Cleaning/Maintaining X-Metals

[ProjectCM3]

Hi everyone!

As I'm looking at expanding my Oakley collection (fan since forever, but only now able to actually afford what I want) I'm wondering how do you all clean/maintain your X-Metals? And not just the lenses, but the frame and rubbers as well

Warm water, cold water, any soap? Also, does that affect Iridium coated lenses in any way?

Lastly, do you guys use the Oakley Lens Cleaner on the frame/rubbers aside from just the lenses, or is that a big no-no?

Thanks in advance!

 

[dingo ate my baby]

Sunglasses hut and Oakley are cleaner the same . I use on rubber and frame all the time no soap! Never use your t shirt .Do not wash bags in washer, hand wash..

 

[kronin323]

The advice in this thread also applies to x-metals:

How To Properly Clean Your Oakley Glasses | Oakley Forum

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[ProjectCM3]

Thanks guys! Great thread indeed, but I am still a bit confused on 2 points:

- is hand sanitizer ok for unobtanium bits or no?

- a member said that magnesium frames are different and require special cleaning vs. the soapy bath + rinse + air dry and the finally cleaner wipe.

I'm also concerned on the iridium finish. Won't it rub off with all the cleaning, washing, etc?

Thoughts? Thanks again for the help and info!

 

[kronin323]

Hand sanitizer - some debate about that but yes, it's ok. It's better for lubing the earsocks when you take them on/off than for cleaning, though.

The mag frames have a ceramic coating to protect them from corrosion. It's a bit of a fail; the coating comes off and the finish corrodes. You really got to keep them clean, but IDK about anything special other than soap and water.

If you use the Oakley lens cleaner and clean MF bags, your iridium should be fine. Using dirty bags or other cleaning cloths can leave swirls. Also some 3rd party cleaning fluids are too harsh.

But however you do it, leaving glasses dirty will corrode and damage over time.

 

[ProjectCM3]

Hand sanitizer - some debate about that but yes, it's ok. It's better for lubing the earsocks when you take them on/off than for cleaning, though.

The mag frames have a ceramic coating to protect them from corrosion. It's a bit of a fail; the coating comes off and the finish corrodes. You really got to keep them clean, but IDK about anything special other than soap and water.

If you use the Oakley lens cleaner and clean MF bags, your iridium should be fine. Using dirty bags or other cleaning cloths can leave swirls. Also some 3rd party cleaning fluids are too harsh.

But however you do it, leaving glasses dirty will corrode and damage over time.

Indeed. I started washing my X-Metal/Ice Iridium Juliets in a soap wash a few years ago and they come out great. I was always worried however on what this might do to the Iridium coating. The frame comes out looking awesome though! And like a lot of folks in the thread you provided me with said, many times I feel like the Oakley Microfiber Bag spreads the oil on the lens more than it cleans it... I feel like I need to do 2-3 spray, clean, dry session for them to truly be oil-free. This of course if I don't give them a proper bath.

As for the Mag Switch, I've posted up a WTB in the Exchange and Pjam23 offered to sell me his Carbide/Black. I was initially attracted to them because of the Magnesium, and then the style IMO is just fantastic! But after reading up on them, like you said, they are super finicky and fragile. I still want a pair and I may buy the pair that Pjam23 is offering but I'm also wondering if anyone knows of someone who does ceramic coatings? I was thinking the X-Man Mark but it sounds like he hasn't really done all that many. "I'll coat anything" is what he replied with, but I'm worried it'll change the overall look of the frame too much? Have you seen or heard of Mag Switches getting extra Ceramic Coatings here on the Forum? I don't want to keep spinning up threads asking different questions all relating to Mag Switches, but instead trying to snipe bits and pieces of info here and there.

I'm just so glad to have found this Forum, it's amazing, it really is!

 

[xmetalmaniac]

Don't use soap to clean your lenses. There is micro abrasives in the detergents that will scratch lenses. Don't wash the microfiber bags with soap either. I usually wash mine in bottled water then wring them out and allow them to dry.

 

[joecool862]

Don't use soap to clean your lenses. There is micro abrasives in the detergents that will scratch lenses. Don't wash the microfiber bags with soap either. I usually wash mine in bottled water then wring them out and allow them to dry.

I didn't know this! I've been washing the bags with soap... How are you supposed to get the oil out of them if you can't use soap? Rinsing them under the water is enough?

 

[RoTors]

I have been wondering about using this to clean the microfiber bags and cloths

Haven't done it yet but wondering if any members have used microfiber cleaners to wash the MF bags?

 

[ucdavis4PT0gpa]

Well.....I'd been using SoftSoap on my microbags and lenses for decades and I have lenses that are 15 years old and look brand spanking new- but I've evolved somewhat with time and moved away from soap. Now I wasn't initially thrilled with Oakley lens cleaner (and its SGH equivalent) as I wasn't really certain it provided enough lubrication to clear dirt/dust when cleaning on the fly. And I still don't. BUT----I've never cleaned on the fly- if a lens is dirty/sweaty, until I can do my at home process on it, I grab another pair. At this point for X-Metal frames, lenses and microbags I use the lens cleaner in place of soap in that process as itts nothing but an isopropanoI (rubbing alcohol) and water blend so from a solvent/cleaning perspective it gets the just done without abrasives

Basically its cold water over the frame and lenses, shake excess, spray cleaner on frame, rub, rinse, shake, spray cleaner on lenses, rub, rinse, shake, pat dry with microfiber, rub dry with old school Oakley microbag (the silk-like ones). For cleaning microbags, I soak in cold water, wring, saturate with cleaner, rub together, rinse, dry.