A bit of card grading/cleaning advice

I have seen the question arise many times about the proper way to clean cards. Often, people will give the advice that "cleaning with T-shirt is fine." I disagree with this, and here is why:

My wife and I got new glasses back in 2005. We both got the anti-reflective coating, which is essentially a micro thin plastic layer on the outer surface of the lens. Having a microfiber lens cleaning cloth next to my desk (for cleaning cards), I cleaned my classes daily with that cloth. My wife used a T-shirt, napkins, whatever she had around...to clean her glasses.

Last year, the anti-reflective coating on her glasses began to break down to the surface of the lens. It has gotten progressively worse, and the lens is exposed in over 50% of its surface. It is quite easy to sell where it fails, as it is now reflective. My glasses have no failure in the anti-reflective coating, and I clean my lenses far more often than my wife (I am a little obsessed with it). It is obvious that the T-shirt is actually scraping part of the surface away with each cleaning, as the areas losing the coating are in the central areas where rubbing would occur in every cleaning.

I know that most people aren't going to clean the same card anywhere close to the number of times you clean your glasses. However, each swipe of that T-shirt on your gold refractor auto is taking something off the surface, and eventually that something will be a scratch. Why risk it?

My advice: Spend $5 and get a microfiber lens cleaning cloth. It's worth it.

David

+ 1.

This cloth has worked wonders on the surfaces of many of my cards, leading to better grades. Props to Dave for getting the word out.

leatherman said:

I have seen the question arise many times about the proper way to clean cards. Often, people will give the advice that "cleaning with T-shirt is fine." I disagree with this, and here is why:

My wife and I got new glasses back in 2005. We both got the anti-reflective coating, which is essentially a micro thin plastic layer on the outer surface of the lens. Having a microfiber lens cleaning cloth next to my desk (for cleaning cards), I cleaned my classes daily with that cloth. My wife used a T-shirt, napkins, whatever she had around...to clean her glasses.

Last year, the anti-reflective coating on her glasses began to break down to the surface of the lens. It has gotten progressively worse, and the lens is exposed in over 50% of its surface. It is quite easy to sell where it fails, as it is now reflective. My glasses have no failure in the anti-reflective coating, and I clean my lenses far more often than my wife (I am a little obsessed with it). It is obvious that the T-shirt is actually scraping part of the surface away with each cleaning, as the areas losing the coating are in the central areas where rubbing would occur in every cleaning.

I know that most people aren't going to clean the same card anywhere close to the number of times you clean your glasses. However, each swipe of that T-shirt on your gold refractor auto is taking something off the surface, and eventually that something will be a scratch. Why risk it?

My advice: Spend $5 and get a microfiber lens cleaning cloth. It's worth it.

David

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I think the bolded is more indicative of why her coating broke down. NEVER clean glasses with a paper based product.

Don't they usually give you a microfiber cloth when you buy glasses?

I clean my cards with the cloth they gave me for my sunglasses. So far its worked fine for me.

thefasterblade said:

Don't they usually give you a microfiber cloth when you buy glasses?

I clean my cards with the cloth they gave me for my sunglasses. So far its worked fine for me.

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Yes, and that's a great cloth I used for cards as well. The only drawback is that they are usually pretty small.

d

leatherman said:

thefasterblade said:

Don't they usually give you a microfiber cloth when you buy glasses?

I clean my cards with the cloth they gave me for my sunglasses. So far its worked fine for me.

Click to expand...

Yes, and that's a great cloth I used for cards as well. The only drawback is that they are usually pretty small.

d

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Fortunately so are cards.

And for me, I'd rather have something I can control instead of too much cloth and have it snag the corner of a card.

DaleMurphyCollector said:

leatherman said:

My wife used a T-shirt, napkins, whatever she had around...to clean her glasses.
David

Click to expand...

I think the bolded is more indicative of why her coating broke down. NEVER clean glasses with a paper based product.

Click to expand...

I had used T-shirts exclusively to clean my glasses and had the same result over time. However, in this case, I had a control experiment to see if the microfiber-only cleaning would produce a good result, and it does.

I have also seen people give advice to clean cards with tissues, as I am sure you have as well. Thanks for making that point.

With constant daily cleaning of my lenses with a microfiber cloth with no damage at all, the end result is the same: A microfiber lens cleaning cloth is a safe, and low cost, way to clean your cards.

David

Talked to BGS....according to them they clean the surface on every card they grade. The only thing they will not do is 'scrub' the surface. Just an FYI.

EricInCT said:

Talked to BGS....according to them they clean the surface on every card they grade. The only thing they will not do is 'scrub' the surface. Just an FYI.

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Very doubtfull. Since when does Beckett do housekeeping on cards that they are grading, and if that held any water at all, why do so many uninformed people get low surface grades on a card that are from finger prints?

Dave, I would trust it works for you and your glasses after all the submissions and great result you have had. Thanks for more great input.

I went to the local photography store and purchased a couple nice packs of the wipes. I got sick of using my Oakley bags. They carry them in a few different sizes to meet everyones needs. They even come in a carrying case that I use just so dust does not settle on them.

i've currently got about 5-6 cleaning cloths that have come with my various ray-bans, oakelys, and costa del mar's which i continue to keep losing... I'll have to try using them on cards if i do decide to get something graded, as they work great on sunglasses (duh...).

-Jacob

promodeltodd said:

EricInCT said:

Talked to BGS....according to them they clean the surface on every card they grade. The only thing they will not do is 'scrub' the surface. Just an FYI.

Click to expand...

Very doubtfull. Since when does Beckett do housekeeping on cards that they are grading, and if that held any water at all, why do so many uninformed people get low surface grades on a card that are from finger prints?

Dave, I would trust it works for you and your glasses after all the submissions and great result you have had. Thanks for more great input.

I went to the local photography store and purchased a couple nice packs of the wipes. I got sick of using my Oakley bags. They carry them in a few different sizes to meet everyones needs. They even come in a carrying case that I use just so dust does not settle on them.

Click to expand...

I'm going to have to agree with Todd....and call shenanigans on EricInCT!