glasses for another five hours or so and by that time, most of the "craze" on the outside seemed to be gone and I only had to scrape a little bit off with my fingernail. Someone posted that he/she used hand sanitizer because that also contains alcohol but that stuff contains ethyl alcohol, not isopropyl. Maybe it's all one and the same for this purpose but I wasn't sure. Anyway, my glasses are so much better! Last night there seemed to still be a little cloudiness but this morning the lenses seem fine. One caveat...the soaking does make the lenses very flexible but that might happen with any liquid. By this morning the lenses had tightened back up. Now I don't have to call the optical guy! And next time I'll ask that the antiglare coating be left off...
To avoid those remaining scratches: 1. You need to make sure that the plastic scratcher you are using is not as hard as the lens plastic. 2. The baking soda would be abrasive too. 3. Then have to be careful rinsing away any AR coating flakes left on lens, maybe with microfiber cloth and mild soap. Thanks for posting.
I drank the alcohol and found I no longer could find my glasses
Hahaha. Good one
lol this made my day😂😂
🤣🤣🤣🤣
😂😂😂
I would try to help you but my glasses are cloudy and the bottle is clear. Clair?
Thanks. Scratch coating starting to seem like a planned obsolescense scam to make people continually have to buy new specs. It has happened to my costco glasses now 3 times.
Not only planned obsolescence, the wearer goes crazy while the corporation waits for new purchase! All approved by FDA who care so much for your eyes that you can't buy glasses without a doctor's approved prescription least you get it wrong! LOL,
That's exactly what it is. I no longer buy glasses at Costco because of it.
Mondo Enterprises my Glasses are under warranty still This already happened to me and then telling me to do it again and I’m thinking I’m not going to do it
Leaving glasses with an anti reflective coating in the heat causes that “Crazing” effect to occur. Either keep ur glasses out of the heat or get lenses with no AR and have glares. No one is trying to scam u lol
@@aliciahassan7049 ok, i will take your word for it. Planned obsolescence is a real thing practiced across industries, cars, especially. Glasses been losing big time to lasik and contacts. 68 thumbs up no down. lol.
just thought I would add something to this. I have recently used Maguire's Plast-x for polishing my headlight lenses and it works very well. It has a much finer grit in it than toothpaste. Once the coating has been removed, using a buffing wheel and a Dremel tool, at low speed, you can buff up the plastic and given time, remove scratches.
Thanks for the video. I took a gentler approach and used a Q-tip dipped in vinegar. It came out great with no scratches, but I can tell where parts of the film had bubbled.
I have glass lenses. I was using laboratory grade isopropanol and not having much luck. Doing a little research revealed that the coating is applied electrostatically. So I added 20% Salt water. The sodium chloride adds ions that counteract the electrostatic attraction of the coating compound to the glass. It worked a lot better than using pure isopropanol.
try to get new glasses from google4less it's only 20-30 bucks max. If you know your RX
that’s a lot of big words lol
Brilliant. Yes, good advice for glass, hpwever if you follow the video's method, you'll more than likely ruin your polycarbonate lenses.
That’s the nicest bit of applied chem i’ve ever read on CZcams. Thanks man that’s amazing.
Prodigious!
I tried this method on an old pair with the exact same issue and it works boys and girls!. It Just takes time and patience.
Five years ago I told them not to put any coatings on my lenses, and they acted like they just couldn't understand why I would ask for that. They even went so far to say "We can waive the fee for it." And I was like "NO! I don't want coatings at all." Ofcourse when they're new, I can't tell if a coating is there or not. I find out 5 years later and now probably have to buy new lenses which have to be specially made and will cost me a few hundred bucks. There's no doubt in my mind these coatings are there to limit the lifespan of the lens.
I do agree
Exactly its a scam!
big big scam. every pair i get flake eventually.
