Armour Etch wins hands down! If you’re like me and decided to go ahead and have anti-reflective coating put on your new eyeglasses at an extra charge, of course, then you probably know what Armour Etch is. If you don’t, keep reading because you’ll want to know!
First of all, let me just say that steam is an enemy of AR coating, so if you happen to be an Italian chef cooking pasta everyday - then sooner or later you’re going to need Armour Etch! If you wear your glasses in the bathroom and take them off right before you step into the shower (and who doesn’t?!) and the bathroom becomes all steamy - then you’re going to need Armour Etch! If things get steamy in the bedroom and you’re wearing your glasses, I don’t think it really matters - but take them off anyway! (Okay, the last one was a joke, but hey, who knows?!!!)
Seriously, if you have AR coating, you will eventually end up wondering whether your eyesight is failing, you’re developing cataracts, or worse yet, going blind! I was starting to live life in a foggy haze when I realized that the fog was on my glasses! I took them back to where I bought them and, lo and behold, I was a couple of weeks past the warranty! “Sorry we can’t do anything about them now.” the girl behind the counter told me.
What could I do?! As I was going out the door, one of the girls working there asked me, “How are you cleaning your glasses?”
“With soap and water,” I replied.
“Oh you shouldn’t have used soap, that’s the problem.” she scolded me.
“You mean to tell me, I can’t use mild handsoap to clean my glasses?!”
“No, but would you like to purchase a cleaning kit that we have,” she wanted to know. (Like I needed something to clean the fog!)
Before leaving another girl said that maybe one of their competitors could have the AR coating taken off for around $25-$30. (Not true, I went to several places and they had no solution for me either. Well that’s not entirely true, they did tell me I could purchase a new pair of glasses!) I went home and started searching on the internet to see if anyone else was having the same problem. What I found out surprised me! It seems most people who have AR coating, have or will have, sooner or later, and later is the operative word, the same problem as me! Like after your warranty is up!
The way I see it, the eyeglass companies are offering this wonderful product (according to their description, you’ll be able to see much better, you won’t be bothered with glare from the sun, or headlights from other cars at night, and blah, blah, blah…), when in reality they know that a year later that coating is going to start peeling off and your only option is to buy a new pair! How convenient for them! Now instead of people buying new eyeglasses every two to four years, people will have to get new ones every year or two! Does anyone smell a rat?!
People had all types of solutions on the internet and I tried a lot of them, such as toothpaste, hairspray, furniture polish, etc. I mean afterall, what have you got to lose when you can no longer see through your glasses!? Nothing worked until I tried Armour Etch. Everyone was raving about how they were amazed by the results and were so thankful for the hint, I ran out and bought a bottle!
Armour Etch runs about $10 at any arts & crafts store. I put a nice coat on both sides of my lenses* with a Q-Tip and let them sit for 5 minutes and then rinsed them off with (yes!) mild soap and water! Amazing! I had a brand new pair of eyeglasses! It’s been about a week and I’m still amazed at how wonderful they are and how well I can see once again!
*Now a very important point I need to make is, Armour Etch works only on plastic lenses, if you have real glass lenses, do not use Armour Etch! It will ruin your eyeglasses! With older lenses you may need to repeat the process several times before it works. Why that is, I don’t know….perhaps the lenses were made differently. So if you have relatively new plastic lenses and you want to take off the AR coating, then Armour Etch works like a charm!
Maya Muses: Sometimes it’s not so bad seeing Life through hazy lenses which distorts our so-called reality, but personally, I’d rather pick and choose those times!
Photo Credits: Flickr
155 responses so far ↓
1 Chad // Nov 13, 2008 at 10:16 pm
Do you notice any difference with the AR coating removed? ie, more glare or harder to see at night while driving, etc?
2 Lynn // Nov 14, 2008 at 5:51 am
Hi Chad, ….just the opposite actually. When I had the AR coating I found that there was more of a rainbow effect that bothered me when I drove at night.
Without the coating I find that the only time I’m aware of a reflective glare is when I have a bright light directly in front of me, like when I’m using my computer. The moment I move a few inches away or lower the lampshade (that sits right above the computer) the glare is gone.
3 Marty // Nov 18, 2008 at 9:25 pm
Hi Lynn, yours is one of the few anti-anti-reflective coating opinions I’ve seen on the web. I just bought a new pair of glasses without AR and I’ve been kicking myself since, but thanks to you, maybe in a year or two I’ll be able to look back without regrets. I do have a strong prescription, so my lenses do reflect a lot, but if that’s the worst thing, I guess I can live with that. Thanks!
4 Lynn // Nov 19, 2008 at 5:36 am
Marty, I think you will be happy! Most people who have it end up with clouded glasses once the AR starts peeling away and it gets increasingly hard to see and your stuck with buying new glasses! So, thank goodness for Armour Etch!
I recently bought two more pairs of glasses one for reading and one for the computer, neither have AR on them and I have no problem with glare….unless there’s a very bright light directly in front of me and I’m looking at a dark screen; I just move the light and the glare is gone!
5 Chad // Nov 20, 2008 at 6:47 pm
After Armour Etch my glasses are now clear as a bell… amazing!
Don’t know if I will miss the AR coating or not but at least the scratches are gone!
6 Lynn // Dec 5, 2008 at 9:53 pm
Chad, it truly is amazing. I don’t know if I was happier because I felt like I had a new pair of glasses when the AE took out the AR film clouding my glasses, or because I saved myself $200 not having to buy a new pair! Probably both!!!
7 Tony // Dec 19, 2008 at 7:33 am
I bought some armour etch the other day, and tried it on my plastic lenses (or maybe they’re polycarbonate?)
While the coating seems to have been removed, they’ve now gone cloudy. I wonder if it’s the anti scratch coating disolving and not coming off completely.
Anyone have any suggestions as to how to get rid of the fog that now makes my glasses useless?
8 Lynn // Dec 19, 2008 at 8:40 pm
Hmm….Tony, I don’t know how AE would react on polycarbonate, but the reaction you’re having sounds like your lenses are made of glass! As I said in my post, do not use AE on glass lenses because it will ruin your glasses. (I know, too late in your case!)
That said, if they are plastic, are you talking about relatively new glasses, because I also mention that AE doesn’t seem to work well on older plastic lenses. Maybe they were made differently before, but on new plastic lenses AE works like a charm!
Sorry Tony, I have no idea how you can clear up your glasses now that they’ve become foggy….. maybe someone else has a suggestion….
9 Nicko // Dec 30, 2008 at 9:43 pm
Tony if you do have plastic lenses and they became cloudy you probably need to let the AE sit on the lenses longer, or apply it a few times. The AE dissolves the AR coating quite slowly, so if its only partially removed it will look really foggy. Just put a liberal amount of AE on again, wait 3-5 mins, then wash very well with soap and warm/hot water. If you still see some fogginess repeat the process 1-2 more times.
First time I did it on an old pair I had the same issue. After the second time when I held it up to the light, I could start to see patches with the coating and the areas without it were clear….so I did it a 3rd time and they were perfect. Of course the next set I did this on I just knew to wait a longer time and it only took me one application.
10 Lynn // Dec 30, 2008 at 10:57 pm
Thanks for the info Nicko, it’s good to know! I just did mine once and it came out perfectly, but what you’re saying is exactly what happened to my friend with his old pair of glasses! I’ll have to tell him to try it a few more times, or else leave it on longer.
Thanks again!
11 Cid // Mar 23, 2009 at 6:40 pm
I don’t wear glasses, but my boyfriend does so I’m going to tell him to take them off in the bedroom! Lol.
12 Lynn // Mar 23, 2009 at 10:49 pm
LOL! I’m with you Cid, it’s always better to be safe than sorry!!!
13 A professional // Jul 22, 2009 at 7:27 pm
Hi,
You simply need an AR coating that can stand higher heat levels. Plus, you probably bought your AR coating from a chain store, who, mainly uses an AR coater that’s designed for high volume and low quality, rather than from a doctor who may charge quite a bit more but provide a coating that will last for a significantly longer time and withstand high levels of heat.
Go to your independant doctor of optometry and ask the optician to research how hot your lens can get to. They will not know, so tell them to ask various venders and provide proof to them.
14 Lynn // Jul 23, 2009 at 4:09 am
AP, thanks for the valuable information! As for me, after taking off the AR coating with Armour Etch….I really do quite well without it and won’t have it on my next pair of eye-glasses either!
15 Matt // Jun 19, 2010 at 11:45 am
THANK YOU SO MUCH! This worked!!!! It’s funny though… one lens the AR came right off. The other lens required me to do it several times before it could come off. Strange. Either way, it saved me a lot of money on new glasses!
16 Lynn // Jun 21, 2010 at 8:06 pm
Glad to be of help, Matt…. I know how you feel! I was so delighted when my glasses became clear once again and I didn’t have to waste money buying a new pair!
17 John // Jul 8, 2010 at 11:36 pm
I CAN SEE AGAIN!
My lenses were really BAD! Worked perfectly, removed lenses from frames first, then Armor-Etch (3 oz. at Michaels, they have a 50% off (most anything) coupon you can print from their site right now BTW, makes the normally $12.99 only $6.50+ tax! Valid through Saturday July 10, 2010), q-tips, did both lenes both sides twice, 5 minutes each…except for a few scratches are crystal clear now. THANK YOU!!!
