A viral TikTok trend is costing Canadians hundreds of dollars in ruined eyewear.

It seems like the ultimate cleaning hack: a quick spritz of Dawn Powerwash to instantly melt away those stubborn smudges and facial oils from your eyeglasses. The trend has exploded across TikTok, with millions praising the dish spray for leaving lenses crystal clear. But optometrists and opticians are sounding the alarm on this seemingly harmless shortcut.

Why You Should Never Use Power Spray on Glasses

Standard liquid dish soap has long been a go-to for cleaning specs, but spray-on power washes are an entirely different beast. Products like Dawn Powerwash contain high levels of alcohol and powerful solvents designed to dissolve baked-on kitchen grease. When applied to premium optical lenses, these potent chemicals go straight to work attacking the delicate anti-reflective (AR) coatings.

Within seconds, the alcohol and solvents cause the microscopic AR layers to delaminate and craze. Crazing appears as a web of fine, cloudy cracks across the surface of your lenses, permanently ruining your vision clarity and rendering the glasses useless. Unlike a smudge, crazed coatings cannot be wiped or polished away.

Stick to the Basics

If you want to protect your expensive eyewear, vision experts across Canada recommend avoiding pump-action power degreasers entirely. Instead, stick to a single drop of mild, lotion-free dish soap and lukewarm water, or use a dedicated optical lens cleaner with a clean microfiber cloth. Do not let a quick viral hack turn into a costly replacement bill!

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