Yep . . . unctious a**holes . . . they go to bat for the coatings like it's Napoleon's last stand. All about the Benjamins . . . *OUR* Benjamins. A&%holes
I mean, the cost of glasses are definitely a scam, especially “high end” they’re produced crazy cheaper than they cost - but the anti glare & anti-reflective coatings are actually really beneficial if you have astigmatism or if you’re someone that looks at screens most of the day, whether it be for work or what , it helps a lot! if you don’t have astigmatism, and don’t mind them reflecting in pics & people not seeing your eyes well when in the sun, it doesn’t mattter
Thank you, I've been looking for a solution to the coating bubbling and impairing my vision.
I will edit this post once I feel comfortable doing this to my prescription glasses.
Getting frustrated and it should be much longer before I attempt it..
Thanks again for a solution..
👍👍👍👍👍
Still helping!!! I just got a new pair and I thought, oh great! Now these are glaring allover the place. Found your video, and voila! All better! Thanks!!!!
Really appreciate the video and it's great to realise it's just a money making scam , it's happened to every pair I've ever bought. In the end I scratched it all off with spit 😁 a cloth and plenty of patience 👍
I want thank you so much for your video. I had a pair of expensive designer glasses that I had to put away due to lens coating and when I came across your video I tried it and they are just like when I purchased them years ago. Excellent video👍. Can't thank you enough for restoring my favorite pair of glasses.
Thank you for this video, exactly what I'd been needing to know. My brand knew glasses have this problem.
Is this method relevant for a scratchy reflective, prescription sunglasses coating? I like the reflective coating, but I can't see out of it anymore.
Thanks for this video! My glasses are always so expensive 😩 I've got an appointment today actually. I'm breaking down to buy a new pair bc of this issue with the coating. I will try this later. Thanks so much!
This works because the plastic scraper scrapes off the plastic coating. You can use shaving cream as a lubricant. Months ago, I made the mistake of trying 3000 grit sandpaper in a spot which scratched the lens and left a cloudy spot (so I stopped). To fix the small scratches and to remove the sheen, you can use Meguiars Ultimate Compound (for cars) which will make the lenses like new.
I have the same problem with my glasses currently. I am not due for a new pair until July of this year and I do not have a back up pair (due to an embarrassing drunk accident). I don’t have anything that you used in the video. I do have some nail polish remover not sure if that will work for it. If not I guess I’ll have wait till I can go get stuff for it. This is the first time I have ever had this happen to my glasses.
Thanks for making this video! (you guys just saved me a ton of $$$)
Excellent video. Thanks!
Dude you are the best helped so much with mine!
America's Best makes terrible glasses. Mine fogged up about 2 months after I got them. They replaced them and told me to use THEIR solution to clean them and I did so religiously. About 2 years later I have foggy glasses. Will try soaking them for an hour. Thanks.
I did not have a plastic scraper so I used an old credit card to scrape. It worked beautifully. Thank you.
FYI, don’t use alcohol with colored plastic frames or it will turn them white and depending on the alcohol can make the frames “soft”.
Thank you so much for posting this.
I remember this happened to me I didn’t understand why the place were I got my glasses acted like they didn’t know why that happened just to sell me another pair thanks
I have plastic lenses and was able to get the coating off with PlastX plastic cleaner/polisher.
Where do I get one of those scrapers? What exactly is it called/brand? Thanks
Thanks man. I hate this crap. It happened on my last pair, and now starting on my new pair.
I begged my friend helping me get my prescription not to get anything extra on my prescription because this is what happens when you do. I wish she would have listened to me. I guess if you want something done right you have to do it yourself.
Lol great job coming back with “what we could have done” thanx guys
Great video but just one question. How do you replace the coatings once they’ve all been removed?
AHHHH thank you. The film on my sunglasses has cracks in it which is SO ANNOYING to look through. I love the frame so I wanted to save them. Maybe see if I can put new film on the lenses.
Man, this vid 6 years ago and help me so much, thanks
Thanks a lot bro!, you made my day :)
Hello may I ask what else can be used to scrape off the residue, I don't have the tool you guys used, thank u.
Anything that is a softer plastic than your lens will do, to avoid scratching the lens. Many even used fingernails! We were lucky to have that little tool, but if you've got an overflowing junk drawer I'd dig around in there and see what you come up with. Good luck!
