How to Clean Nose Pads on Glasses

Last Updated: October 5, 2022 References

Glasses can be an essential part of day-to-day life, so they can get greasy and grimy very quickly. While cleaning the lenses of your glasses might be common practice, it’s also important to keep the pads touching your nose clean. By knowing how to carefully clean your nose pads and the right way to replace them entirely if needed, you can have all parts of your glasses sparkly clean once again.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Cleaning Nose Pads Quickly

1
Wash and dry your hands. It’ll be much easier to clean your glasses with clean hands. Use soap and warm water to wash your hands before touching your glasses.
2
Use a pre-moistened alcohol wipe to clean the face of the nose pads. Small alcohol wipes should be available at your local pharmacy or office supply store, and work great for cleaning your nose pads more quickly. Rub down the face of the nose pads, being careful not to wipe the lenses too much.

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3
Clean the area between your nose pads and your frames with the alcohol wipe. This section can quickly build up unsightly green gunk and needs to be cleaned regularly. Use the edges of an alcohol wipe to clean in and around this section, removing as much grime as possible.
- As long as the edges of the alcohol wipe you have used previously are still clean, you can use the same wipe for this step.
- If you don't have a clean alcohol wipe or want a little bit more control when cleaning some harder to reach areas, you could use a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol instead.
4
Soak your glasses in warm water and soap to remove any leftover grime. Fill your sink or a small bowl with warm water and stir in a few drops of hand soap. Leave your glasses to soak for 10 to 15 minutes to help lift out any remaining dirt or grease.^{[1]
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- You can soak your glasses for much longer than this, even overnight, though this long exposure to water and shifting temperatures may damage your glasses.
5
Dry your glasses thoroughly with a microfiber cloth. Use a clean, soft cloth to dry your glasses all over, being careful not to smudge the lenses. Make sure to dry every nook and cranny of your glasses to prevent water from getting trapped in them or around the lenses.
- Alternately, you can wait for your glasses to air dry. This will prevent any streaks on the lenses that can come from cloth-drying but will take much longer.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Removing and Cleaning Your Nose Pads

1
Wash and dry your hands thoroughly. Your hands will accumulate a thin layer of oil and dirt over the course of a regular day, which can be transferred to your glasses as you try and clean them. Use soap and warm water to scrub your hands of anything you don’t want getting on your glasses or nose pads.
2
Unscrew the nose pads from your glasses. Detaching your nose pads from your glasses will allow you to clean them much more thoroughly. Look for a small screw holding each nose pad in place and carefully unscrew them to remove the pads.^{[2]
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- Make sure to keep track of these tiny screws as you clean the nose pads. They can be difficult to replace.
- Some glasses will have nose pads attached differently or as part of the frame. If you can’t find a way to detach your nose pads, you can skip this step.
3
Use a simple cleaning solution of hand soap and warm water to protect your lenses. Make a simple cleaning solution by mixing a few drops of hand soap into a small glass of warm water. This will give you glasses a thorough clean and remove any green gunk, without having to use a stronger solution such as rubbing alcohol. Any lotion-free hand soap should clean your glasses safely.^{[3]
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- A lotion-free and moisturizer-free dishwashing liquid can work in place of hand soap if needed.
4
Dip a cotton bud or clean toothbrush into your cleaning solution. Either of these will let you lightly scrub your nose pads to lift away any dirt, grease, and grime without damaging the glasses overall. Soak the tip of your cotton bud or toothbrush in the cleaning solution.
5
Brush the nose pads with the cleaning solution. Carefully begin lightly scrubbing the nose pads to start lifting out the grime. As dirt and oil become visible, dip your cleaning tool back into the cleaning solution to clean it.
- If you are cleaning the nose pads while they are still attached to the glasses, be careful not to brush the lenses at all. They will scratch easily and are very difficult to repair or replace.
6
Use rubbing alcohol for a deeper clean and disinfectant. Rubbing alcohol will clean and sanitize the nose pads on your glasses. Only use a little rubbing alcohol at a time to prevent damage to your glasses.
- Be careful not to get any alcohol on the lenses of your glasses, as this can damage them.
- If you’ve removed the nose pads from your glasses, you can also soak them in a small amount of rubbing alcohol. Leave them to soak for a minute or two before removing, rinsing, and drying.
7
Dry the nose pads with a microfibre cloth. Use a clean, soft cloth to wipe away any excess water or grime left on the nose pads. Make sure to dry them thoroughly to prevent moisture build-up on your glasses or your face.
- Never clean or dry your glasses with a paper towel, cloth or your clothing. These can leave lint and dust behind, and may even scratch your glasses.
8
Reattach the nose pads. Using the same screws and screwdriver, tightly secure the nose pads back onto the frame of your glasses. Wipe away any smudges that might appear as you handle the glasses in this process.^{[4]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Replacing Your Nose Pads

1
Replace your nose pads if you can't get them clean. Over time, your nose pads may wear down, stop being able to be cleaned or break entirely. If you notice this or just want a new, clean pair of nose pads, you should consider replacing them entirely.^{[5]
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2
Purchase replacement nose pads that are the same size and shape as your old ones. Nose pads can come in varied sizes and shapes, such as teardrop, rectangle, circle or D-shaped. Ask at your local eye specialist or check online to find some nose pads that exactly match your current ones. They may come individually, or as part of a complete nose pad repair kit.
- The size of a nose pad can be found by measuring along the longest part of one pad. The sizes will generally be listed in millimeters.
- Replacement nose pad kits will come with all of the tools you need to replace nose pads, including a screwdriver, new screws, a magnifying glass, and replacement nose pads. These can make the whole process very streamlined and easy to repeat in the future.^{[6]
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3
Remove the old nose pads. Hold your glasses so that the nose pads are facing towards you. Use a jeweler’s screwdriver to remove the small screw holding the nose pad in place. Put the screw aside and remove the nose pad.^{[7]
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- If the nose pad isn’t attached by a screw, it will likely be a snap-on nose pad. Use a small, flathead screwdriver to pry the old nose pads out of place. They should easily pop out.^{[8]
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- The same screws can be used to attach the new nose pads, but make sure they are intact and functional before doing so. Check the threading and the head for any signs of damage.
4
Attach the new nose pads. Place the new nose pads onto the mount on your glasses. Carefully insert the screw to hold the pad in place and use the same screwdriver to tighten it.^{[9]
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- If you have snap-on nose pads, simply rest them on the mounts on your glasses and push until they click into place.^{[11]
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- If getting the nose pads or screws into the right place is too difficult, use a small pair of tweezers to hold them and shift them around.
- If you have D-shaped nose pads, make sure they are attached so that the flat edge of the D faces away from the face.

Warnings

Never use bleach, ammonia or vinegar to clean your glasses. These will be too harsh and can damage your glasses irreparably.

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