What Are the Best Glass Cleaners for Sonic Soak? Achieve Crystal-Clear Results with Ultrasonic Technology

Around 64% of adults around the world wear glasses, based on the Vision Council of America's data. If you’re part of the 4 billion people who need prescription glasses, you’re probably all too familiar with the struggle of keeping them clean. 

Like most people, you most likely use the small microfiber cloth that came with your glasses. But let’s face it — that flimsy cloth probably creates more smudges than you began with. So what exactly is the solution?

It’s simple: an ultrasonic glasses cleaner. It’s undoubtedly the best way to clean glasses, and we’ll tell you why.

Understanding the Importance of Proper Glass Cleaning

As a glasses wearer, you’re probably aware that the average cost of a pair of prescription glasses is around $205. If your pair tends to get dirty and damaged quickly, you can expect to pay that premium multiple times a year. When in reality, you should ideally be able to make your prescription glasses last at least three years. 

That’s why you must learn the importance of cleaning your glasses the right way. And yes, there is a wrong way to do it. 

In fact, 36% of adults use their shirts or other clothing items to clean their glasses, which is not recommended by eyecare providers. We’ll admit it, we’ve been there, too. It’s easy, convenient, and gets the job done — but does it really? 

More often than not, it takes at least three to four tries to finally get rid of the smudges and micro-scratches you wanted to tackle in the first place. And that’s only when you’re done working on the blurriness caused by the cloth itself. 

Most prescription eyeglass wearers use a glasses case (73%), but one in five eyewear users do not use a case when their glasses are not being worn. That means their glasses are lying in a drawer somewhere, or maybe at the bottom of their handbag, collecting dust, debris, scratches, smudges, and much more.

If you’re a more careful user, you probably use something like alcohol-free or impregnated wipes to keep your eyeglasses clean. These are both great solutions, even achieving a 99% to 100% median germ reduction at times. The same study found an average bacterial load of 0.09 ± 0.49 × 10^3 CFU cm^-2 after cleaning with such wipes.

However, that would mean always having to carry around a pack of wipes and making sure you don’t run out at the worst time. Many consumers buy lens cleaning solutions and cloths immediately after eye exams, but never end up using them because of the constant upkeep.  These are repetitive payments you simply don’t need to be making — you need a durable and reliable solution. 

We’re talking about an ultrasonic eye glass cleaner. It’s the safest, easiest, and most effective way to clean your glasses. But before we get into how it works, let’s see why you need to make a one-time investment in the proper way of cleaning glasses.

Vision Clarity

This one’s a no-brainer. You need to clean your glasses because they help you see clearly. Letting them accumulate dust and scratches is only going to impair your vision, which isn’t just annoying but also potentially dangerous. In fact, 48% of drivers wear their prescribed glasses while driving, while 26% wear them half the time, and 11% do not wear them at all.

Bacterial Accumulation

You’ll be shocked to learn how much bacteria your glasses can actually harbor. Genera like Staphylococcus are the most common, which can even spread and lead to eye infections. You could also get pink eye, blepharitis, bacterial keratitis, and styes, which can lead to inflammation, corneal infections, and bumps near the eyelid.

More surprisingly, your glasses can also be contaminated with bacteria from your own aerodigestive tract, such as Moraxella and Haemophilus. These end up on your eyewear with a simple sneeze or cough. 

If you don’t clean your glasses frequently or efficiently enough, your eyes are at risk of being infected, along with any part of your skin that comes in contact with the glasses.

Skin Health

As we mentioned, your eyeglasses are home to all kinds of bacteria, and not the good kind. Even if the situation isn’t bad enough to cause an infection, pink eye, or keratitis, you could still be vulnerable to skin health conditions. Most commonly, dirty glasses lead to acne and blackhead breakouts.

Step-by-Step Process for Cleaning Glass with Ultrasonic Cleaner

Now, let’s talk about the best eyeglass cleaner available: the Sonic Soak. The Sonic Soak generates 50,000 ultrasonic vibrations per second. That means it creates microscopic cavitation bubbles that dislodge dirt, oil, bacteria, and other contaminants at a molecular level. As a result, it cleans with 99.9% efficiency — one of the best rates in the market.

Before we learn why it’s the more efficient choice compared to traditional eyeglass cleaning methods, let’s see how this device works. Spoiler: it’s pretty simple.

Step 1: Prepare the Ultrasonic Cleaner

First and foremost, make sure the device is clean and ready for use. You can also use this time to check the manufacturer's instructions for any specific setup guidelines that would help you avoid damage to the device or your glasses. For instance, you don’t want to leave the device running for too long or fill it with any liquid other than water.

Step 2: Choose the Right Cleaning Solution

Find a container big enough to submerge your glasses and the ultrasonic cleaner. Then, fill it with water or a cleaning solution the manufacturer recommends. We recommend going for cleaners with 70% isopropyl alcohol for a thorough clean, but you should also avoid harsh chemicals that could damage the lens coating.

If you don’t want to buy a new solution, you can also mix a mild detergent with water to get the job done. It’s also a much safer and gentler choice if your glasses have some type of UV coating.

Step 3: Pre-Clean Your Glasses

Before you put the glasses in the water or solution, rinse them under lukewarm water to get rid of loose dirt or debris. This way, there won’t be any larger particles to scratch the lenses during the ultrasonic cleaning process.

Step 4: Place the Glasses in the Tank

Finally, you can fully submerge your glasses and the ultrasonic glasses cleaner in the cleaning solution. Just make sure they are not overcrowded in the tank. Overcrowding can reduce cleaning effectiveness as ultrasonic waves need space to propagate evenly.