18 Lynn // Jul 9, 2010 at 6:36 am
John, I know the feeling! Looking through hazy glasses for so long and then presto - everything is clear! Glad to help!
19 Karen // Aug 23, 2010 at 5:03 pm
I have my glasses back! Thank you for posting this! I’d been getting headaches every day from trying to wear my old glasses with a different prescription but now as the song goes, “I can see clearly now…”
20 Lynn // Aug 24, 2010 at 9:40 am
Karen, you remind me of how I felt when all of a sudden “I could see clearly now”!!! LOL! It was like having a new pair of glasses!
Glad I could help!
21 Scott // Sep 3, 2010 at 7:36 pm
Armor Etch was the only solution to getting some bad Crizal AR coating off my lenses. They were older and it took several applications, and were scratched from previous attempts to remove the coating but I had some Meguiars Motorcycle Plastic Cleaner/Polish and it took most of the scratches out.
22 Lynn // Sep 4, 2010 at 9:11 am
Hey Scott, good to know about the MMPC/P for scratches! Thanks!
23 thegman // Oct 5, 2010 at 4:16 pm
IT WORKS!! I priced new lenses because of the fine scratches on my glasses - the optical company told me it was out-of-warranty and there’s nothing they could do. Their solution? $350 for new lenses! I went to Michaels and bought the Armour Etch for $13+. I used a Q-Tip to brush it on both sides, left it for 5 minutes and washed it off. AMAZING improvement!! Thanks for the great tip - it worked fabulously : - )
24 Dave // Oct 6, 2010 at 12:16 pm
I made the big MISTAKE of rubbing the solution while washing them off … leaving a bunch of tiny scratches. Fortunately I only did this to one lense.
25 Lynn // Oct 9, 2010 at 5:57 pm
Thegman, I know the feeling! I was told I could purchase a new pair of glasses as well! Hmm, I wonder if Michael’s has raised the price of Armour Etch because more and more people are buying it to remove the A-R coating or because of inflation!?
26 Lynn // Oct 9, 2010 at 6:04 pm
Dave, did you try it again? Several people have said it takes several applications to get the scratches off and Scott (comment #21) said he used Meguiars Motorcycle Plastic Cleaner/Polish to get rid of his scratches. I can’t vouch for it since I’ve never used it, but if the scratches are bad, you might think it’s worth a try!
27 Paul // Feb 16, 2011 at 12:15 am
Everyone’s comments are great, and I will try this on a micro-scratched pair of AR coated lenses that are my backups. I want to add a qualified positive note about AR coatings: I have a pair with Crizal that are 4 years old and show very few micro (desert-dust) scratches, and no other problems with the coatings. I love AR coatings: for others to see my eyes clearly without reflections, and for night driving it eliminates reflections from the rear and sides, and other minor positives. However, I have had 2 different pairs with budget AR coatings that were terrible, failed in numerous ways several times under warranty, a big pain in the butt to deal with, and eventually gave up on them. You get what you pay for in scratch resistance ($50 more for the better coatings), and there may be some compatability issues with certain types of plastic lenses (there are many, many lenses out there, new ones every year…), and then there’s the whole handsoap and other soaps issues, tho my one good pair I treat no differently than the other bad ones. Can’t wait to improve my old beaters, and will report on the attempt. Thanks again, all, this was hands down the BEST forum that turned up on my search!
28 Lynn // Feb 17, 2011 at 2:41 pm
Paul, you must have Paul Newman “Baby Blues” that make it important to see those eyes!!! Okay, okay, I’m kidding!!! Well, somewhat - I did have posters of Paul Newman in my bedroom when I was a teen, he was a little old for me, but who wouldn’t fall for those beautiful blue eyes, especially after seeing Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid!!!
Uh, where was I??? Oh, yeah! Armour Etch!…. LOL!!!
Well I’m not sure if I settled for the cheap coating, but Scott (comment #21) had Crizal AR coating and he ended up with the same problem as the rest of us, so who knows! I’m just happy that I didn’t have to buy a new pair of glasses one year later because I could no longer see and AE gave me that option.
29 Paul // Feb 21, 2011 at 2:37 pm
Success!
2 coats of Armour Etch ($13 @ Michaels) took the AR coating off clean, revealing just a couple of actual scratches in the polycarbonate lense, as opposed to the multitude of micro dust scratches that were only in the coating, not the plastic. Tried a 3rd application on those to be sure, and it made no difference (so now I could try the other plastic compounds people talk about). The first coat left some tough splotches behind that were taken care of on the second coat. The lenses are Transitions, and their ability to change dark & light seems completely unaffected. Rememeber to read the label & take care handling the stuff; it has strong reactions to lots of things you care about, including your skin.
Yea, can’t imply that all Crizal is better: seems to be a lot of factors both in the application process in each lab, and in the particular combo of lense & coating. Hence the need for warranties. One optician’s advice was: make sure you scratch them within a year, so you can bring them back and get a new pair under warranty! (check the fine print…)
Had to check a couple Michaels locations to find the AE; not all stock it [half the price on-line, but equal price after shipping cost.]
I have learned in life that my brown Windows-To-The-Soul seem to be crucial in others’ understanding of my wry sense of humour: if you can’t see me wink, Lynn, you might not get when I’m kidding! [wink, wink.]
Cheers.
30 Shaunie // Mar 14, 2011 at 12:18 am
I have a pair that I got a 9 months ago with the AR coating. I have the daily habit of leaving in the bathroom while I shower. I noticed a mark on my lens so I went to wipe it off thinking it was hairspray, but half of the AR coating literally peeled off. So I am not getting the foggy effect that so many of you are getting, so I am wondering:
Will armour etch work for my situation?
I just need to peel the rest of it off this lens and my other since it looks ridiculous, and I know people can see it.
31 Lynn // Mar 20, 2011 at 9:24 pm
Paul, no “baby blues” but “baby browns”! Good humor nonetheless! Cheers to you too!
Sorry for getting back to you so late Shaunie, you probably already found a solution to your problem.
The steam in the bathroom most likely did start it peeling. I’m sure AR will work as long as your lenses aren’t made from glass!
Good luck!
32 Dean // Apr 23, 2011 at 9:35 am
Got some glasses recently and was convinced by the sales-person to get the anti-glare coating.
Big mistake.
They must use the cheap stuff, because less than a few months later the glasses were becoming cloudy. It wasn’t scratches so I knew it must be the coating.
(maybe the cleaning spray I was using, maybe the steam from my morning coffee as I’ve read cheap coatings can be damaged by heat)
Luckily I found this blog and even had a can of Armor Etch at home. (I do a lot of art etc)
Five minutes of work and glasses are like new!
33 Lynn // Apr 23, 2011 at 9:11 pm
I’m really surprised that it only took one month for your glasses to fog up! What a rip off with this AR coating! I think most of us can do quite well without it!!! Thanks for your comment Dean!
34 licensed optician // Apr 25, 2011 at 9:54 pm
I’m sorry that so many of you feel you’ve been ripped off by your eyecare professionals. I will be the first to say that AR is certainly not for everyone, but I personally love it. We try to match most lens options with the wearers’ wants and needs and how they want their lenses to perform–though not everyone does that in our profession. Nonetheless, one bad apple doesn’t necessarily spoil the whole bunch–whether that bunch be opticians or AR coatings. Most of the problems we have with AR are either improper cleaning on a daily basis; wearing in an environment with lots of volitiles (vocs like in hairsprays); people who work in kitchens (steam and oil in air); or a bad batch of AR (processing). Lens appearance indicates if it’s a cleaning issue or other. I’m tough on glasses and have had several generations of the product–only one ever crazed over. Anyway, with regard to Armour Etch–it works great on CR39 dress plastic, but it will kill polycarb and hi-index plastics–so use at your own risk or better yet, ask what type of lens material you have before using it.
35 licensed optician // Apr 25, 2011 at 9:55 pm
p.s.–not all lens cleaners are the same. AR coatings require alcohol-free cleaners made for AR coated lenses.
36 Lynn // Apr 28, 2011 at 3:31 pm
Thanks for the info LO!
I think that most opticians should give their clients the information that you just gave here before insisting that they get AR coating without any of the warnings!
I can only speak for myself and several family members I’ve been with when they went to get their glasses,…. we were told all the benefits of getting AR coating and none of the negatives or even how to care for our glasses once we got them.
I’m sure a lot of people who have AR coating will appreciate what you’ve written, but I for one live very well without it!
37 Rick // Apr 30, 2011 at 7:10 pm
Worked like a charm. Had to do each lens twice but both came out excellent.
Thanks for the post. Very helpful.
38 Lynn // May 2, 2011 at 1:52 pm
Your welcome Rick, it sure beats paying for new glasses or living life looking through a blurry pair!!!
39 Dean // May 19, 2011 at 11:21 am
Thanks to “licensed optician” for the info regarding alcohol-based cleaners.
No one mentioned to me not to use this to clean my lenses.
The girl at the store was actually trying to sell me an alcohol-based cleaner when I got the glasses!
Im sure this is what caused the coating to become ruined so quickly.
40 Lynn // May 19, 2011 at 1:19 pm
See what I mean, Dean! I thought licensed opticians should know all this stuff, then again a lot of the people working in the front (taking the measurements for the frames) aren’t licensed or are they? Maybe L.O. can clarify that???
