Cathy and I are very pleased to welcome Nanofilm to the Optical Vision Site. I have been reading 
up on the company to help me write the introduction here and found out that I should not be cleaning my eyeglasses with dish soap. Oops! M0st of you probably knew that already but not me and if I don’t know then for sure most eyewear consumers don’t have a clue either so check out the education materials about eyeglass cleaning that Nanofilm has to offer.
Are you helping patients protect their optical investment?
High tech optics deserve high-tech care. Today’s lenses are made from high-technology polymers with advanced coatings. Research shows old-style cleaning methods can cause scratches, haziness and peeling in a short time. Lens care is a “duty to inform” issue for optical professionals; studies show patients consider you their #1 information source. That’s why Nanofilm created Partners in Eye Care, a lens care education kit:
* 7-minute staff training video
* Staff educational curriculum
* 100 patient education flyers in an attractive display
* A laminated teaching card that explains damage caused by improper care
Here is some more information from the Nanofilm website to give you some information about the company:
Nanofilm’s history can be traced to the earliest pioneering of nanotechnology. In the early 1980s, Nanofilm co-founder, Dr. Scott Rickert, was already researching self-assembling thin films as part of his work as a professor at Case Western Reserve University. The company began as a spin-off of that research and was co-founded by Dr. Rickert and businessman Don McClusky in 1985. The company’s initial expertise enabled the manipulation of coatings at the molecular level to enhance the durability, clarity, ease of use and performance of transparent materials.
Nanofilm’s first commercialized product was in response to a need in the professional optical market. A new generation of high-technology polymeric eyeglass lens materials made old-style coatings and conditioners obsolete and unacceptable. Recognizing the growing need for a new approach, Nanofilm developed ultra-thin coatings to protect, enhance and condition this new breed of optical surfaces and coatings.
In tandem with Nanofilm’s ophthalmic coatings, the company developed lens cleaning, care and refresher products. In fact, the first product was launched at the request of a major optical company as a companion product with eyeglass lenses featuring Nanofilm’s coatings.
Nanofilm’s cleaner formulation receives the highest ratings in independent tests for cleaning effectiveness and 100% safety. Originally developed for and recommended by eye doctors, it’s now preferred for a variety of products:
* Eyeglasses
* Sunglasses
* Cinematography Cameras
* Medical Optics
* Binoculars, Scopes & Sports Optics
* Computer Screens
* TV Screens
* CDs & DVDs
* Displays on PDAs, MP3 Players, Cell Phones
Nanofilm optical products are sold under the Ultra Clarity® and Clarity Clean It TM brand names and also as a variety of private label brands:
* Lens cleaning sprays, towelettes and kits
* Clarity Fog Eliminator™ anti-fog towelettes
* Clarity Defog It ™ anti-fog liquid with cleaner or reusable dry cloths
* Optical accessories
Nanotechnology sets optical products apart.
Nanofilm chemists develop permanent nanofilms less than 1/1000th the thickness of a human hair. These nanofilms protect eyeglass lenses, PDA screens, telescope lenses and other precision optics. Our care and conditioning products are specially formulated by our nanotechnology chemists to clean better and more safely.
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This is sure a surprise to me that dishsoap, especially Dawn in particular, can be harmful to lenses, according to what you said Nanofilm is saying. At first blush I can see why it would be financially prudent for them to ascertain that dishwashing liquid can create problems with lenses.
I say this because I read, in a trade journal about 5 years or so ago, a study done by Colt’s industry indicating that Dawn in particular was the best product to use to clean any type of lense. This coupled with the fact that since then I, and our other employees have told countless patients through the years about using Dawn in particular, with absolutely no problems. Also, I joined in a thread on OB last year discussing the best products to use in cleaning eyeglasses, and it was generally agreed that dishwashing liquid was the best. In my recollection, Nanotechnolgy was never mentioned.
This is why, like you, I am surprised to hear that dishwashing liquid isn’t the way to go. I must say, I am still skeptical, but that is my nature, LOL
MEB, while you have had success with Dawn, the problem with dish soaps is that they are not all safe to use on eyeglass lenses. If we tell consumers that dish soaps are safe and recommend a specific type, the consumer will hear the generic term of dish soap and use whatever they have at home. But that’s tough when Dawn, for example, offers 10 different types. Why set yourself up for potential remakes and dissatisfied customers because of improper care?
Dish soaps have come a long way since the COLTS report of 1999. Dish soaps now contain conditioners for the skin (which smear a lens) and extra grease cutting agents and ammonias that can lead to damage. In fact, Dawn users recommend it for removing oily spots in garages, grease buildup on stove range hoods, and even to remove the grease from animals caught in an oil spill! Those surfaces are so very different from lenses.
And yes, lens and coating technology have too come a long way. The more advanced our lenses become, the more the demand for products developed specifically for our eyewear.
In addition to cleaners, Nanofilm formulates coatings as well. We have a thorough understanding of a lens surface and how various chemicals and materials behave on that surface when removing skin oils, mascara, hairsprays and other dirts that adhere to a lens. We continually test our solutions on a variety of lenses. In fact, recent tests showed use of Dawn was ok on some lenses, but created severe damage on others. Customer satisfaction is a goal we all strive for. It goes a long way in growing business compared to what the unhappy customer can do.
I couldn’t believe any professional organization that the industry trusts to testlens care products would make a claim for dish detergent, so I contacted COLTS. When it’s used in their labs, they dilute it with water 10 parts to 1. And they told me they’ve only used the formula with no additives. I don’t think we should expect patients to take that much care. COLTS testing certifies lens care products to be effective and safe…that’s what I use and that’s what I recommend.