Sometimes all you need is a clean microfiber cloth

14 Nov 2025

Ever since the daylight savings were turned off over the first weekend of November, I have been having a hard time driving. As the sun sets earlier, my evening commutes were in the dark. Since I live in the PNW, my commutes also began involving the rain more often.

My biggest gripe with driving in dark conditions is the lights from other vehicles. Especially when oncoming traffic or the cars behind me have their brights on. And with the rain, the roads were now reflecting every photon that ever dared to touch it. Now the brake lights of the car in front of me, traffic lights, and even the streetlights on the sidewalk were becoming a nuisance.

The glares were never an issue before. Was it because I moved to the dimly lit suburbs? How do others manage those distracting light flares? Did my windshield just need to be replaced? Did my astigmatism get worse?

When I was stopped at a red light, I slid my glasses down on my nose and peered above them. The light flares disappeared! I pulled my glasses back up and they came back. I did this a few times at a few different places to make sure it wasn’t another trick of light.

The problem was indeed with my glasses. Did my new ophthalmologist make a mistake? But these glasses were based on a prescription from over a year ago. So it couldn’t be that.

The next morning, I took more care when cleaning my glasses. I noticed that the lenses had a thin layer of oil that would not come off. I used the lens cleaning liquid. I washed the microfiber cloth I use to clean my lens. I washed my glasses under warm water. I even put dish soap on the lenses (bite me!). Alas! Nothing happened. Did my optician swindle me with poor quality lenses that attracts oil? I finally used a new microfiber cloth. Lo and behold! The oil stains were immediately wiped away.

I am glad to report that the flares, starbursts, and halos did not reappear when I was driving later that evening. I still don’t like driving in wet and dark conditions, but at least the flares are no longer distracting.

In hindsight, I was quick to blame daylight savings, the city, the weather, drivers with their brights on (I still disapprove of them), my windshield, my astigmatism, my ophthalmologist, my optician, and even the laws of physics. However, in the end, all I needed was a clean piece of microfiber cloth.

Perhaps Occam’s razor looks a lot like a thin layer of something you never bothered to wipe off. Do you need a clean microfiber cloth?