5 tips for proper eyewear maintenance
Both prescription glasses and sunglasses are a very important accessory. Given the crucial role they play, which is to protect our eyes, they must be treated in the best possible way.
Glasses are an essential part of many people’s daily lives, whether they are used to correct a visual defect or to complete their look. However, many people tend to consider them as an accessory to use and forget, without paying attention to their maintenance. This attitude can cause scratches on the lenses, breakage of the frame, accumulation of dust and dirt on the lenses. These problems can affect the quality of vision and cause eye discomfort.
In this article, we will find out what are the most effective ways for proper eyewear maintenance.
5 tips for proper eyewear care
The maintenance of glasses requires a lot of care and attention, both when cleaning them and when they are placed in the appropriate containers.
Below are useful tips for proper maintenance of glasses.
Using glasses
The first precaution to take care of your glasses is their use. They are often so much a part of us that we treat them without attention, forgetting their incredible fragility. But it is precisely from the way we hold the glasses that proper maintenance must start .
The frame must always be taken with both hands, both to remove them and to put them on.
When we put glasses somewhere, we must be careful that the lenses do not rest on the plane where we place them.
Glasses should never be forgotten near heat sources (car dashboard, radiator, stove), because the frame could deform and the surface of the lenses could be altered.
If you usually use hairspray, it is advisable to remove your glasses, as these substances can damage the lenses. The same goes when you drain pasta or open a very hot oven: steam can ruin the lenses of your glasses.
Daily cleaning of glasses
Many mistakes are often made, underestimating the importance of this simple gesture. To clean glasses , the wrong materials or materials harmful to the lenses are used, starting with handkerchiefs.
Scratches on the lenses cannot be removed. Consequently, if, due to superficiality or haste, the wrong tools are used, you may be forced to have to change glasses. The ideal way to clean the lenses is to use microfiber or suede cloths , which, in addition to not damaging the surface of the lenses, remove dust, grease and moisture.
You can also wash your glasses under running water, which is not too hot, by adding hand soap with a neutral PH.
After washing your glasses, it is essential to remove excess water very gently and dry them with microfiber or suede cloths.
Microfiber cloths are an excellent choice for cleaning glasses, because they effectively dry the lenses, removing and trapping dirt and oils. Be sure to wash your microfiber cloths frequently without using fabric softener.
Ultrasonic cleaning
To these daily precautions, it is possible to add a good cleaning every six months through ultrasonic immersion. This is a service that you can easily ask your trusted optician and that ensures intensive and effective cleaning. This intervention is able to give any type of lens a renewed and shiny appearance.
Storing glasses
It is not possible to wear glasses twenty-four hours a day. For this reason, for their proper maintenance, it is necessary to identify the correct places to store them when they are not in use.
The first place, the most natural, is their case which must ensure the glasses adequate protection from dust and “polluting” agents.
In case you don’t carry the case with you, then you have to place them with the lenses always facing upwards. But if the “put on and take off” is very frequent, then you have to think about a chain for glasses, which is also very useful in order not to lose them.
Remember not to keep your glasses near sources of heat or intense cold , avoiding placing your glasses on metal surfaces or on plastics exposed to the sun. Any thermal variation can damage both the frame and the material from which the lenses are made.
Maintaining the mount
It’s not just the lenses that need cleaning and maintenance, but also the frame. It doesn’t matter what material it’s made of (plastic, steel). It is necessary to clean it periodically, using, for example, a soft-bristled toothbrush, with which to clean, in particular, the plastic parts and eyelets.
Also be careful with the side screws, because they tend to loosen with use. Before they come off completely and drop your glasses, it is helpful to tighten them with a small screwdriver.
What mistakes should not be made when cleaning glasses?
There are some common mistakes that are made with the aim of cleaning the glasses in a few moments but they risk ruining only the lenses. These are:
- Do not use the sleeve of your sweater to clean your glasses. The fine fibers of the fabric can permanently scratch the lenses.
- Do not use saliva to wet the lenses. It is unhygienic and, quite simply, does not clean the glasses.
- Avoid household glass cleaners. Such products have components that can damage the lenses and ruin the finish.
- Avoid using paper towels, tissues, or toilet paper to clean the lenses. The pulp in tissues and wipes can scratch the lenses or leave them lint-free.