Step 5: Set the Cleaning Cycle

The Sonic Soak is fairly easy to use, so you can adjust the cleaning timer according to your glasses. Most ultrasonic cleaners recommend a cycle of 3–5 minutes for glasses. It also features customizable settings for duration and intensity, which means you can use the Sonic Soak for different materials.

Step 6: Start Cleaning

It’s time to start cleaning! Turn on the machine and let it generate ultrasonic waves, which create microscopic bubbles through cavitation. These bubbles effectively remove dirt, oils, and smudges from lenses and hard-to-reach areas like hinges and nose pads. 

While the device does its job, you can go about your day as usual — it doesn’t need monitoring! You can even go to sleep, as long as you remember to set a timer.

Step 7: Rinse After Cleaning

Once the cycle is complete, remove your glasses and rinse them under lukewarm water to wash away any remaining cleaning solution or loosened particles.

Step 8: Dry Your Glasses

Gently pat your glasses dry with a soft, lint-free microfiber cloth to prevent streaks or scratches. We wouldn’t recommend air drying since it can leave water spots on lenses. 

Step 9: Inspect Your Glasses

Finally, we recommend checking your glasses once under good lighting to make sure all smudges and dirt have been removed. If necessary, you can repeat the process for stubborn grime. But in most cases, you won’t need to!

What Are the Secret Tips for a Streak-Free, Spotless Finish?

The Sonic Soak is undoubtedly the best glass cleaner available, which means you can count on nearly flawless results every time. However, it doesn’t hurt to go the extra mile to ensure your peace of mind. Here are some secret tips to remember when cleaning your glasses with an ultrasonic cleaner.

1. Use the Right Cleaning Solution

Since the Sonic Soak does most of the work, plain water works perfectly when cleaning your glasses. However, if you want top-notch results, you can also mix a few drops of mild detergent into the water. It’ll help the device create more bubbles, which will implode and clean your glasses. 

If you opt for a commercial glasses cleaning solution, make sure it works for your specific pair. For instance, if your glasses have a UV coating, it’s best to steer clear of acetone-based cleaners. These can damage or even remove the UV protective layer during the cleaning process. 

Similarly, if your lenses have an anti-reflective (AR) coating, just stay away from harsh chemicals that could strip this delicate coating. In most cases, water is honestly your best bet.

2.Avoid Hot Water

Like we said, nothing works better than water when working with an ultrasonic eyeglass cleaner. But we don’t just mean any water. Firstly, it should be purified water since tap water tends to be highly contaminated. 

Next, always use lukewarm water instead of hot water — too hot, and your plastic frames or lens coatings will start melting.

3.Position Your Glasses Correctly

You don’t just need to avoid overcrowding your water container, but you also need to remember to position your glasses the right way. Place them lens-side up to prevent air bubbles from forming on the surface. Since there won’t be any trapped bubbles, you’ll be able to enjoy an even result.

4.Set Optimal Cleaning Time

Yes, there’s such a thing as cleaning your eyeglasses too much. You should only clean your glasses using the Sonic Soak about once a day, or twice if needed. Anything more would start wearing down the finishes on the frame. 

Other than that, make sure you use the Sonic Soak’s timer for every clean. Ideally, it should be set at 3–5 minutes, especially if you won’t remember to turn it off after it’s done.

Why Should You Choose an Ultrasonic Cleaner Over Traditional Methods?

Here are just a few reasons you should invest in an ultrasonic glasses cleaner instead of sticking to your usual cleaning methods.

Superior Cleaning Performance

Ultrasonic cleaners generate up to 50,000 ultrasonic sound waves per second. This creates microscopic bubbles that remove dirt, oil, and grime from lenses and frames. 

This process, known as cavitation, delivers a deep clean that manual methods simply can’t achieve. Traditional cleaning often leaves streaks or residue, while ultrasonic cleaning gets rid of these issues entirely.

Safe for Delicate Surfaces

Many eyeglasses come with specialized coatings, such as anti-reflective or blue light filters. If you manually clean them, you’ll most likely scratch them with the cloth you use, especially if it isn’t microfiber. Do that enough times, and the entire coating will be gone in a matter of weeks. 

However, ultrasonic cleaners are non-abrasive and super gentle — there’s no chance of them scratching your glasses.

Hygiene and Health Benefits

According to a recent study, 49% of eyeglass handles have unacceptable levels of bacterial contamination, while 7% have “acceptable” levels. We believe no amount of contamination is acceptable. That’s why ultrasonic cleaners remove bacteria, germs, and microscopic particles with 99.9% efficiency. 

Time Efficiency

Only 25.1% of people clean their glasses daily, while 25.4% clean them once a month or less. A majority of this is because it takes time and manual effort. Meanwhile, cleaning cycles in ultrasonic machines only last 3–5 minutes, and you can even leave it unattended.

Polishing Eyeglasses

Ultrasonic glasses cleaners don’t just clean your glasses – they can polish them, too! A 2025 study found that ultrasonic cleaners have a 90% higher material removal rate (MRR) than traditional methods. Plus, they reduce the surface roughness by 40% and lower the surface damage layer thickness by 38%. 

Conclusion

Now that you’ve read our portable ultrasonic cleaner review, you’re more than likely convinced. It’s time to ditch the old manual cleaning methods and embrace a new way of maintaining eyeglasses with ultrasonic cleaners. Buy your own Sonic Soak today to see the difference!

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