First-Timer Tips For Cleaning And Maintaining Your New Eyeglasses

If you have never needed to wear eyeglasses but your last trip to the optometrist has changed this fact, then it is important that you know how to care for your new glasses. If you follow simple steps to clean and maintain your new prescription eyeglasses, they will stay clear and scratch-free for as long as you wear them. To this end, here are some tips you should use to properly care for your glasses:

Tip: Always Store Your Glasses in a Hard Case

When you take off your glasses at night or to switch to a pair of prescription sunglasses, you should always store them in a hard case. Hard cases protect your glasses from becoming scratched or damaged from something being set on top of them. While soft cases are popular, they do not protect against damage as well as hard cases do.

Tip: Never Lay Down Your Glasses on Their Lenses 

When you take off your glasses, never lay them down with their lenses in contact with any surface. When the lenses come into contact with hard surfaces, they will become scratched. As the lenses get scratched, your vision will be blurred, and, eventually, you will need to replace your glasses because the damage will become too annoying to view the world through.

Tip: Use Both Hands When Removing Your Glasses, and Don't Touch the Lenses

When you take off your eyeglasses, you should use both hands and avoid putting your fingers on the lenses. While you may be tempted to remove your glasses by grabbing one ear piece and sort of peeling them off of your face, this is damaging to the frame. Touching the lenses will leave behind dirt and oil and can lead to excessive scratching. 

Tip: Clean and Dry Your Glasses Properly to Avoid Scratching

While you may be tempted to wipe your glasses on your t-shirt when they become dirty or smudged, this is the worst thing you can do. Instead, wash your glasses with plain dishwashing soap, and then dry them off using a cotton cloth. Do not wipe your glasses as you dry them; just pat them dry.

Do not use paper towels to dry your glasses because the paper fibers can scratch the lenses and leave behind lint.

Tip: Have Your Glasses Professionally Cleaned and Adjusted Every Few Months

Finally, to properly care for your glasses, you should have them professionally cleaned, tightened, and adjusted every few months. This preventative step will alert you to fix problems and other issues before they become unfixable and require a replacement pair of glasses be made.

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