41 john // May 25, 2011 at 6:41 pm
Do you think I can use AE to remove the mirror coating on my sunglasses? It has peeled off in various splotches all over.
42 Lynn // May 25, 2011 at 7:54 pm
John, I’ve never tried it with sunglasses, so I don’t want to tell you go ahead and then your sunglasses are ruined. I did a little investigating and on another website the comments were all negative about AE on sunglasses, especially Polarised lenses. You may have to look for a better way! Here’s the website: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/548379/how_to_repair_a_scratched_sunglasses.html?cat=7
BTW, if you do try it or find a way to repair your sunglasses, please let me know what you did!
43 Tracey // May 28, 2011 at 9:14 pm
I have to say… This worked like a charm !! I can see again ! It’s awful when the coating goes bubbly and foggy and looks as though you are wearing “dirty” glasses!! Eye Doctor’s/ Eye Glass companies should really give you this tip, instead they charge you exorbitant amount’s of $$$$$ to replace lenses that actually there is NOTHING wrong with !!! Thank’s so very much for this info would recommend this method to anyone
44 Lynn // May 29, 2011 at 7:45 pm
Thanks Tracey, I’m glad it worked for you as well!!! It seems like this AR coating is just a racket to me and I have to say, I don’t miss it for a second!
45 Steve // Jul 2, 2011 at 9:02 pm
Took my incredibly scratched lenses out of my frames, put on the Armour Etch for the five minutes that was suggested, then rinsed with water. Crystal clear lenses again! AR coating gone and so are the scratches that were in the coating.
46 Lynn // Jul 3, 2011 at 9:51 pm
Glad it worked for you Steve!
47 Nancy // Jul 8, 2011 at 12:55 am
Tried AE on my high index lenses and it hasnt worked. Tried three times. I wonder if others have high index and it hasnt worked like the Licensed Optician said. Luckily I have another pair that is still good.
48 Lynn // Jul 8, 2011 at 1:46 pm
Hi Nancy, is your high index lenses glass or plastic? AE, as I mentioned, does not work on glass and if I understand correctly some high index lenses are made of glass rather than plastic. Sorry to hear that it didn’t work for you.
49 Kris // Jul 15, 2011 at 9:26 am
Will AE remove the photo grey coating along with the other coatings on my plastic high index lenses?
50 Lynn // Jul 15, 2011 at 8:27 pm
Good question, Kris. I wouldn’t think so, but I’m not sure so don’t take my word for it. Maybe someone else knows and will comment here.
51 Carol // Jul 20, 2011 at 3:33 pm
I have old, high index glasses (no coatings).
The AE made a dramatic improvement in the lenses.
This product has saved me several hundred dollars.Thanks!
52 Lynn // Jul 21, 2011 at 9:51 am
Hi Carol, thanks for letting me know that AE actually improves lenses for scratches and such. Who knew that it wasn’t only for getting rid of the AR coating?!
53 Steve // Jul 21, 2011 at 7:16 pm
It works!!! No, I don’t work for Armor Etch, nor for anyone else for that matter. Originally I thought my glasses were fogging, but when I held them up to the light at an angle I cloud clearly see hundreds of tiny scratches. Very disturbing, as I’m a photographer and take excellent care of my glasses and lenses. Hopefully there will be a huge lawsuit over this.
Why didn’t your eye care specialist tell you this might happen? Why didn’t they tell you to avoid heat and steam, or the coatings might last only a few months? Why are they trying to pretend that this is normal? And of course, they all want you to go back to them to fix this, and not for free either, folks. Oooh, these chiselers make me mad!
54 Lynn // Jul 22, 2011 at 5:37 am
Steve, you couldn’t have said it better and you may be on to something there about a lawsuit! Think of all the people who aren’t aware of Armor Etch and have to go buy a new pair, because frankly it gets to a point where you can’t use your glasses any longer.
I don’t work for AE either, but if I owned the company, I would start putting out ads about being able to fix eye-glasses! Hmm, maybe I should buy stock in the company! Lol.
55 Ben // Aug 12, 2011 at 1:27 pm
Hi Lynn, Just got armour etch in mail. on glasses now. 5 minutes going by slow . Been using readers for phone and computer but not the same. took 2 applications but I am pleased. doing 3rd application just for good measure. Saved me over 300 dollars. Thanks.
56 Lynn // Aug 12, 2011 at 7:20 pm
Glad to hear it worked, Ben! Isn’t it great to save money especially when you shouldn’t have to be spending that money in the first place?!
57 kris // Aug 17, 2011 at 1:00 pm
Hi again,
Just tried AE several times on my 5 year old pair of high index progressive lenses with no luck. Any ideas? Thanks
58 Diego // Sep 8, 2011 at 4:08 pm
Hi,
Something that worked for me last night — since I don’t have any Armour Etch — was hydrogen peroxide (the kind you can get in any drugstore) and a toothbrush. My glasses aren’t perfect yet, but I’m sure that, with another gentle scrubbing tonight, they will be. Just my two cents.
Cheers!
59 Lynn // Sep 8, 2011 at 6:46 pm
Sorry Kris, I don’t, but Diego says that hydrogen peroxide worked for him. I can’t vouch for it since I’ve never tried it, but it may work for you!
Thanks for the tip, Diego!
60 Jean // Sep 15, 2011 at 8:32 am
Oh my goodness! The peroxide and a soft toothbrush worked for me too! I was getting so frustrated that I couldn’t see anything. I dumped the peroxide on and just rubbed with the soft toothbrush.I did this once and it was much better and then I did it a second time and my glasses are like brand new! I can see so clearly now!
61 Lynn // Sep 15, 2011 at 1:35 pm
Thanks for the comment Jean, maybe it’ll help others who’ve still had problems after using AE and thanks again Diego! I’ll keep that in mind if I ever run out of my bottle of Armour Etch!
62 Jim // Oct 15, 2011 at 9:36 am
I just used Armour Etch to remove that horrible anti-glare coating from my glasses. The lenses are now crystal clear with only the few incidental scratches one would expect after 9 months of use. Like many, I thought my sight was fading. Then I noticed lots of small abrasions on the lenses and wondered if I had somehow cleaned them with mud or newspaper.
How ironic that the optician would have suggested anti-glare of a February and then, when presented with clouded lenses in October of the same year, say the following: “Oh, that anti-glare coating scratches very easily. And it gets dirty faster so you have to clean your glasses more often and that only makes it worse.”
I will never get that coating again. Thanks to the people that checked out Armour Etch as it applies to restoring abraded lenses. It is quite the value add!
63 Lynn // Oct 21, 2011 at 7:58 pm
Wow, Jim, your story sounds so familiar!!! Thanks for writing!
64 maxxer // Nov 17, 2011 at 6:08 pm
the hydrogen peroxide worked for me. Took a lot of time lightly scrubbing with the toothbrush- maybe 10 times- continued to check after each time to know where to concentrate the brush- but basically free and got it all off. booo to the anti-glare coating, yea to the tip of the HP. thanks
65 Lynn // Nov 18, 2011 at 1:09 pm
Glad to hear that the hydrogen peroxide worked, Maxxer, I would have loved to have known that when I was trying hairspray, toothpaste, furniture polish, and honey. Okay, maybe not the honey, but almost everyone has HP sitting around.
I’m with you on “booo” to anti-glare coating! What a rip off!!!
66 CoachOh // Jan 20, 2012 at 4:25 pm
This worked for me. It took me about 3 coats. On one lense for the outside coat it stayed a little cloudy so I ran water over it and buffed it with a white sock (wet). One of my lenses seems to be blurry on part of it. Not sure why. Could have been like this for a while. In any case, it worked very well. Thanks. I bought my 3 oz bottle via Amazon and it cost me about $10 total. Thanks for taking the time to post this and for other people to give their experiences.
67 Lynn // Jan 22, 2012 at 5:53 am
Happy to see that it worked for you Coach. Don’t know why it sometimes takes 3 coats for some and just one coat for others, but at least the results are the same. Clear glasses once again - you can’t beat that!
We should all start an Anti-AR Coating Day!
68 Carol // Jan 26, 2012 at 7:22 pm
It worked!! I have polycarbonate lenses… Tried a little spot to begin with which took the AR coating off but left the lens cloudy. I had only left Armour Etch on for about one minute. I decided to try again and left it on for a little longer and it worked! So, I put it on the whole lenses and left it on for about 4-5 minutes. I’m so excited! I’ve had to wear my old glasses for over a year since I “ruined” the nice ones by accidentally diving off the end of the dock with them on and losing them on the bottom of the lake for about three weeks until my daughter found them. The AR coating became blotchy and eventually was unable to see through them. I was bummed since these glasses were over $400. Now I can see! Yay!
Thanks for the tip!
69 Lynn // Jan 29, 2012 at 9:51 am
Wow, Carol, now that’s a story!!! Your glasses spent 3 weeks at the bottom of a lake and your daughter was able to find them is a feat in itself!
If steam in a bathroom ruins the AR coating, I can imagine what the lake did to your glasses and I know how you feel - it’s like losing $400 and getting it back! Glad to help!
70 dude // Feb 16, 2012 at 7:49 pm
tried peroxide (for a long time ~1hr) with no result other than my skin dissapearing…..lots of dry cracks and little friction blisters from splitting wood. Now I see why you NEVER put full strength 3%? peroxide on cuts. Dilute it first or it eats the little abraded edges that heal together when you get a scrape/cut.
