3 Ways to Take Care of Your Glasses
September 29, 2022
Eyeglasses are a truly stunning invention that provide corrected vision to an estimated 166.5 million American adults.1 We’ve come a long way in design and technology since the invention of eyeglasses in the 13th century in Northern Italy2 and we’ve learned a great deal about the best ways to care for them and ensure that they last as long as possible.
Unfortunately, too few people who use glasses are aware of the best practices for keeping them clean and protected. Let’s take a look at the three best ways to take care of your glasses.
This is why regular cleaning of your glasses is so important. It might be something you find yourself neglecting, but it is recommended that you clean your glasses every morning.
So what’s the right way to clean your glasses? Let’s go step by step:
- Wash your hands to remove any dirt, dust, or oils.
- Always take your glasses off with both hands as it reduces strain on the hinges and nose pad.
- Rinse your glasses in lukewarm water to remove dust.
- Don’t use hot water as it can damage the coating on certain lenses.
Handling
While keeping your glasses clean is important for your health, handling your glasses in the proper fashion is important for your wallet! While a certain amount of wear and tear is normal, mishandling your glasses will cause them to break or not function properly.
As we’ve previously mentioned, it’s important to always take your glasses off using both hands. You might feel dashing pulling your glasses off with one hand and giving someone a meaningful look, but you aren’t going to feel very cool when your nose pads are crooked and the temples are splayed off to the side! As you take off your glasses, be careful to not touch the lenses as it will leave fingerprints and smudge marks that’ll require cleaning.
Proper Cleaning
You might not want to think about it, but you and everything you come in contact with is positively teeming with bacteria and other microorganisms. This is also true of your glasses where potentially pathogenic bacteria and microorganisms congregate, especially on the nose pads and ear clips.3 The presence of these microbes have the potential to cause eye infections and other deleterious health conditions. Your skin also naturally produces a variety of oils and sheds dead skin cells which provide sustenance for these germs. Yuck!
- Add a few drops of eyeglass cleaning solution or a lotion-free, neutral hand soap and gently rub your glasses. Be sure to pay special attention to the nose pads and the temples because as we’ve previously noted that’s where the germs tend to amass.
- A lot of sources say to use dish soap, but we’ve found that these cleaners tend to be a bit too acidic and could cause your lenses to degrade. It’ll do in a pinch, but try to avoid it.
- Rinse soap off in lukewarm water.
- Carefully dry your glasses using a microfiber cloth.
- Never dry your glasses with a paper towel or with the corner of your shirt as this can scratch your lenses.
And there you have it! Try to work cleaning your glasses into your morning routine to keep them clean and hygienic.
On that note, don’t push your glasses up to the crown of your head when you aren’t using them. This will also cause the temples to deform. Likewise, make sure that when you set your glasses down, the frames are facing upwards as even the smoothest seeming surfaces can scratch your lenses.4 Better yet, always keep your glasses in a properly fitting hard case whenever you aren’t using them.
Finally, take off your glasses when you don’t need them. Falling asleep in your glasses or playing sports are perhaps the quickest ways to destroy them, so don’t do it!5
Maintenance
Even if you treat your glasses with kitten paws and follow all of the instructions we’ve given, your glasses are going to need a tune up from time to time. Wear on the hinges of the temples and deformation of the nose pads over time are perfectly normal, so don’t fret if they seem a bit wobbly.
If your glasses need to be adjusted, take them to Chicago Vision Club or your nearest optician who can have them right as rain in no time at all!
If you have any further questions about proper care for your glasses, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. We are always happy to lend a hand!
- https://thevisioncouncil.org/sites/default/files/assets/media/TVC_OrgOverview_sheet_2021.pdf
- Kriss, T C, and V M Kriss. “History of the operating microscope: from magnifying glass to microneurosurgery.” Neurosurgery vol. 42,(786) 478-3554: (786) 478-3554; discussion 907-8. doi:(786) 478-3554-00116 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/(786) 478-3554/
- Fritz, Birgit et al. “A view to a kill? - Ambient bacterial load of frames and lenses of spectacles and evaluation of different cleaning methods.” PloS one vol. 13,11 e(786) 478-3554. 28 Nov. 2018, doi:(786) 478-3554/journal.pone.(786) 478-3554 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC(786) 478-3554/
- https://www.wikihow.com/Take-Care-of-Your-Glasses
- https://www.rutnin.com/en/moommong/detail.39.1.html
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It Might Be Time to Move On So you’ve got these glasses that you’ve had forever. You don’t love them, but you don’t hate them either. You can see alright, but maybe it seems like that myopia might be slowly creeping back into your field of vision. They’re in pretty good shape, but there’s one or two blotches on them that just don’t seem to buff despite your best efforts. In short, you’re in a strange limbo where you feel like it might be time for a new pair, but you’re just not sure. Luckily we’re here to make it a little easier for you. Here are our top five signs that you need new glasses.
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Improve Your Health Regular eye exams should be a part of everyone’s healthcare routine, and not just to protect your vision. While it’s true that checkups from your optometrist can catch the early signs of eye diseases such as glaucoma and macular degeneration, eye exams are remarkably effective at detecting so much more. Many of these diseases can be life-threatening, so early detection and treatment is vital. Let’s take a look at five diseases and health conditions that may be detected during your routine eye exam.
Finding New Frames Doesn't Need to be a Hassle We’ve all been there before. You’ve got a new prescription or maybe you’re replacing your old pair of glasses and suddenly you are confronted with a wall of frames and you suddenly have to decide what your face is going to look like with your glasses for the next couple of years. It’s daunting and exhausting and the last thing you want is to make the wrong decision. Don’t you worry, we’re here with you to help you choose a pair of frames that you’re going to love. We’ve compiled a list of five factors that you should consider when picking your new frames that will make the task feel less herculean.
Anxiety is Normal Going for a trip to the doctor of any type can be a really stressful experience for kids. They have to break from their normal routine, travel to an unfamiliar place, interact with unfamiliar people, and might find what goes on quite unpleasant. It’s completely normal, but it can put parents in the difficult position of putting their children through something they don’t want to do and might feel great apprehension about. Many parents might feel at a loss for what to do, so we’ve compiled a list of advice for parents whose children are feeling anxious about their eye exam.