Scratched, bent or loose fitting glasses are an excellent way to look sloppy. But if you aren’t into that, then proper glasses maintenance is for you.
A lot of maintenance comes down to how you handle your glasses. It can be very tempting to take your eyewear off with one hand, but this can actually stretch them out and cause the fit to loosen, making them look sloppy, not to mention cause them to slide down your nose and be a pain. When you take them off with two hands, it helps to keep them aligned properly and maintain their shape. In general, avoid anything that stretches the arms beyond the width of your face – don’t put them on top of your head, for example. If your glasses are already stretched out, consider investing in an eyeglass repair kit to tighten screws of loose arms. You can also check out your eyeglass retailer (like us!) to fix them for you. We recommend having them professionally adjusted by your optical technician once or twice a year anyway.
Wear and tear often happen while you are trying to maintain your glasses – cleaning them. Who hasn’t used their shirt to clean their lenses? The problem with this common and convenient solution is that you often have dirt, uneven fibre, or debris on your shirt that will scratch the lenses (not to mention, the clean is always smudgy). Even worse is a paper towel or tissues – these fibres are even more likely to leave you with scratches that ruin your line of vision (and others’ view of your pretty eyes). What you do need to use are the microfiber optical cleaning cloths that you probably received when you purchased the glasses. You also want to rinse the glasses in clean water, and ideally use the cleaning spray that is formulated specifically for your glasses. Use the microfiber cloth to clean each wet lens of debris and smudges. You can also breathe on them after this step to fog them, highlighting smudges that you missed, and then finish cleaning them. Of course, the first step in eyeglass maintenance happens before you ever clean them: make sure you get the anti-scratch coatings put on the lenses.
Lastly, one of the best ways to maintain your eyewear is to store them appropriately. Setting them on your bedside table beside the alarm clock often leads to them being knocked onto the ground in a bleary-eyed morning scramble to shut off the alarm. The glasses should have come in a case when you bought them – use them. It is the safest place to keep your glasses to maintain their shape and prevent scratches and damage. If you can’t use a case, make sure to keep the lenses up and away from any surfaces, and away from the edges where they can easily fall onto the floor.
Maintaining your eyeglasses doesn’t have to require a lot of time or effort, but it will extend the life of your favourite pair, and ensure you can see clearly and look good.