+1,000,000 for ARMOUR ETCH!!!
My glasses (polycarbonate lenses with anti-glare coating, no other coatings) were ruined when I got brake cleaner on them. They looked like they had tiny scratches and dots all over the lenses (like shiny spiderwebs), to the point that I couldn’t drive at night with them. I found out about ARMOUR ETCH, printed out a 50% off coupon, and went to Michaels craft store for a 3oz bottle - $6.50 total. After removing the lenses from the frame, put a nice thick layer on both sides of each lens (just gently dab with a q-tip, the goo is abrasive, don’t rub and scratch your lenses). It took 2 times at 5 mins each. I don’t see why you couldn’t leave it on for an hour or more. After washing them off, they are like new, other than a couple deep scratches. This will not magically get rid of deep scratches. It only gets rid of the scratched/crazed coating on the surface.
71 Juli // Feb 17, 2012 at 4:58 pm
I don’t have the problem of cloudy AR lenses, my problem is spots in the center–which, after reading the posts I’m starting to believe is improper cleaning fluid (as it seems to be centered in the lens like where you would spray the cleaner on). I will try the peroxide tonight…altho I’m going to need new lenses anyway since my prescription has changed since I purchased the glasses, at least I’ll have something until I get them!
I’m very glad to have found this post! I am, however on the side of liking the AR coating since I have 2 pairs of glasses-one with and one without-and I see a HUGE difference with night driving between the two pairs….. (AR from WalMart and non-AR from Eyemart Express)
72 Lynn // Feb 17, 2012 at 7:39 pm
Dude, thanks for the info about the peroxide. I, myself, have never tried it, but I now know to dilute if I ever need to!
As far as deep scratches go….I think it’s maybe time to get a new pair of glasses! LOL!
73 Lynn // Feb 17, 2012 at 7:57 pm
Juli, you’re not the first person to mention improper cleaning fluid! I wouldn’t have thought it mattered that much, but I guess it does if the one you’ve been using is actually making your glasses worse!
My personal experience wearing my glasses at night with the AR coating was that it was okay if I was in a well lit area, but if I was on a 2 lane country road with the headlights directly aimed at me, it made it worse! There seemed to be a halo around the headlights, street lights, etc., but that’s just me. Thanks for writing!
74 steve // Mar 1, 2012 at 10:47 am
just went to optom yesterday for new glasses because of fog/scratches {sears} he said my scratches were all 0n the inside of the lenses and after i got my new pair i could leave the old ones overnight and he could remove AR coating. i have polycarbonate lenses with titanium frames. if i just want to clean the inside can i leave them in the frames or will AE damage the plastic mountings?
75 Lynn // Mar 1, 2012 at 7:28 pm
Steve, I wonder if your optometrist used Armor Etch to get out your scratches? If so, I hope he didn’t charge you a bundle to do it!
As for your frames, I really don’t know if AE will ruin your titanium frames, so I don’t want to tell you something I don’t know. All I know is AE will damage real glass and only works on plastic lenses.
Sorry I couldn’t be of more help.
76 sharonlee // Mar 10, 2012 at 1:21 pm
To the pro’s who commented, I have a pair of glasses after 6 months have cloudy spots on them. I only wear them for using my computer and working on miniatures. When not in use they sit on my laptop or in their case. I have only ever cleaned with alcohol lens cleaner and lens cleaning cloth. Since I make miniatures they are cleaned several times during the day, due to the detail involved in making miniatures. I have never had them any place they would have been exposed to heat or steam. In fact I take them off before getting up since I can’t see with them on when walking. Yet they are pretty bad after only 6 months. And yes I bought them directly for my eye doctor. So those theories don’t add up. I’m going to pop into my eye doctor on Monday make sure I know what these are made of, show him the lenses (they may be under warranty) and then off to Michael’s I go.
77 Lynn // Mar 10, 2012 at 10:15 pm
Hi Sharonlee, I’m not an expert, but I would be interested in knowing what is making your glasses cloud over. Just a thought, but could it be some chemical product you use to work on your miniatures with?
78 sharonlee // Mar 11, 2012 at 7:05 pm
Nope no chemicals, I work with polymer clay and needle felt with alpaca fur and sheeps wool. So no chemicals. It seems the more I clean my lenses with the lens cleaner the worse it gets.
79 Lynn // Mar 11, 2012 at 7:26 pm
That may very well be the culprit! If you read comment #s 32, 34, 35, 39 and 71 it seems that your alcohol based cleanser is what is ruining your lenses!!! If you have plastic lenses, I think you may very well need Armor Etch! (Nope, I don’t have stock in AE, but maybe I should! Lol.)
80 sharonlee // Mar 11, 2012 at 9:17 pm
Lol…Yup I agree, however the pro’s that were commenting here mentioned using the alcohol based cleaner to clean the lenses, and I do believe they are not safe for these coatings put on. I’m taking them tomorrow to the eye doctors since they may be under warranty. If not I’m going to Michael’s to get some Armor Etch.
81 sharonlee // Mar 11, 2012 at 9:31 pm
Actually I should rephrase that, after reading what I wrote. I am agreeing with the pro’s that it’s the alcohol based cleaner, because I have never exposed my glasses to anything other than the cleaner, I don’t even use hairspray for that matter. So I must agree that is there is no other reason my lenses should be this cloudy after only 6 months. I also was not told not to use these types of cleaners on the lenses, actually they told me absolutly nothing about cleaning.
82 Lynn // Mar 13, 2012 at 8:17 pm
Thanks for writing Sharonlee and I hope your glasses are still under warranty so you can get a new pair! And if not…..well you know what to do! Good luck!
83 sharonlee // Mar 14, 2012 at 10:58 am
Thanks very much for all the info provided here. I took my glasses in and they were still under warranty, so they’ve sent them off for repair. They also pointed out the coating was peeling away from all the edges as well. They also mentioned to just use the cleaning cloth for basic cleaning and only when it needs it to use only dish soap and water to clean them. But I’m saving this page just in case I need it in the future. Thanks again for all the info.
84 Ted // Mar 16, 2012 at 5:53 pm
Thanks for the info. Will try it when I pick up my new glasses. Now, here’s a question: will Armour Etch resurface (polish) newer car headlight covers?
85 Lynn // Mar 16, 2012 at 7:02 pm
Gee Ted, I don’t have the foggiest idea! LOL! (No pun intended! Well, that’s not entirely true, I just couldn’t resist.)
If the headlight covers are made of plastic maybe it would work, but you’re probably better off going to Auto Zone or some place like that and buying a Rain X/Headlight lens restorer kit. That works really well. Your headlights are like new!
I never travel anywhere without putting Rain X on the windshield first. The rain just slides right off, it’s great! (Nope, no stock in Rain X either!)
86 Sergio // Apr 14, 2012 at 7:13 pm
Hi Lynn, Thank you very, very much for the tip, it works just you said it would! my Zeiss gradal top 1.6 with Teflon “clear” coat lenses and 4.5 years old were in very bad condition, it is now 95% better, some scratches still there but it is amazing how the AR coating has just gone and with it most of the scratches. I have used EtchAll creme, Armour Etch was not available here in Sao Paulo-Brazil, quite expensive ~USD 40 a small bottle of 4 oz., but it worths every cent!!!!
87 Lynn // Apr 15, 2012 at 9:17 am
Hi Sergio, $40 for a small bottle is crazy, but I guess it’s cheaper than buying new glasses! I’m glad to have helped!
88 bob // Apr 29, 2012 at 3:50 pm
I try everything into i came across this page
hey men thanks for the tip, this is the best 12 dollars ever spend
89 Kris // May 1, 2012 at 2:13 pm
Hi Lynn, I have tried AE on my high index progressive lenses to remove the coatings several times with no luck. Just by chance I held the lenses over a pan of boiling water in the steam and then polished them with NOVUS #2 fine scratch remover and they are PERFECT! Coatings are GONE !I got the hot steam idea from your comments here and the #2 NOVUS on ebay. Thanks for your help as it saved me several hundred dollars. These coating should be against the law as something as simple as removing something from the oven can ruin them. I will NEVER purchase another coating no matter how FANTASTIC the optician says it is.
90 Kris // May 1, 2012 at 4:27 pm
ps. Licensed Optician is incorrect about the AE “killing high index plastic lenses” Although it didn’t work it didn’t harm the lenses on two different pair that I used it on. I realize they make a fortune on these ‘extra” coatings and probably aren’t to happy about all this new online info. Thanks again for your work here Lynn !
91 Lynn // May 2, 2012 at 9:25 am
Glad to help, Bob!
Kris, thanks for the info on Novus #2 and I couldn’t agree with you more! I mean they know that this AR coating is going to eventually peel off and it usually happens after the warranty on the glasses is up - so what does that mean? Most people figure they just have to buy a new pair of glasses! Well, not anymore!
92 Nick // May 11, 2012 at 6:12 am
OK, so I skeptical with this one. I junked my last pair of glasses because I couldn’t see out of them, assuming that they were scratched. But my new ones… Well, I knew the coating was coming off because of the way it was actually coming off.
Anyway, I grabbed my old glasses and a bottle of Armour Etch and went to work. Holy crap! It worked perfectly… the lenses weren’t scratched in
the first place, it was all the coating! So I then grabbed my current glasses and did the same. Same result. So at least my spare pair is useful!
