Second to your physical health, taking care of your eyes is just as important to your overall well-being. Believe it or not, possessing good vision is an integral part of living a healthy lifestyle. Whether you pay into the hundreds for your eye care, or a little less, the most important thing is knowing how to carefully care for your prescribed eyeglasses. Without the proper care, repeat visits to your optician may be far more frequent than you desire. So for the purpose of saving you time and money, here are a few tips on how to properly care for your eyeglasses.
Storing Your Eyeglasses
The majority of damage done to eyeglasses can be directly linked to how they are stored. Here are some tips for properly storing your glasses:
1. Always store your eyeglasses out of the reach of children and pets.
2. Never lay your glasses face down on their lenses.
3. Always store your glasses in the eyeglass case provided by your optician.
4. Store your eyeglasses in a place safe from being trampled or stepped upon.
Cleaning Your Eyeglasses
Keeping your eyeglasses clean is just as important as how and where you store them. Here are some suggestions on how to properly clean your glasses:
1. Rinse your glasses under running water to remove any particles that can scratch the lenses. Using an eyeglass spray or cleaner provided by your optician, rub over the lenses and frames with your fingertips. Rinse the glasses once more, then dry in a circular motion with a soft cloth.
2. Rub a couple of spots of vinegar on each eyeglass lens and wipe off with a soft cloth. In addition to breaking down stuck on dirt and grime, the vinegar breaks up grease and oil that comes from your skin.
3. Dip your glasses in a sink full of warm soapy water and swish them around for several seconds. Remove them, rinse them with running water, then dry them with a soft cloth.
4. When cleaning anti-reflective coated lenses, it’s best to only use products that your optician recommends. In addition, to prevent severe scratching, always wet the lenses with the solution provided prior to cleaning with a soft cloth.
5. Gently clean the nose guards with a soft toothbrush and warm dish soap and water. Be careful not to scratch the lenses of your glasses.
Repairing Your Eyeglasses
Every so often, you’ll find it necessary to get a quick repair or adjustment made on your glasses. Although there are several eyeglass repair kits available on the market today, these should only be used for simple fixes such as a loose screw, or a missing nose guard that can easily be replaced. Any other adjustments and fittings should be done at your local optician to ensure that the job is properly done. Eyeglasses can be quite expensive, but if you take proper care of them, they’ll take proper care of your eyes for a long, long time.
Sara Roberts writes for Just Eyewear, an online eyeglasses retailer. She writes about current trends in glasses frames, eyeglasses tips, and more.