Since the pandemic began I've been asked on several occasions if I advise buying a UVC light sanitising machine for glasses, and I often see them advertised on social media', says Daniel. This is because plenty of shop-bought soaps contain similar surfactants to those present in washing up liquid, and it's difficult to tell which ones contain them. Best to play it safe and steer clear altogether. Window and glass cleaner sprays are the go-to for cleaning glass and mirrored surfaces around your home, so why not the glass that you wear?

Household glass cleaners tend to smear when used to clean spectacles, and some of the chemical ingredients will also wear away the varnish on your frames, so they're not recommended,' advises Daniel. Even if UVC light is an effective sanitiser for your glasses, it won't remove any grease or dirt from them, so they're still limited in their usefulness.'

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The ingredients in household cleaners aren't designed with reading glasses and sunglasses in mind, and they're as damaging as they are ineffective at cleaning them. Hand sanitisers with an alcohol content of 60% or more are recommended for use by the World Health Organisation (WHO), so it's likely that any hand sanitisers you use on your hands will be harmful to your glasses. Some wipes are also alcohol-based and are advertised for use on your phone or laptop screen as well, but the alcohol in those wipes is too aggressive for your glasses and will end up causing damage.

Some clothing materials, especially wool, are just too abrasive for cleaning glasses. Even if the clothes are clean they could still scratch the surface of the lenses. 5) Saliva

If you do want to clean your frames using soap, make a lather with the soap in your hands and apply that to the frames before rinsing them off with lukewarm water and drying them carefully afterwards. 8) UV light

It might sound rather obvious, but if you're using a spray of any kind you must also remember to take your glasses off first. I've seen plenty of people who've hurt themselves because they forgot to take their glasses off before spraying them.' 4) The corner of your clothesWhile there are some studies that say UVC light can be effective at viral cleaning, the College of Optometrists and the Scottish Government conducted an evidence review on this topic and weren't convinced. Alcohol is an aggressive chemical which with repeated use will erode both the lens coatings and the frames of your glasses. This is the best option,' advises Daniel. 'Most optometrists will supply you with a bottle of lens cleaner and a microfibre cloth when you first get your glasses, so most people start off with the best option to hand already.' The cloths are cheap or sometimes free to replace, but the most sustainable route is to buy a microfibre cloth that's machine-washable.' They're also quite expensive as there's an ongoing cost for them,' says Daniel. 'When used sparingly, however, they are handy for scenarios such as travelling, where it's more convenient to have something you won't have to keep with you once you've used it.'