I took the tint off with acetone it coming out smoothly but now my lens are foggy what can I do ?
I have a smudge behind the lenses in the middle what can I do?
Removing coating ok, how to re coat? Is it possible? Without anti reflective coating lenses would be not useful,
My plastic lenses are variable focus, designed for computer work. They have some kind of coating anti-glare I think. One lens has a sort of crazing pattern. Maybe it's scratches from improper cleaning but I try to be careful about that. Anyway, my next lenses will be glass without any coating.
Plastic lense coating will easily removed if you use glass etching cream, not expensive. Spread carefully both side of lens and wait 5 or 7 minutes and clean it running water. Perfect! But Careful not to touch etching liquids because contains harmful material.
Good luck... Here I am Korean
Does this work on the scratch resistant coating as well? ( I was so excited to see this that I didn't look to see if anyone has already asked about this, sorry.)
My guess is that this would work with any of those extra coatings that are on glasses nowadays.
Thank you so much! This will help until I can get a new pair :)
hello brother..may I ask how to remove tint from spectacle?thankyou
I know this video was 4 years ago. But in case you haven't; please consider replacing the nosepads. There are cheap kits you can buy online. I have mine replaced every 2-3 months. Anyway, thanks for the video.
I need halp cause I got acetone on the frame of my glasses can you please help
Does this work with anti scratch coatings too?
Were your lenses plastic or glass?
I soaked them for 12 hours. No scraping needed, just rinsed right off.
What did you soak them in?
@Lynda I don't know. But my glasses messed up leaving them in a hot car. It was bad brand new they were scratched. Blurry looked bad. I put toothpaste and soap left it thier for a hour. Came back rinsed it with my fingers. Not 100% but I would say 93% was better😊😊
very good
This method should only be used on glass lenses. If you have plastic polycarbonate lenses, you can use glass etching compound containing sulfuric acid or hydrofluoric acid because these acids will not attack the plastic. When using these acids, the lenses should be removed from their frames because the acid will damage the finish on the frame.
I literally thought that this was a scam.... but it is legit lol
What a relief it is. Sunscreen will also take it right off.
Thank you for this video. Most helpful one that I have found. One last question is whether or not you dried the glasses before starting the scratching process?
A little late in the reply but no, we didn't dry them. Glad it helped and sorry for the delay!
Does. Plastic bubble too
How to convert shades into normal specs?
What is that yellow thing called
aww you guys are cute!:)
Are the lens plastic or glass
my work flasses have this coating on that has started coming off, im unable to find that alchol stuff u used where i live would anything else work? ive used toothpaste in the past to prevent fogging and works a treat but until this coating is off makes the problem worse .
The alcohol is available at every supermarket and drugstore here in the states, bummer you couldn't find any! I have read that SPF 45 or higher oil free sunscreen with aluminum powder also works. The aluminum is supposed to be abrasive enough to remove the coating, but not so much to scratch the lens. This method involves first cleaning the glasses, then applying a small amount to a microfiber or cotton cloth, then polishing one side of the lens, and repeat many times. Bits of the plastic coating should come off as you go and the lens should eventually be smooth. We have never tried this method, so it's an "at your own risk" kind of thing. Good luck!
I'm an optician and this is not the way .. The lens has a coating that's
called ANTIGLARE (AR) That's what usually gets foggy or scratch . As
long is not deep scratches The only way to remove completely is with a
special acid type of chemical that remove it . it's called (AR
stripper) but only a optical lab will have this . Your local eye
doctor or optical boutique will not have it.. Remember its a chemical so
careful..
superman320 This is just common n alchohol that's available in every drugstore across the country!!! You apparently didn't understand what he said he's using! Watch the video again to get the info and go back to the store....a bottle of alcohol shouldn`t even cost more than $1-2!!!
It is the way I did it, and it worked great for me. People coming, trying to drum up business and giving it thumbs down LOL! Thanks, Two Headed Dog, I did what you said in the end, soaked longer, it came off pretty easy.
this dilution of rubbing alcohol is not available in all countries.where i live max is 70%.
