Removing Anti-Reflective Coating from glass lenses

 Removing Anti-Reflective Coating

Anti- reflective coatings sometimes will start to flake off your plastic lenses if you have the older type of coating.
As I type this, I'm looking through lens that are now clear as new. My progressive glasses are 3 years old and are polycarbonate, scratch resistant, UV protected with a $65  anti-reflective coating.
About an hour ago I could hardly use them and pricing new lenses were $400. When I asked the Optician about the quick deterioration of the coating ( they now offer a new and improved coating costing $135) he asked if I sweat a lot, as that can cause problems. Lately this has been true, because I have been doing spring yard work and digging a garden pond causing the lenses to deteriorate fast.

This is how I removed the coating from my lens.

1.  I took standard iodized table salt (figuring if salty sweat was effective, a salt solution might be also), poured it into a bowl of water, heated in microwave to a temp I could touch, making a dissolved salt solution.
   
2. I took bounty pick-a-size paper towels and began rubbing with the solution, keeping it nice and wet.
   
3. I intermittently washed them off with dish-washing soap to check my progress and it only took about 45 minutes. The rubbing and solution didn't scratch my lenses, but did remove the film coating. Not a bad return on my time!  
   

  

  4. The photos show the difference in the removed and remaining  coating. When I did the process of removal, I didn't take my frames off. I have zoomed to the hinge and nose and you can see where I was not able to rub the solution very well and the coating remains.

So, if your lenses have progressed to the point where you will need new ones, give this a try. You have nothing to lose, since you can't see anyway!