Considering how expensive eyeglasses are these days, you're going to want them to last longer before you need to buy another pair. Cleaning eyeglasses properly and regularly can help to prolong the life of the lenses. There are a number of ways to safely clean an eyeglass lens, but the real advantage of some of them is that you can find all the materials you need right in your own bathroom or kitchen.

Hold your eyeglasses by the frame between the thumb and forefinger of one hand. Try not to put too much pressure on the frames as you clean the lenses.

Rinse both sides of your eyeglass lenses with cool tap water before you clean them. This will remove dust and any other tiny particles that might scratch the lenses as you are cleaning them.

Use regular toothpaste to clean and polish eyeglass lenses. Do not use a gel formula toothpaste or one to which a mint flavor or whitening ingredients have been added. Some whitening toothpastes contain low abrasives. Toothpaste can also be used to remove minor scratches from an eyeglass lens.

Rub the toothpaste on the inner and outer surfaces of each lens with a nonabrasive cloth made of cotton or soft wool. A microfiber cloth works particularly well to clean eyeglasses. Lightly rub the cloth using small, circular motions. Continue buffing lenses gently for about 10 seconds.

Rinse off the toothpaste with lukewarm water, and then wipe dry with a soft, clean, lint-free cloth.

Repeat the process again if you are trying to remove stubborn scratches. Eyeglass lenses that have an anti-scratch coating may make it more difficult to reach the scratch.