WARNING !! don't use the prepackaged wet wipe glasses cleaners that contain alcohol .. repeated use by these wipes will ruin the AR Coating ... read the fine print on the package (which most don't read) and you will see it says to not use with AR coatings
True, what’s INSANE is my optometrist sent me home with the spray and packages wipes, I used them religiously and now my AR costing us ruined.
Impressive!! I can’t wait to try this. I haven’t been able to wear my glasses.
Just get them changed.
@@atulswain3905 glasses are expensive.
Mine must be stubborn nothing will come off and I know it has the coating on the lenses.
Rubbing with a cotton swab dipped in battery (sulphuric) acid for a couple minutes flakes it right off of plastic lenses. Rinse under the tap, dry and polish and it's done. Oh,' don rubber gloves first, of course, LOL!
I took my lenses out of the frames and very carefully used my heat gun and found this did the trick. After my lenses cooled I used some toothpaste to remove any residue coating
I ;m a carpenter and both pair or at least as bad as youra, it is driving me nuts. lets see what happens.
My prescription was for double vision, and cost me $600 (Canadian). When I got them, the prescription was wrong and I had to send them back to the optometrist. The new lenses were perfect, until that f-ing coating started to come off after a couple of months. I found info online about it, called the optometrist office and they said to bring them in. Which I couldn't do for another several months or so because I live in a remote area. They also said that there was no protective coating on the lenses according to their records. I think they need to switch to a different lens making company. At this point the coating really impairs my reading. For $600 I do not expect to have the lenses messed up twice. I'm pretty ticked off. I like my optometrist though, and they had the wrong lenses replaced at no cost to me, and said the coating problem will also be covered under warranty. But I'm thinking I will have future prescriptions filled somewhere else, if I can find someplace reasonable and dependable.
has anyone tried terpentine or something stronger than alcohol?
masking tape and rip it off, Brazilian style!
Mine was doing this and the other day I was in a steam room for about 20 mins and I started wiping of my glasses with my fingers and the film started coming off so I kept doing it and now my glasses are dang near new again
Can I do it if the lens is of plastic instead of glass
We've read that most lenses are some kind of plastic polymer these days. Pretty sure his are as well.
The toothpaste is what make the fine scratches. Go over it with a fine scratch remover and they should be fine.
My glasses had gotten really foggy. I started taking them in the shower and using my finger and arm and hammer toothpaste with the baking soda. After several times the fogginess was gone and they were like a new pair of glasses.
My last pair did this and I let the lady at my eye doctor talk me into the coating again and not only 1 but like 3 different types, the anti glare, anti bluelight and some other one. if these peel the next pair will never have a coating.
Wow; the alcohol worked
tha antiglare stuff they apply seems to be a money grab,,, it only takes a few months (from brand new) for that stuff to fog up the glasses and ruin the lens.
Total freakin ripoff. ought to be a law.
Mine has taken years, and the antiglare is an option that you can add if you want it (at least in my opticians). I really need to buy new ones but they are expensive (I have antiglare, and thinner lenses, should still be glass).
Are you getting the cheap coating? 😅 you get what you pay for.
@@aliciahassan7049 cheap?
My lenses on one pair were $380 (not including the frames). They still are peeling. I know how to wear glasses, I've worn them since I was 6, and put them on when I wake and take them off when I go to sleep. I've used several different companies over time, and still issues. The best and longest living glasses I've had were ones I had in grade school, no special coatings, and prescribed and made at the Chicago School of Optometry, back in 1980. Today, I go a few months and see a decline in the surface of the lenses. They're crap.
Christine CG well things in 1980 were made and build to last 😅 It is 2020 now and you get what you pay for (and still things are not made like they used to be) ... $380 is cheap for lenses honestly yes. Hey if you want to with no coating on your lenses go right ahead! But don’t be surprised when you’re older and have some kind of eye disease or eye problems etc.... also the glares suck on lenses with no AR...
