
Do you feel like you are constantly cleaning your glasses? For many eyeglass wearers, feeling like your glasses are always smudged can really ruin the experience. One minute, your glasses are clean and you can see clearly, the next, it feels like you just blink and then there are smudges on the lenses. It’s very frustrating, especially considering how glasses aren’t cheap, and how you rely on them in order to be able to see.
There are a few reasons why your glasses are always smudged, even when you swear you’re not touching them. Here’s what you need to know about why your glasses are always smudged and what you can do about those pesky smudges.
#1. They Don’t Fit Correctly
If your glasses don’t fit correctly, you’ll likely feel like your glasses are always smudged because you are constantly having to adjust the frame. The more that you touch your glasses, the more likely they are to smudge and get dirty. Additionally, if your glasses fit too close to your face and you’ve been blessed with long eyelashes, that every time you blink, your eyelashes may brush against the lenses, which can be why your glasses are always smudged.
If your glasses do not fit correctly, it’s important to contact your eye doctor in order to fix them so that they do.
#2. Skin Is Greasy

An unfortunate reality for glasses wearers in why your glasses are always smudged is that they need to go on your face, in front of your eyes, in order to do their job. No brainer, right? However, our faces are one of the most oily spots on our entire body. Thus, wherever your glasses touch your skin, such as your nose, your ears, those areas are going to get greasy. This is increased if you have naturally oily skin, if you use moisturizer, or if you wear makeup.
That’s part of the reason why it seems like your glasses are always smudged even when you didn’t touch them. By being on your face, they get dirty. The same as anything else, glasses get dirty over time, and your glasses are exposed to a lot, just by being on your skin. If your glasses are always smudged, it’s because there are constantly things like greasy on your can that’s causing those smudges.
#3. You Keep Touching Them
This can go hand-in-hand with the previous two reasons for why your glasses are always smudged. Most of us don’t even realize how much we touch our faces or fidget with our glasses until we’re told not to. Remember when the pandemic started and doctors said not to touch your face? Or when you read something about how touching your face can cause breakouts?
You were likely suddenly very, very aware of just how much you were unconsciously touching your face. When you wear glasses and are constantly adjusting them by pushing them up your nose or adjusting the frame, this can greatly contribute to why your glasses are always smudged.

How Do You Keep Your Glasses From Getting So Dirty?
Unfortunately, given how much dirt your glasses are exposed to, people who wear glasses complain that their glasses are always smudged because there’s a lot out there that’s causing those smudges. This isn’t what you wanted to hear, we know, however, luckily, you can keep your glasses from getting quite so dirty by cleaning them properly.
The only way to truly stop glasses from getting always smudged is to just not wear them, which isn’t an acceptable reality for many people, especially not if you don’t like contact lenses. Everything has its pros and cons, and glasses have many, many pros, but the fact that they get smudged so easily can definitely be frustrating.
You can keep your glasses from getting so dirty and quickly clear away those smudges by ensuring that you are taking good care of your glasses and cleaning them properly. If you’ve ever been tempted to wipe off your glasses on your shirt or to use Windex on them, because hey, it cleans glass, it should work for glasses, then these are things that can both damage your lenses and worsen the problem.
Your eye doctor will likely give you a microfiber cloth when you get your glasses. You want to clean your glasses with a lens cleaning solution and said microfiber cloth and ensure that you store them in their closed case when you aren’t wearing them. To learn more about cleaning your glasses, please check out our blog on the subject here.
Wolcott Optical provides professional glasses services. If you’re struggling and feel like your glasses are always smudged, we can help you clean them and advise you on adjustments you can make in order to keep them cleaner, longer. Contact us today to learn more.