Note that I have polycarbonate lenses in mine, and I even smeared a load of this stuff on the metal frame as well, with no damage at all. Had to check that before I ruined a perfectly good pair of Oakley frames!!
Anyway, thank you. And to anyone who reads this, I’m not just saying it for shits and giggles… this stuff REALLY works. End of story.
Thanks again.
93 Lynn // May 11, 2012 at 5:13 pm
LOL!!! Thanks for your comment, Nick, you gave me a good laugh! I’m sure other skeptics out there just might be convinced from your testimony! Glad you now have two pairs of glasses that you can actually use and you probably won’t even miss the AR coating! Hmm!
94 Bill // May 20, 2012 at 11:23 pm
So glad I found out about Armour Etch … I now have four pairs of glasses with clear lenses!
One note to the posters who declared that they’d never “pay” for AR coating again … last time I replaced lenses I declined the pay-extra AR option and even asked the optician to add “NO COATING” prominently on the order.
Guess what? The new glasses came in a few bucks cheaper, but 6 months later I started seeing the same cracking/flaking phenomenon. Apparently you get the coating no matter what, just like the anti-rust undercoat they always try to sell you when you buy a new car.
Not a fair comparison, of course, because the undercoating does actually help make the car last longer - and even a used car salesman wouldn’t be sleazy enough to recommend an undercoat that ruins your car in two years so you have to come back and buy another.
95 Troy // May 21, 2012 at 10:06 am
lynn, Hi, my glasses have the AR coating on them and it is getting pretty scratched up (polycarbonate lenses), would Armour Etch help with this as the scratches are in the coating and not the lens? Thanks.
96 Lynn // May 21, 2012 at 6:49 pm
Wow, Bill, that is crazy! I hope that your case was an exception rather than the rule because I can’t imagine that the industry would stoop that low!!! At least, I hope not!!!
97 Lynn // May 21, 2012 at 7:06 pm
Troy, I don’t want to tell you that it will work on your polycarbonate lenses, but others have had success using Armour Etch. Still there were a few who said it would ruin the pc lenses. I think if you can’t use your glasses as they are now, then you have nothing to lose by trying AE.
Here are the numbers of the comments that talk specifically about polycarbonate lenses:
# 7, 8, 29, 34, 68, 70, 74, & 92.
Hope that helps!
98 Scott // Jun 4, 2012 at 9:15 pm
OH My GOODNESS!! I was scared to try this because my lenses cost $580… just the lenses… but I tried it and it totally worked and I am so excited that I saved that expense, that I could kiss someone!
Thank you to you for posting this “trick”. Totally worked!!
Scott
99 Lynn // Jun 9, 2012 at 9:08 am
Scott, I could feel your happiness just from your words!!! LOL!!! I hope you found someone to kiss! Glad to be of help!
100 Jeri // Jul 4, 2012 at 6:12 pm
trying the Armour Etch right now. Got it for $8.99 at Hobby Lobby . tried just a edge of my glasses since I am on Vacation and need to drive. I was afraid it would cloud them and I wouldn’t be able to drive unless I got new glasses. The small spot I did turned out so crystal clear I am now waiting on the 5 minutes for the whole thing. I can’t wait to see again! Amazing is all I can say!!!!! Wow, I’m not going blind after all! Thank you so much for posting this tip. You have saved so many people so much money with this.
101 Lynn // Jul 7, 2012 at 6:25 pm
Your welcome, Jeri, and thanks for writing! $8.99 sure beats buying a new pair of glasses and what a relief to know that you’re not going blind!!! (I know the feeling!) Glad to be of help!!!
102 Jessi // Jul 8, 2012 at 10:12 am
I found this site, read & re-read. Hymmed.& Hawed. Did it! Love it, thank you, thank you. These are my only pair of “eyes”. There was simply no $ to replace these, no contacts. This gives me another couple years on glasses that are still the right script!
103 Lynn // Jul 9, 2012 at 12:33 pm
Jessi, I can understand your reluctance to try it, I know I did and I’m sure many others hemmed and hawed before finally having a go! Glad your only pair of eyes are in better shape now! Thanks for writing!
104 Tom // Jul 17, 2012 at 4:25 am
Just thought I would add my experience. I tried using The hydrogen peroxide and a toothbrush since I could not find armour etch locally. The Hydrogen Peroxide did not seem to work in completely stripping the AR coating despite some aggressive scrubbing with the toothbrush (mistake)
So i ordered some armour etch on amazon and a few days later it showed up. I applied it using Q-tips and let it sit for 5 minutes, everything was left very foggy, So I tried it for 10 minutes, still foggy, So I tried 30 minutes and then an hour. in the end, I determined that the AR coating had indeed all been removed, but what was left was a very scratched up set of lenses. full of fine micro scratches.
What i think happened, was that my attempts with the hydrogen peroxide and toothbrush did more damage than i realized, but the AR and anti scratch coatings were masking this damage until the armour etch stripped them away.
So i would not advise anyone use anything abrasive like a toothbrush. the Armour etch will dissolve the AR coating without too much scrubbing and it should be used instead of Hydrogen Peroxide, which did not dissolve the coating.
Now, my question is how to polish out all these micro scratches?
105 Michael // Jul 17, 2012 at 8:00 am
Lynn, once you have finished using armour etch successfully then what is the best way to daily clean your eye glasses, e.g., sink dish washing soap, etc..
106 Lynn // Jul 17, 2012 at 7:07 pm
Thanks for the warning, Tom! As I’ve said, I’ve never tried HP, but a couple of people have said that it did work for them. Perhaps it depends on the kind of lenses you have….?
As for your micro scratches, Scott (comment #21) said he used “….Meguiars Motorcycle Plastic Cleaner/Polish and it took most of the scratches out.” Once again, I can’t vouch for the results on using this product because I’ve never tried it, but as I’ve told others who have commented here, if you can no longer use your glasses, then you don’t have much to lose. However, if you’re still able to wear your glasses then please take all advice here with a grain of salt because I’m no expert! I just happened to write about my experience using Armour Etch.
107 Lynn // Jul 17, 2012 at 7:22 pm
Hi Michael, apparently there are different opinions on what to use and what not to use when cleaning your glasses. Licensed Optician (comments #34 + 35) said that using an alcohol based cleaning product actually makes things worse when it comes to AR coating. You should only use an alcohol-free spray. I personally use mild liquid hand soap and warm water and once the AR coating was removed, I’ve never had any more problems with my lenses. I am due for new glasses soon and I will insist upon them being free of AR coating!!! Hope that helps!
108 Christine // Aug 2, 2012 at 4:04 pm
Just wanted to say that I couldn’t handle trying to look out of my cracked AR coating. It was impossible to read or see the computer at work. Unfortunately, I did not have another $ 300 to get a new pair of glasses. I was apprehensive about trying the Armour Etch, but due to all the positive comments, I found a cheap bottle on Ebay and decided to give it a try. DO NOT HESITATE TO TRY THIS !! It worked FANTASTIC !! I put it on with a Q-tip and let it sit for 5 minutes and rinsed under running water. WOW !! I can see again and didn’t have to pay but $ 4.99 !! UNBELIEVABLE ! I swear by this stuff !! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU !!
109 Christine // Aug 2, 2012 at 4:07 pm
By the way… I have an extremely high index plastic lens with no-line bifocals and it worked great !! Thanks, again !
110 Lynn // Aug 3, 2012 at 11:44 pm
Glad to help, Christine, and thanks for giving your testimony! I’m sure it will help others who are also scared or hesitating to give it a try. I say, if you can’t use your glasses the way they are now, then you really have nothing to lose and everything to gain if it works!
Just remember, don’t use AE on real glass! (In case someone didn’t read that warning, I’ll say it again, AE only works on plastic lenses.)
111 Jack // Aug 22, 2012 at 4:56 pm
AE is $9 at hobby lobby. Worked for me. Thanks for all the info.
112 Lynn // Aug 23, 2012 at 9:07 am
Thanks Jack, I was in the States recently and bought another bottle at Michael’s for $12. A $2 increase from 4 years ago - not bad! Good to know, however, that you can find it cheaper elsewhere. Thanks!
113 Bill // Sep 3, 2012 at 9:52 pm
Armor Etch worked like a charm for me — and I am pretty sure mine are high index polycarbonite (so the comment form the licensed optician above is probably just more hogwash from the industry). I just applied the stuff with a Q-tip — I just dabbed it lightly and then washed it off after about a minute. Only did the inside of the lenses because the outside wasn’t that bad yet.
My lenses were from LensCrafters and only a little more than 2 years old. Started noticing the problem at about 2 years — thought it was me at first, but now I am convinced is is a plan of the industry to get you to buy glasses every 2 years whether you need them or not.
Oh yeah — I don’t notice any more “glare” than before.
114 Lynn // Sep 4, 2012 at 7:17 am
It’s funny how we all think that it’s our eyes that are going bad at first rather than our eyeglasses! I mean, why would we think that the eyeglass industry would make us pay for a product that’s suppose to help us, instead of the contrary! I agree, with you, Bill, I didn’t notice any more glare after I removed the AR coating either! Thanks for writing!
115 Convinced // Sep 5, 2012 at 12:48 am
I got up the nerve to give it a try after reading all the posts from people ecstatic with the results. As advertised my 8 year old pair of back-up glasses are once again crystal clear!
The first application removed about 95% of the scratches and imperfections! Great! but I wasn’t satisfied so I ran it through the process again. Unfortunately the remaining scratches were real scratches and not remnants of the AR coating, but 95% clear is better than <50% like before!
I will say that I notice glare and light reflections much more than before. It’s probably exaggerated in my case due to the fact that the curved style of my frames required very curved lenses. BUT, I’ll take crystal clear lenses with slight glare instead of foggy, “dirty”, scratched up lenses any day.
Thank you for the DIY advice!
116 Lynn // Sep 5, 2012 at 7:19 am
Hi Convinced, it may very well be the curvature in the lenses because, honestly, I didn’t notice any more glare once the AR coating was removed. Just the opposite, with the AR coating there was a rainbow effect that I found annoying, but that’s just me.
Btw, what is the “DIY” advice, I racked my brains trying to figure that one out and I’m sure if you tell me, I’ll be like, “Duh, how could I not have figured that out!!!”
117 Removing Anti Reflective Coating from Eyeglasses : Improve Eyesight Without Glasses // Sep 8, 2012 at 5:53 am
Hi Lynn, yours is one of the few anti-anti-reflective coating opinions I’ve seen …. Worked perfectly, removed lenses from frames first, then Armor-Etch (3 oz. ….. the time to post this and for other people to give their experiences.
118 Lynn // Sep 8, 2012 at 4:17 pm
Yep! I am anti-AR coating!!! I know a few have noticed a difference, but I for one did not see any benefits from having the coating on.
119 Greg // Sep 9, 2012 at 11:06 am
Hi Lynn.
My glasses are 14 months old with polycarbonate lenses and RF99 anti-reflection coating. A week ago I noticed they were always dirty and I couldn’t clean them.
These were purchased at a dispensing optometrist so I went back and they reported that the AR coating had failed and that this coating has a 1 year warranty. My only option was new lenses but they now use a better AR coating with a 2 year warranty. They no longer use the RF99 coating. The new lenses would only cost $250. They reported there was no way to remove the AR coating. I went home disappointed and unwilling to pay that much for a problem that I feel is theirs and that they should have solved for me.
I have been dealing with them for 20 years and have been very satisfied with the service and quality. This is a bump in the road, that’s all.
I went home and started searching the Internet to see if other people have had a similar experience. After reading through your site I found a supplier of the Armour Etch and tried it.
I removed the lenses from the frame and after the first coat (5 minute wait) the lenses were cloudy. No problem, applied the second coat (5 minute wait) and the lenses were mostly clear with a few stubborn spots. Applied coat 3 (5 minute wait) and one lens was perfect and the other had 2 small spots remaining which were taken care of with a fourth application.
The lenses are now clear with a few minor scratches. I may try the polish recommended in comment #21.
My internet research also turned up a problem with the RF99 coating. I am getting the impression that this coating has known problems and that is why my optometrist is no longer using it.
Thank you Lynn for maintaining this information of your site. It is much appreciated.
DIY is an acronym for Do It Yourself.
Greg
120 Tom // Sep 9, 2012 at 5:12 pm
Worked beautifully!! Put on a heavy coat with a q-tip, using exam gloves, not hitting the frame. 5 minutes on, near an open window, rinsed under warm water and washed with Dawn, then a microfiber cloth to dry. All the haziness is gone. Just a few deep pits/scratches I didn’t expect it to fix. Will get another 6-12 months use out of them (replacement lenses would have been > $125). THANKS!!
121 Lynn // Sep 9, 2012 at 7:45 pm
Greg, first of all, thanks for commenting on your experience. I know others have had problems with their AR coating even when theirs was suppose to be the best quality stuff.
Secondly, thank you for letting me know what DIY is!!! Like I said, duh, now why didn’t I think of that?!! I know why! I spend way too much time getting answers from Google that I no longer stop to think things through for myself!!! (That’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it! LOL!)
Thanks again!
122 Lynn // Sep 9, 2012 at 7:50 pm
Glad to help, Tom, and yes we can clean our glasses with good old soap like Dawn! What will they think up next as an excuse why the AR coating peeled???
123 Sergio G. // Sep 16, 2012 at 1:56 pm
From Brooklyn, NY.
Friends, I think your collective sentencing on optical stores is somewhat unfair. Also, I think that the old saying, you get what you pay for, is actually true. What they failed to tell their customers is that there are four quality levels of lenses, and four quality levels of anti-glare coating. And there might be more in the future, I am sure. The cheapest lens is polycarbonate, also used for young people and safety hazards occupations, because it doesn’t crack in shards and kill you in an accident or a fall. But it also scratches very easily, they are soft compared to harder plastics, and the AR coating on them is usually quite cheap. I agree you should have better returns for your hard earned money.
In any case, the highest grade of lenses is the Zeiss lenses, famous German lens producers for optical high quality equipment. Nothing wrong with that, right? If people are willing to pay why shouldn’t they get amazing lenses. It’s sad, but these are the laws our way of life is based upon, you can do anything you put your mind to, the saying goes, but if you can’t afford it, or your health plan is not willing to cover them for you, you are just getting the basic plastic lenses and the s…tty coating, which looks a lot like the rainbow and doesn’t last much. Just like insurance companies don’t cover dental implants and your only option is removable dentures… not if you are a Hollywood star though.
You can always return the scratched lenses within a year, in theory you can keep going back to the same store every year for twenty-four years and have your lenses replaced for free! Just put a nice big scratch on them and show it to the store. By law they are supposed to replace them for you up to one year from the purchase, or the date of the replacement, I argue.
Going back to the lens quality, the top line lenses, the Zeiss, can only be combined with the highest quality Anti-glare coating, which is made of Teflon. I am not a rich person, but I shelled out two hundred dollars out of pocket, over what the insurance already covered, for my progressive double vision Zeiss lenses with Teflon AR coating. And one hundred dollars for the titanium frame. Save up toward that for two years, then you can do that to, my eyes are very important to me, I would never get my glasses at Walmart or Costco, you are free to do whatever you want, I go to a optical shop run by a real medical doctor of optometry, and it’s my choice the quality of lenses I want to buy. After two and a half years, the lenses are immaculate, with barely a couple of small smudges which I was able to clear away with Meguiar plastic cleaner and polish (two different bottles of product: the cleaner takes away the fine scratches, and the polish hides all the other ones left for quite a while; it was invented to refurbish abused motorcycle windshields, and it works, but it can’t take off the high grade AR, at least it didn’t seem so to me). In any case this year I am entitled to a new pair of glasses, and I am remaking the same ones, and keep the old pair as a spare, in case of emergency. I guess at some point I will want to remove the AR from them, and I will look into buying the Armor Etch stuff. Just for your info, I once did have AR coating taken off a pair of glasses belonging to a friend, they were horrible after she had been mugged (NYC…) she was fine, but she thought her glasses were totally ruined. I asked her to give them to me, and I went to my then optical provider. They agreed to take the coating off for $20, but took no responsibility on the results. It was fine, they were very clean after that, and my friend couldn’t believe it too. And I could have had a new AR coating put on them anew, I am
sure, obviously paying ($25-40?).
Lats but not least, I strongly think we are also at fault as consumers. If you have never cleaned your lenses with your t-shirt, instead of the appropriate cloth, put them down on the table upside down, or in the shirt pocket, instead of the case where they belong even at night, then go ahead, raise your hand, you are one in a million. We all do the right thing at first, but after a few month most active people won’t even know where the glasses case is, come on. That, and in which way we handle them, can make a big difference on the life span of our lenses, no matter what grade quality you have, and yes, probably the cheapest kind is very susceptible to heat, steam and other environmental hazards.
The lens outlet store is requested by law to guarantee them from scratches for one year, not that they will tell you that, or admit to it, you have to go back there and demand your replacement, don’t budge, you’ll get you pair replaced. They don’t pay for them, the lab or the producer of the lenses pays for them, because they are supposed to be anti-scratch, clear enough? (pun intended)
I guess I forgot to say that I think a good AR coating is the best thing you can have in your lenses. Just make sure they are very clean, and your windshield too, when you go driving at night… then you won’t have glare, I don’t.
I have to say, this page is being followed here for two and a half years, I think that’s amazing, and I think this is a great topic, congratulations Lynn. I hope I didn’t bore anyone with my lengthy post, but thank you all for your time reading my opinion. All the best.
124 Sergio Q? // Sep 16, 2012 at 5:48 pm
That’s right, go ahead, delete this one too. I wish yo had the guts to respond to me with real arguments, instead of hiding behind your golden child blog-site. You are promoting ignorance in people, many of the post say how they will continue to use badly scratch lenses, now that all the peeling AR coating is gone. If you can’t appreciate that there are different qualities of coatings (like everything else out there) at least you should recognize that for people that were using high-index lenses is a very bad idea to take out the AR coating, and it can be damaging for their eye’s health. High-index lenses reflect up to 50% of light, as opposed to 8% on a regular lens, so vision is actually much worse than with regular or cheaper lenses. They only work with a good coating that eliminates the glare, otherwise the user will be looking at a very impaired vision, that can cause damage in the long run, and be very dangerous to others driving at night.
Let me ask you: do you know what FYI means? Is different than DIY, is it? Let me see… No, I can’t think of what it might be! I am clueless!
Well, FYI, go read about AR coatings and high-index lenses (which are very common nowadays, not the exception) before suggesting to other people is all a gimmick to sell stuff.
Here is one of the links that explains it:
http://www.allaboutvision.com/lenses/anti-reflective.htm
And I suspect that your feminine styled glasses are fairly small in size, thus producing less glare in the back of the lenses (that’s why you don’t feel you need them) than let’s say, men’s glasses, larger and also very likely high index, which produce 6-times more glare than your lenses and become very disturbing to one’s vision.
Do you think you should make your reader aware of that? Don’t you feel responsible of eventually damaging someones eye, wearing high-index lenses without anti-glare, and encouraging them to wear scratched old lenses, which are known to deteriorate one’s eyesight?
125 Sergio G. // Sep 16, 2012 at 6:51 pm
Lynn, I am sorry I would like to take back the opening of my last message. I didn’t see my post anymore, I had to think you censored it. Which is your right to do, but I was wrongly upset. My apologies, I still stand by my convictions, good quality lenses, good quality coating, and handle with care. Thank you for the space. Best regards.
126 Lynn // Sep 16, 2012 at 7:36 pm
Sergio, for your information (yes I do know what FYI means) I am not promoting anything. I have written about my experience and other people are giving theirs, just like you.
Thank you for taking the time to write all that you did and yes I think a lot of what you say has merit. It’s always positive to give different points of view and let people decide for themselves what they think is right for them. That’s basically what I do here.
That said, there are people who have written here that have spent a lot of money on their glasses and AR coating and still they’ve had the same problem as people who have spent less.
My opinion remains the same, people should be warned by the industry that the AR coating will eventually come off with regular wear and when it does starts peeling, the glasses are practically useless.
Just out of curiosity, are you Sergio (comment #86) who has the same Zeiss lenses and Teflon AR coating and used EA creme to get it off?
127 Sergio G. // Sep 16, 2012 at 8:15 pm
No, no, sorry for the confusion. #86, he’s from Sao Paulo, Brasil. I am in NYC, the mugging capital of the world, and many other things too. But he’s the perfect example of what I was trying to say.
Let’s recap:
High index means the lenses are fabricated with a process that at the same gradation of vision prescription, whatever that might be, gives you a much thinner and lighter lens. Practically you don’t see the prescription at all. Remember when some people used to wear ‘ice cubes’ in their frames? Right, that’s what has been solved with this technology. But the drawback is that this lenses are, in a few words, less transparent than their regular counterparts, and have six times the glare of regular plastic lenses, hence the development of anti-glare, to allow more light to pass through, which is now up to 95% of the available light, let’s you see clearly, even on a foggy, rainy drive when it’s hard to see where anyone is going, and dangerous.
Now going back to Sergio from San Paolo, he using five-year old lenses, and prescription, and I don’t think those lenses were made to last this long, no matter how good they were originally. So, to congratulate him on getting even more miles out of them, is not what I would say to him.
I would ask him, doesn’t the glare drive you crazy now? And what about the actual scratches on the old lenses? Ah, they are better than they were before, I see. Well, humans can adjust to anything it seems (but the worst peeling coatings)!
Granted the finding of Armor Etch is amazing, people should think of when it’s time to go get their eyes checked again. Just like you did on that trip to the States, and went back with four pairs of glasses, for $200. That’s a very funny story, and you are a very good storyteller.
Forgive me for having taken so much room, you are a very gracious host, I appreciate your kindness, the patience with your visitors, and your good will, living abroad all these years and maybe having a little bit of a different perspective, wider than many of us. I can relate, as I am originally from another country myself. I will sure come to visit again for more entertaining stories and topics. Thank you, Lynn.
128 Lynn // Sep 17, 2012 at 6:47 am
Thanks for clearing that up! Such a coincidence that both you and Sergio were talking about the same lenses and Teflon coating! I thought maybe you moved from Brazil to Brooklyn! (You wouldn’t be the first!)
One other thing I want to point out is sometimes it takes me days to “approve” comments. Well, approve isn’t really the right word. I just make sure that the comments aren’t spam. I don’t censor anyone. I may take out an F word here or there, or I might let it stay in if I think it has literary merit! LOL!!!
Seriously, I feel that if people take the time to write, whether they agree with me or not, they deserve to be heard.
Thanks for the kind comments!
129 Sergio G. // Sep 17, 2012 at 3:07 pm
Thank you, Lynn. It was a real pleasure bumping into you on the World Wide Web!
You know wat i discovered last night? Never wipe your glasses with paper towels or any paper products, anything that is derived from wood, even the smallest fibers, is harsh and will scratch your lenses; they say that’s probably what scratched them in the first place! I had no idea, seriously!
Let me know if you ever come to Brooklyn!
All the best,
Sergio
130 Lynn // Sep 18, 2012 at 5:07 pm
Thanks for passing on the info. I’m sure a lot of us do wipe our lenses with paper towels, TP and other things that are handy! Good to know! Thanks, Sergio, will do!
131 SteelyTom // Oct 17, 2012 at 11:26 am
Thanks for the advice. I bought Armour Edge after reading favorable reviews over at Amazon. My plastic lenses are very cloudy and scratchy– some, but not all, of the scatches appear to be to the AR coating….
Anyway– I’ve made it halfway through my 3 oz. bottle, and the results seem to be very modest at best. It looks like a portion of the AR coating is removed from one of the lens; the coating on the other lens seems to be completely resistant….
I guess I’ll keep trying, but I may be in need of a fallback plan in the immediate future, alas alas.
132 Travis // Oct 17, 2012 at 6:30 pm
So the anti-reflective coating on my high-index glasses was starting to wear down, and where it was eroding it caused blurry vision. While it was still fine in the center of the lens, the problem was pretty annoying, so I stumbled on this site and others that recommended Armor Etch.
But so far the results are disappointing. After several applications, Armor Etch is indeed thinning the coating, and I see “holes” where the coating is removed entirely. But so far it has made the problem worse, now I have spiderwebs and holes in coating on the center of my lens which make my version blurry.
This was a very old pair (at least 3 years), but I was hoping that just a couple more coats would fix it. However, it seems like this is a very slow process, which is frustrating since this is my only pair and they now give me a headache
133 Travis // Oct 17, 2012 at 7:32 pm
Also, would you recommend rubbing the armor etch against the glass after it is applied? I’m thinking that might help the stubborn spots, but I’m worried about scratching the plastic.
134 Lynn // Oct 18, 2012 at 9:25 am
SteelyTom, from your comment it seems to me that the problem may not be the AR coating, but that the actual lenses are scratched. It only takes one or two coats with a Q-Tip, leaving it on for 5 to 10 minutes and then washing the lenses clean to remove the coating. Sorry to say, you may need a new pair of glasses.
135 Lynn // Oct 18, 2012 at 9:32 am
Travis, as I mentioned in my comment right above this one to SteelyTom, it doesn’t take a lot of rubbing or time to get the AR coating off. I would suggest, if you need to rub, using AE with a Q-Tip which is soft and won’t harm the lenses. Three year old glasses….it may be time to think about purchasing a new pair. Sorry I couldn’t be of more help.
136 Kris // Oct 22, 2012 at 10:00 am
Hi Lynn,
I had the same problem with my high index lenses as these last two guys. In my comment #89 , I used steam and then #2 Novus Polish and the remainder of the coatings came off completely. It may take a couple of times but it actually works well. Thanks for your excellent info here !
137 Lynn // Oct 22, 2012 at 5:36 pm
Thanks so much for your info, Kris! I’m sure SteelyTom and Travis both appreciate it and so do I!!! There have been quite a few comments here and I remembered some people talking about hydrogen peroxide, both with positive and negative results, so I didn’t mention it. I completely forgot, however, about Novus 2, but I’m sure I’ll remember your solution from now on in case AE doesn’t work for someone else. Thanks again, it’s a good alternative to AE!!!
138 Sandi // Oct 27, 2012 at 9:36 pm
Armour Etch is $7.95 w/free shipping on E-Bay!
139 Lynn // Oct 28, 2012 at 2:19 pm
Good to know, thanks Sandi!
140 Mike // Nov 29, 2012 at 12:00 am
Incredible! I used armour etch on two different pairs of high index glasses with two different types of AR coating with fantastic results. One pair took several attempts leaving the paste on as long as 30 minutes. The other pair only required two five minute applications to do the trick. No adverse effect to the lenses other than removing the coating.
141 Lynn // Dec 1, 2012 at 10:32 pm
Thanks for the info, Mike, especially for people with high index lenses who are afraid that it will do more harm than good! Glad to know it didn’t!!!
142 Bob // Jan 18, 2013 at 5:53 pm
Awesome! Armour Etch worked perfectly! Thanks Lynn! Saved over $300 with glasses only 16 months old!
143 Lynn // Jan 18, 2013 at 9:01 pm
Glad to help, Bob. It’s always nice to save money! Especially when we can use it for so many other things!
144 George // Jan 22, 2013 at 7:11 pm
A couple decades ago, I acid etched wedding glasses as a part-time job. I am very familiar with Armour’s etching cream for glass and even mirrors. After reviewing the posts on this site, I headed out to the work table with 5-year old eyeglasses with failed AR coating.
Wondering if the age of the cream created differing results and the number of cleanings required, I grabbed a full 12 oz. bottle that was purchased in 1998. The plastic bottle looks like new inside, but the cream has started to form crystals. I gave the 15-year old cream a try.
