The Koala cleaning kit with a pair of glasses.
Kayla Solino/ZDNET
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I’ve been wearing prescription glasses since I was a baby, so trust me when I tell you I know a lot about keeping lenses clean and protected — I’ve had over 20 years of practice.
While it may seem like you can clean your sunglasses or glasses with any old “glass cleaner,” or something as simple as soap and water, I am here to tell you that it can be a huge (and costly) mistake. Most glass cleaning products (even dish soap) can be too abrasive and harsh on specialized lenses and damage protective coatings for UV, glare, blue light, and more.
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Of course, clean at your own risk, but there is no fix for damaged lens coatings — you’ll have to pay for new lenses.
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And just like glasses, the screens on your tech products should be handled with the utmost care. Lucky for you, I’m sharing one of my best-kept secrets that can clean lenses and screens with ease — without damaging either. Meet Koala cleaner.
Koala Cleaner is my all-time favorite cleaning product for my glasses, and it has been for many years. Nothing keeps my lenses crisper or as crystal clear as Koala does, and the included K-Cloth (which is made of Japanese microfiber) is the best for cleaning. It puts dozens of other microfiber cloths I’ve used to shame, and I can always tell when I haven’t used one.
Koala cleaner is available at Amazon in a 2-piece, 4-piece, and 6-piece set, with the smallest set starting at $8 and the largest coming in at $18. I’ve purchased several iterations of these kits over the years, but the 2-piece set is a great place to start if you’re purchasing for the first time or want to try it out. Included in this kit is a 2-ounce bottle of Koala Cleaner (about 275 sprays) and a K-Cloth microfiber cleaning cloth for under $10.
The Koala cleaning kit with a pair of glasses and an iPad.
Kayla Solino/ZDNET
Koala says its cleaner is safe for glasses and sunglasses, coated lenses, electronic displays, and more. It is alcohol- and ammonia-free and made in the US. The microfiber cloth captures and holds particles and is easy to wash and reuse.
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As the lucky winner of an astigmatism in both eyes, Koala keeps my specialized lens coating intact while still scrubbing away streaks, grime, and more. And I have successfully used this cleaner on nearly every tech product I own, and it safely and effectively cleans screens, too. I’ve personally used Koala cleaner on my iPhone, iPad, MacBook Pro M3, HP Envy x360, Kindle Paperwhite, Apple Watch SE, Canon Rebel EOS T7 camera, and more. Here’s a larger breakdown of products Koala says are compatible with its cleaner:
- Glasses (premium coated, blue-light, polarized, etc.)
- Lenses (camera lenses, binoculars, telescopes, microscopes, etc.)
- Technology (VR headsets, smartphones, laptops, screens, tablets, car displays, etc.)
There are plenty of other screen cleaning options out there, too. ZDNET’s Adrian Kingsley-Hughes likes the Woosh screen cleaner — the very same product he says some Apple stores use to clean dozens of screens. Woosh advertises itself as the “only approved cleaner” for Apple products, but ultimately, that’s a market grab. Koala’s kit does much of the same thing (cleans screens), is cheaper, and is reviewed by over 57,000 customers with an average 4.6/5 star rating. The bottom line is this $8 kit works — and well.
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Here are a few general cleaning tips I like to follow when cleaning my screens with Koala cleaner:
- Don’t spray the liquid directly onto the display — spray it onto the cloth first. Then wipe.
- If there is an abrasive material on the screen — such as sand — use a soft brush to remove it.
- Wipe the entire body of your device, avoiding internal entrances like charging ports.
- Consider cleaning your device’s case according to the manufacturer’s instructions. I’m a fan of disinfectant wipes in most cases.
- Wash the K-Cloth regularly so it’s ready for next time.
Bonus tip: If you have a screen protector on any device, be sure to inspect it for cracks, breaks, or scratches. I recommend replacing a screen protector as soon as there’s a visible crack on its surface, as once it’s impacted enough to break, it loses its maximum protection.
Why I recommend this product
The Koala cleaning kit has everything I need to keep my glasses and screens smudge, dirt, and streak-free for under $10. It’s affordable and functional, and the microfiber cloth is reusable. It’s become a staple product in my kit as a lifetime glasses owner and a tech expert, and I’ve repurchased it countless times.
If you’re looking for an easy and affordable way to keep your screens and lenses clean, I highly recommend the Koala cleaning kit.
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