If you've got a perfectly good glasses cleaning spray bottle sitting in a drawer or on your desk, but the cleaner itself has run out, you might reasonably wonder whether you really need to buy another complete kit.
The short answer is: no, you don't.
In most cases, if the spray bottle is still working properly, there's absolutely no reason why it can't be refilled and used again. The same goes for the microfibre cloth that probably came with it. Give the bottle a clean, wash the cloth when necessary, add fresh lens cleaning fluid and you're ready to go again.
It sounds obvious when you put it like that, but an awful lot of glasses cleaning products are still sold as complete kits, which means every time the fluid runs out you can end up buying another bottle, another cloth and more packaging that you simply don't need.
You don't need an EcoPure kit either
This is probably the most important point, because people sometimes assume that a refill has to match the brand of the original cleaning kit. It doesn't.
If you've already got a suitable spray bottle from another glasses or lens cleaning kit, you can refill that instead. The name printed on the bottle isn't what cleans your glasses; it's the quality of the cleaning fluid inside it that matters.
In fact, this is something we've noticed with EcoPure ourselves. Many people buying our refill bottles haven't previously bought an EcoPure cleaning kit at all. They already have the bottle, the cloth and everything else they need, so they're simply looking for a good-quality lens cleaning fluid to put in it.
And that makes perfect sense.
Why replace something that's still working?
A decent atomiser bottle can last a long time, so throwing it away simply because the fluid has run out feels a little like replacing your kettle because you've finished the tea bags.
Refilling what you already own means fewer bottles being used unnecessarily, less packaging and less waste. It also means you're getting more use from something that's already been manufactured and transported, rather than starting again every time you need more cleaner.
We're certainly not suggesting that one tiny spray bottle is going to save the planet, but lots of small, sensible choices do add up, and reusing something that's still perfectly serviceable is one of the easiest choices to make.
It can save you money too
There's another fairly practical reason for refilling your glasses cleaner: you're buying the thing you've actually run out of.
If your cloth is fine and your spray bottle still works, you don't really need to pay for another one of either. Buying a larger refill bottle means more of your money is going towards the cleaning fluid itself rather than another set of accessories.
That's why we offer EcoPure refill fluid in 250ml, 2 × 250ml and 3 × 250ml options. Some people only need a top-up bottle for occasional use, while others have several glasses wearers in the family, clean sunglasses regularly, use lens cleaner for cameras or simply prefer to buy enough to last for a while.
Whichever camp you're in, the principle is the same: keep the useful bits you've already got and replace the bit you've actually used up.
A refill is only worthwhile if the fluid is good
Of course, saving money and reducing waste doesn't mean much if the product you're refilling with isn't up to the job.
Glasses and lenses are things we use every day, often with specialist coatings that we don't want to damage, so the quality of the cleaning fluid still matters. A good refill should clean away fingerprints, grease, dust and everyday marks effectively, without turning the whole exercise into a battle with smears.
That's where we think EcoPure fits in particularly well. It's made in the UK as a proper lens cleaning fluid, rather than being treated as an afterthought to a kit, so whether you're topping up an EcoPure bottle or a spray bottle you've owned for years, you're still getting the same cleaning solution.
So, can you refill your glasses cleaning spray bottle?
Yes, and in many cases it's probably the most sensible thing to do.
If the bottle still sprays properly, the cloth still does its job and all you've run out of is cleaning fluid, you don't need to start again with another kit. Refill what you've got, reuse it for as long as you can and only replace it when it genuinely needs replacing.
It saves waste, it can save money and, most importantly, you don't need to own an EcoPure kit to benefit from an EcoPure refill.
Sometimes the simplest option really is the best one.