After three coatings of cream , my old PC lens glasses are clear and like new again. My only concern was for my skin, and I didn’t bother to remove the lenses from the frames. I don’t see any damage, but if metal has any type of a color or protective coating, the etching cream will surely distort and/or remove it. Cosmetic coatings are very common today. Even alloy wheels on cars and trucks have protective (paint-like) coatings on them to keep them looking good.
Readers may also like to know that Acid Etching glass is both easy and recession proof using AE and pre-cut stencils. No art talent required. I used Rub n’ Buff (many colors, silver leaf and gold leaf to finish off the etching. I’ve had a lot of fun (and profited) making fantastic gifts for weddings, anniversaries, promotions, retirements, trophies and special occasions. Lots of info online and start up is innexpensive if anyone is interested.
Thanks for making this great information available! I may use up my old inventory yet!
145 Lynn // Jan 23, 2013 at 12:00 pm
Thanks George for your expert information! I have looked at glass etching when I was in Michael’s and it does seem like it wouldn’t be too difficult to do. I wouldn’t mind trying my hand at it, but my problem is finding the time. I don’t know how old you are, but there’s a saying “time goes by faster as we get older” and, unfortunately, that saying is true!!! Thanks again and all the best!
146 Rustylizard // Feb 13, 2013 at 10:37 am
I had a slightly different problem. My AR coating was peeling off in places. I dabbed the lenses with scotch tape and it took it all off.
See a bit of glare now, when watching TV at night, but better than before.
Don’t know if this will work if your lens is just cloudy and not peeling.
147 Lynn // Feb 14, 2013 at 8:02 am
Wow! Now why didn’t I think of scotch tape? I mean everybody has scotch tape or masking tape at home. I guess if I had, I would’ve thought it would make a sticky problem that much worse. LOL! I wish I had an old pair to try it on, I mean who needs to buy AE if good old tape will do the trick!!!
Thanks so much for your comment, Rustylizard, you may have saved a lot of people money here today and you may have started a whole new thread to this conversation! Thanks again!
148 Brad // Feb 27, 2013 at 3:55 pm
Lynn…to echo the sentiments posted by those similarly afflicted with poor eyesight - poor knowledge of “eye glass store add on’s” - and the strong desire to not just buy a new pair of glasses - Thank you for this blog!!!! I have just now finished using the Armour Etch and am over the moon on the results. I had checked with my provider and was told there is nothing they could do but I am able to purchase new glasses. I just kind of lived with this until this past weekend. Dark street…Car approaching from other direction…I moved towards the shoulder as my glasses become very blurry with oncoming headlights…just barley missed a young man jogging. I had just lived with the poor glasses until I had time to get a check-up, pick new ones out and wait for them to be ready (usually a week). I’m really not that important…just lazy and procrastinating! Anyway - thanks a million and please don’t listen to the detractors…everyone needs to scream into the wind sometime…they just picked your blog to do it. Cheers and all the best!!!
149 Lynn // Feb 28, 2013 at 11:37 am
Brad, your eye glass store is singing the same tune as all the other eye glass stores. “Nothing they can do about it….except purchase new glasses.” The last pair I bought (last year) I had to tell them several times, “Make sure you don’t put AR coating on my glasses or I won’t accept them.” They didn’t, but others have told me that even when they ask not to have the AR coating put on, some places put them on anyway! (Does anyone smell a rat somewhere?!)
Funny how that AR coating was suppose to help with nighttime glare of oncoming traffic. I personally found that it had a rainbow effect that made oncoming traffic worse, but that’s just me and my bad eyesight.
I’m glad you and the jogger are both fine and you can see once again! Thanks for writing, Brad.
150 Amber // Mar 2, 2013 at 11:05 am
Lynn, I am so glad for stumbling onto this page, and want to thank you. This is my second pair of glasses with AR coating, and despite my best efforts, they’ve still scratched ridiculously. By reading this page, I’m finding out that everything I was told about cleaning and using them (alcohol-based cleaner, using a t-shirt, wearing in the shower) has been WRONG, and was likely causing the scratching!
Anyway, I have high-index polycarb glasses that scratched so bad that people constantly asked what was wrong with them. Since I already had a bottle of Armour Etch and I’m due for new glasses anyway, I figured I had nothing to lose. I tested on an inside corner with poor results, but a second application was much improved, albeit with some micro-scratches. I decided to go all in, and there’s a DEFINITE improvement to my visibility now. There are still a ton of micro-scratches all over, but I can deal with that until I’m ready to spend a few hundred on my next pair of glasses… WITHOUT the AR coating! It’s just not worth the extra money for this level of aggravation, and I can get used to the reflections.
Thanks again!
151 Lynn // Mar 3, 2013 at 11:02 pm
Hi Amber! It’s unbelievable that you would be told to use your glasses in the shower when steam actually causes the AR coating to peel! (Not to mention the alcohol based cleaner and t-shirt! I mean why didn’t they just tell you to use a brillo pad to clean your lenses?! LOL!)
Seriously, as I said in my last comment, make sure you stress that you don’t want the AR coating on your new glasses because sometimes they do it anyway even when you tell them not to! Hmm! Thanks for writing!
152 Kelsi // Mar 4, 2013 at 10:36 pm
Hey.. just wanted to report that your blog and this long thread of responses gave me the courage to try this on my glasses.
Around the holidays, I blew out a candle that was face level and the wax blew back & hit me smack dab in the middle of my left lens. Suffice it to say, my coating did not stand up to that well (but I am thankful I had glasses on, because hot wax & bare eyes? ouch)
I also asked at the eye doctor’s office to no success (”Try whatever it was you did to cause the problem to start with”) was their ‘best suggestion’.
Anyway- I bought some at Michael’s, even though the smallest bottle they had was 10 oz. Good thing for 1/2 price coupons which brought the price down to 15.00. I bought a few stencils too since I figured I’d have lots left over because why not??
Anyway- short story long (sorry!).. though not perfect by any stretch, definitely improved and will get me through till I can get new ones (when I’m no long on the unemployment line :/ *sigh*)
One thing I did was to take my lens out of the frame (purple metal frames, seemed prudent).. and test with the smallest bit I could on the edge first as the doctor couldn’t assure me what type of plastic lens there were. No damage but there are small bits of the coating still lingering. I coated, let set & used a soft brush several times; I think I’m going to give it another shot, leaving longer tomorrow.
But definitely improved so thanks to you, Lynn and to everyone whose left their ‘testimonials’. All in all, I’m quite relieved to have the wrinkled coating off my glasses!
153 Lynn // Mar 5, 2013 at 7:27 pm
Hi Kelsi, “……like yeah, why didn’t you think to blow more candle wax on your lenses to see if that would help!?” LOL! It’s crazy!!!
I do love your attitude of seeing the glass half full. I mean if you have a 10 oz. bottle of AE, why not buy some stencils and make good use of it?! From all the comments here, you’re the only person who may have fallen into a new hobby! I love it! George (comment #144) has worked with AE, but I believe he’s the only one and it was something he did before having problems with his glasses.
In any case, best of luck with your stenciling (and job hunting)! I would definitely try using AE a third time on your lenses, there have been several people who have commented here stating that there was an improvement each time they used it.
And thanks, Kelsi, for adding your experience to this post. All the best.
154 Bob // Mar 24, 2013 at 2:24 am
To Amber and others who may have the fine scratches after removing the AR and anti scratch coatings or for plastic lenses that never had either coating on them, I use Mothers Mag & Aluminum Polish on my old no coating plastic eyeglasses when they get scratched up applying with a soft cotton cloth rubbing pretty hard, sometimes I have to do it twice depending on how bad they are scratched. But all scratches are gone after buffing them clean and shiny with clean soft cloth as you would after waxing a car. Also it will get the haze off plastic headlight lenses. It was recommended by a friend and did’nt think much of the idea of using a metal cleaner/polish but it worked for me! I did try it on an old pair of drugstore plastic glasses first and was amazed. As far as using it on AR I dont think it would be good idea to say the least, but it will remove scratches from lots of plastic items even the display of my radio scanner.
Oh an thanks for all the info on the AE! I just bought new glasses from one of the cheap places online $129.00 and asked for anti scratch coating only and they came with the AR on too! Dont like it either. But not going thru the hassle of sending them back. I went to an optician to have them gradient tinted and he said because of the AR they wont tint! So I am going with the AE and hope for the best! So glad I found this site and thanks to all!
155 Lynn // Mar 25, 2013 at 12:57 am
Great timing, Bob! I was walking out of the doctor’s office with my mom a few days ago. It was windy and cold and I was hunting for the car keys in my purse when I dropped my glasses on the concrete face down and then stepped on them to boot!!! Needless to say my 7 month old lenses were completely scratched and rendered useless! I went the next day to purchase new glasses, but I will try MM&AP and see if that works. If it does, I can always keep the old ones as a backup pair! Thanks for the info!
As for the AR coating, you’re definitely not the first person to tell me they didn’t ask for it and yet it was put on anyway! (Hmm! I wonder why?!) When I went for my new pair of glasses I had to stress 3 times I did not want AR coating on my glasses and I told them if they came back with it, I would refuse the glasses. I’m glad to say they listened and didn’t put the coating on!
Thanks again for writing!
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