When investing a significant amount of money in a new pair of eyeglasses, it is likely you will want to keep them looking that way. General wear and tear can lead to a short usage period, although regular cleaning could ensure you don’t require another purchase all too soon.
Basic Cleaning Tips
The cleaning of eyewear lenses and frames is a more complex process than first meets the eye, with the spit and shirt wiping cleaning method unlikely to do the trick. Some household cleaning products and clothing fabrics can actually do more harm than good to lenses and coatings of your eyewear, so it’s important to think about a cleaning method that’s safe for use. Many specific eyeglasses cleaners and sprays can be bought for the tougher cleaning issues, with an optician able to advise on a dry or wet cleaning method relating to the type of product being used.
Rinsing the lenses under warm running water will clear away any excess dust particles gathered from a day at the beach for example, as well as improve the overall clarity of the lenses and reduce any clouded or blurring effects.
Washing the glasses with soap can help remove any further foreign bodies or irregularities arising from lenses uncleaned for an extended period of time. The soap should be a standard household dish soap, avoiding anything more potent which could damage the coating layers of the lenses.
A soft cloth can be used to wipe away the excess soap with the addition of warm water, wiping in a circular motion so as to protect the lens from scratching, while a cotton towel will dry the frames, requiring a gentle rubbing method.
A toothbrush is famous for being used as an unconventional cleaning product with its flexible bristles helping reach the hard to clean areas such as the nose pads found on conventional eyeglasses, although the lenses should be avoided as grazing may be caused.
Methods to Avoid
Ensure any cleaning products containing ammonia never come into contact with your glasses, especially if lens coating exists, as they can attack these thinly protected layers and irreversibly damage the effectiveness of the lens, while more attempts at cleaning are required to remove stains, rendering this method time consuming as well as decidedly risky.
Lenses should usually be dampened by water, as touching them when dry with your hands or cleaning objects could see dirt scratch the delicate surface, unless the problem is only dust related, whereby a lint-free cloth would likely suffice. When cleaning retro or child’s plastic specs, caution is advised to ensure that the water is not overly hot; due to the fact the plastic may become distorted.
Checking the screws prior to cleaning eyeglasses is also important due to the fact that loose screws holding the glasses together may come out, thereby preventing the heart stopping moment when a screw falls down the kitchen or bathroom sink!
Taking note of these methods should ensure that your eyeglasses will last several years as opposed to several months.
Jamie blogs about lifestyle for leading glasses on-line providers Directsight.co.uk.