Has anybody tried vinegar? Or Ammonia to remove those filthy coatings?
hey, you don't have a screwdriver to remove lens and do it better? ;-)
glass etch works much better on the polycarbonate lenses
Alcohol is probably not the right chemical to use....... you need something to dissolve the the coating........ something like
“Acetone “, polish nail remover.
I’m going to try it on one of my old pair that I don’t use, and see what the results are.
Hopefully, I’ll get lucky 🍀, my prescription has not changed, but my glasses are all jacked up, but not scratched.
😎
Use Zeiss lens wipes from Walmart, mine went from cloudy to crystal clear in about a week.
yeah but i bet the Zeiss doesn't REMOVE the coatings? Just buffs them? what do zeiss wipes contain?
klam77 not sure what's in the wipe, but if your glasses are cloudy you need to try them. I couldn't believe the difference it made for me. I didn't over use a single wipe just used a new one every day. Good luck and let me know how it works for you
@@kometbaby Hey, were your lenses glass, or plastic, or polycarbonate? Thanks!
HEIGHO2 I'm guessing plastic because with my prescription glass would be way too heavy
How long did it take for the Zeiss wipes to work? Are the glasses still staying clean now?
Does this work for PlayStation vr lenses ?
Does nail polish remover work?
No....I tried it
if you scratch it , don't youlose eye protection ?
If you remove a layer off the glasses doing this it will alter the strength of the lens, just don't bother in other words!
I wonder if googone will work
Makes Hindsight 2020 with a refreshing mint smell
I got my AR removed by soaking in 70% alcohol for a few minutes. The AR coating shrivelled up and washed right off in the sink.
Can I use green alcohol to do that??
I literarly just used my fingernail and peeled it off
Haha nice!
Me too, it worked 😄
You should’ve used Armour Etch. Much faster no buffing. Just apply wait 7 minutes rinse dry and wear.
Mine are plastic..this won't work lol. Going to get new glasses today. I do not want any dang coating!
when you tell the "opticians" they resent selling you lenses without coatings. They gasp and scream!
I use Methyl Hydrate 95.5 % soak them pure in a food container for about 10 minutes gently scraping with fine plastic . And they will come out crystal clear 😉 . The sun or heat causes the film to crack . My glasses get this from hundreds of hours fishing in the hot sun ... Good luck 🎣
where to buy methyl hydrate?
Gotta get in touch with Hizenberg or Jesse.
Just use wet tissue to wet it... then use hard plastic tool.... then settle. tq for the video
You should have removed the lenses from the frames. It would have made the job many times easier.
+Two-Headed Dog Productions *I love the result but now I am worried about the UV protection. I guess it's the price I'll have to pay for being a CHEAPSKATE. Good Video.*
Yeah, don't know if that's inside the glass or not. He uses those clip on sunglasses that go over your existing lenses. Thanks for the comment and good luck!
If your glasses are polycarbonate or hi-index plastic (the thinner, more expensive types), then you almost definitely already have UV protection as part of the lens plastic itself. Only "plastic", CR-39, lenses lack UV protection.
All glass is shielded from UV rays. That's why you cant get sunburn through a car window.
Mr. J I have definitely gotten sun burned through a car window before 😂👀
Does this mess up the prescription?
No
I take it that you have glass lenses as toothpaste would scratch my plastic lenses.
Got too close to out hot wood stove and my lenses melted on the surface to a wavy and thus blurry surface
The rubbing alcohol removed the coating but the tooth paste just left swirl marks on the lens. Am I doing something wrong?
The goal is to remove the coating. If that's done, there's no need for the toothpaste.
isnt the coating important somehow? is it really okay to scratch it off?
Gluestick Cherrybum Its great if it doesn't delaminate. The manufacturer applies the coating to harden the plastic lens against scratches. Removing the ruined coating probably buys you a year more of use from the lenses.
why were you trying to take it off?
Already "scraped" glasses or old worn lenses made to make you think the scratches are permanent but it is only the film of reflective coating peeling or some other type of coating. The curvature in the lense is the prescription, it's not just sitting on the surface like alot of us thought.