6 Best Practices When Wearing and Caring for Your Eyeglasses

Prescription glasses not only help you read better, but they also represent a significant investment. Not all eyeglasses are the same, so if you have prescription lenses, it may cost you both time and money to have them replaced.

The best reading glasses are hard to come by, so you might also want to ensure that you keep your pair safe and sound. Neglect, oversight, and even incorrect cleaning habits can damage your spectacles.

To ensure that you maximize (or even extend) their lifespan, follow these six best practices when wearing and maintaining your eyeglasses:

1.   Use the right cloth to clean the lenses.

The lenses are arguably the most important part of your prescription glasses. Because they are custom-made for your specific eye grade, it may take time to replace them, so you have to make sure that you don’t do anything that may cause even a tiny scratch on them.

Wiping is the most common lens cleaning method people use. But when doing so, the use of shirt sleeves, tissue paper, or some random piece of cloth you picked up in your home is discouraged by eyewear experts.

It doesn’t matter if they feel soft on your skin; these materials have textured surfaces that may leave marks on the lenses. The fibers in some types of fabric may also leave markings on the surface when used too frequently. They may also have dirt and other small residue that could end up getting transferred to the lenses.

To avoid all these, make a habit of using microfiber cloths for your eyeglasses instead.

Microfiber cloths are deemed as “the ultimate cleaning tool.” They work best for cleaning glossy surfaces like glass because they are made from ultra-fine fibers that form asterisk-like structures that grab just about anything – from the smallest speck of dirt or dust to hard-to-clean oil and grease residues.

This is why most glasses sold in the market – prescription or otherwise – like those from the Al Jaber Optical eyewear collection come with a tiny piece of this material along with a protective eyewear case.

2.   Don’t be afraid to rinse them.

Not everyone knows this, but rinsing your eyewear is actually considered the best and most thorough way of cleaning them.

Make a habit of rinsing your glasses off with tap water before washing with a cleaning solution or wiping them down. Even if particles that are too small for the naked eye settle on the lenses, you’ll be able to remove them better by rinsing than dry wiping.

3.   Perform periodic deep cleaning.

Glasses also need occasional deep cleaning. To do this, simply bring your eyeglasses over to the sink and hold them under running water. The water should be at room temperature or warmer – never cold.

Then, use a gentle cleaning solution to wash the lenses, preferably those made for this sole purpose (more on this later). This could help get rid of any impurities that may not be easily removed by running water.

Rinse the glasses carefully and make sure that no soap residue is left on the lenses. Look at them more closely to see whether you’ve gotten rid of all the dirt or soap. If they still look a bit dirty, repeat the process and use a lint-free or microfiber towel to dry it off.

4.   Only use an optical-grade cleaning solution.

When cleaning your eyeglasses with a chemical solution, be sure that you only use those specifically made for eyeglass lenses. Avoid using common household cleaners and sprays, especially those containing ammonia, as these can tear off the lenses’ coatings.

Also, never use nail polish removers for this purpose. These products are made to remove nail polish and contain acetone, which has been found to be destructive for the glass lenses and plastic frames if left to sit for too long on the surface.

Saliva is also a big no-no. No matter how desperate you are to rid your spectacles of dirt, you must never resort to using your own saliva to clean off any smudge on the lens.

If you do, you’re only spreading germs from your mouth all over the lenses. Plus, saliva can leave the smudges looking worse instead of better, so it’s best not to do it.

Also, take note that drying off your glasses by wiping won’t always leave you with clear lenses, so you have to air dry them whenever you can. This will also ensure that lint, dust, and other small particles won’t stick to the lenses.

5.   Hold your glasses firmly and properly when cleaning.

All too often, eyeglasses break during the cleaning process. The common reason? They slipped from the wearer’s hands or they were bent due to mishandling.

To make sure this doesn’t happen while you clean your eyewear, be sure to hold the frames firmly by the bridge – the part where the nose pads are attached. This will also prevent you from bending the frames as you keep them secure in your hands.

You’ll also want to be more careful about how you put down your glasses. Never set them down on a surface with the lenses facing down as this would only lead to scratches.

6.   Keep eyewear in proper storage when not in use.

Many people place their reading glasses over their heads or tucked into their collar, but these situations may lead to accidents that can damage the eyewear.

Instead, always keep yours in the correct container. Not only does this keep the eyewear free of dirt, but it also reduces the chances of breakage.

If you’re not keen on carrying around the bulky eyeglass cases that came with your spectacles, you can buy sleeker ones to put in your bag or microfiber pouches for your nightstand or desk. It would also be best to keep backup storage cases just in case.

Of course, you should never just toss your glasses inside their container and forget about them. The glasses should be placed inside the case carefully with the lenses facing upward. Putting your glasses the other way around would likely result in nasty scratches on the lenses.

Help Your Glasses Keep Your Vision Clear

Eyeglasses, whether corrective ones or the kind used for reading, need to be regularly cleaned to ensure that they achieve their purpose. Help them help you see more clearly by following these best practices for wearing, cleaning and caring for them.

AUTHOR BIO

Firas Saab is the Training Manager at Al Jaber Optical in Dubai, the leading optical and eyewear company in the UAE that offers a comprehensive range of eyewear and optical services across the board, through a wide range of modern optical products and facilities. Firas is an enthusiastic trainer with more than a decade in the retail and optical industry and has recently acquired HND in Business and Management in addition to his Optical qualifications.