Many of us wear glasses and sunglasses. However, most of us don’t know how to properly care for them, or have developed bad habits contrary to what we were told when we bought them. Read on for some helpful reminders and new advice on how to protect your investment and your vision, whether you are wearing prescription glasses or sunglasses.
Putting Them On
Use both hands when putting on and taking off your glasses to avoid twisting or misaligning them. When you put them on, gently grasp the frame arms of your glasses with equal pressure and carefully slide them on, lifting them over your ears. Use the same grip to remove them, sliding them up and forward.
Storage
Make sure not to store your frames in any place but a properly sized case. Leaving them on your head can stretch and misalign them. Leaving them on a sink in the kitchen or bathroom can leave them covered in germs, which will then transfer to your face and eyes. Leaving them on the ground, on the floor, or in bed is an absolute no-no, as anyone who has had his or her only pair of glasses crushed can attest!
Lens Care
One simple maintenance technique can be the most oft-forgotten: washing and cleaning your lenses. The small pieces of grit and dirt that our glasses encounter just from being on our faces can make tiny scratches on your lenses, and over time, these scratches can begin to affect your overall ability to see through your glasses and sunglasses.
To clean the lenses, gently wash them with warm water and a gentle soap to remove any surface dirt. Polish them dry with the cloth they came with; other materials can scratch the surface. If you don’t have the right cloth, you can easily get one from your local eyeglass retailer.
Check the Condition
Frequently check your frames to see if they are misaligned, and to test for loose screws in the frame arms. If the eyeglass frames look twisted, or if your lenses seem to ride unevenly on your nose, get them adjusted as soon as you can.
Don’t Try to Repair Them Yourself!
Eyeglass adjustments are typically offered as a free, quick service from most optical retailers, so there is no shame in asking for one! As your frames may contain several small, delicate pieces that can be easily snapped if one doesn’t know the correct procedure, it’s not a good idea to try to fix or adjust your frames on your own.
Keep An Eye On It
Any eye doctor will tell you that proper eyeglass frame alignment really is critical for your vision to be at its best if you wear prescription glasses and sunglasses. The correct part of the lens needs to align properly in front of the eye for ideal vision correction.
Des Taylor is Senior Vice President of Merchandising of Eyeglass World, a nationwide eyeglasses superstore. With over 60 superstores across the country, Eyeglass World is one of the industry’s leading eyewear chains. Each Eyeglass World location has a lab in-store which allows them to fill prescription eyeglasses in the same day in most cases. Learn more about prescription glasses at https://www.opticalcanada.com