Now that you have your new glasses, do you know how to properly take of them? Other than storing your glasses in its protective case when you’re not using them, there are actually some additional small, but important details to do to prolong the life of your new glasses.
They only take a couple of seconds to practice, and the only difficult part is to make them a habit.
From my personal experience of following only these 4 tips, I was able to prolong the life of my glasses from four years ago to use them as a current backup pair of glasses now that I got a new pair.
Here are 4 tips you can do to take care of your new glasses.
Tip #1: Use proper cleaning cloth
I know that it may be tempting to use the end of your shirt sleeve to clean your lenses, but this unfortunately puts your lenses at risk for minor scratches from particles that might have gotten stuck on your sleeve.
Your cleaning cloth provides a softer medium when cleaning your lenses, decreasing the chances of scratching your new lenses.
With every new glasses purchases from Bright Vision Optometry, we make sure that your glasses case is properly equipped with its own cleaning cloth.
Pro-tip: If your cleaning cloth becomes dirty, simply hand wash the cloth and reuse!
Tip #2: Use proper cleaning solution
Glasses lens that have an anti-reflective coating on them, we also give you an additional lens spray to protect the coating of your new lenses. This protective layer helps to repel dust and water, and if improperly cared for, can result in peeling, streaking or crazing.
Yup anti-reflective coating crazing is a real term. You want to make sure that your anti-reflective coating is protected by spraying it with the proper lens spray before wiping it down with your lens cloth.
Pro-tip: Do not use commercial glass or household cleaners like Windex. They are not chemically compatible with lenses treated with anti-reflective coating.
Tip #3: Use both hands
When taking your new glasses off your face, it is best to hold your frames on both sides of the temples before putting them back in its case. Avoid taking off your glasses with only one hand, this will increase stress on that side of the glasses and eventually that side will become loose.
If a case is unavailable, placing them upside down with the top of the frame resting on the counter top will minimize the chances of scuffing the lenses. Just remember, use both hands!
Pro-tip: It sounds obvious but take off your glasses before going to bed. Sleeping in glasses can result in misalignment and bent glasses in the morning or even worse your glasses temple breaking off. This is the most common reason for broken glasses frames we see at Bright Vision Optometry.
Tip #4: Don’t leave glasses in car
For those who use your glasses only for driving, be sure to take them out of your car when you’re not using them! We have noticed many incidences where glasses have been left in the glove compartment of the car in the hot summer weather, which has a detrimental effect on the anti-reflective coating, causing it to peel and streak.
The weather may be cooling down in Southern California now, but the SoCal sun is still strong and can heat up the inside of your car to extreme temperatures. High heat will soften the plastic material on glasses frames. This can alter the fit, loosen the hinges and even expand the frame causing the lenses to become loose or even pop out.
Pro-tip: If you purchased your glasses at Bright Vision Optometry, we’ll be more than happy to use our special ultrasonic cleaner to deep clean your glasses. Or if you feel like your glasses are not sitting on your face correctly, stop by and let our trained optician help you with your glasses adjustment.
Are you due for a new eye exam? Schedule online today: clicking here!
The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions
