Cleaning Your Glasses Doesn’t Have to Be Difficult or Time-Consuming
You’re taking all the right steps: you’ve had your annual Beaumont Vision Eyecare exam, you’ve gotten your prescription, and you’ve picked out the perfect frames. Proper eye care is an important investment we all must make, so it follows that properly caring for and cleaning our glasses is an important part of maintaining that investment.
With that in mind, then, what are the best methods and products for properly caring for and cleaning your glasses? Read on to find out.
Important Basics for Proper Care of Your Glasses When You’re Not Wearing Them
While washing and drying your glasses is a multi-step process and probably the most involved of all glasses care practices, there are other important basic protective measures you should practice to keep your glasses in optimum condition when you take them off.
When you take your glasses off, always place them with the lenses facing up to keep the lenses clean, as well as free from particles of dust or dirt that could scratch them. If you’re taking your glasses off to transport them somewhere, make sure you use a hard-sided carrying case to maintain the integrity of the frames and arms, as well as the lenses.
Additionally, to keep the frames and arms in the configuration they were in when you received them, never rest the glasses on your head to avoid stretching out the frames.
Stretching out the frames will result in poorer than optimal alignment of the glasses frames, which may not only affect the way your glasses look when they rest on your nose, but could also negatively impact your ability to see.
When Washing Your Glasses, Start With Clean Hands
The first step in proper care and cleaning of your glasses is proper cleaning and drying of your hands. AllAboutVision.com points out that any dirt, oil, or residue on your hands will be transferred to your glasses, making them dirtier and even possibly scratching your lenses.
So, to start cleaning your glasses, lather up and dry your hands thoroughly, making sure to use a lint-free cloth to avoid transferring any lint to your glasses.
Never Try to Clean Dry Glasses
That dust and dirt that you’re trying to clean off can scratch your lenses if rubbed in. To avoid this, rinse your glasses in warm tap water – don’t use hot water as it could damage any coatings your glasses may have – to eliminate as much debris as possible before cleaning.
Dish Detergent Will Do When Cleaning Eye Glasses
Leading publication Consumer Reports has polled leaders in the eye care industry to get their insights into eyeglass care do’s and don’ts, and the consensus is that lens cleaners “have no great advantage over liquid soap.”
A drop of your regular dishwashing detergent in warm water does a very effective job of cleaning your glasses. Once your glasses are rinsed, add a drop of dishwashing detergent. Using a soft, lint-free cloth, wipe down all parts of your glasses—both sides of the lenses, the nose pieces and the arms.
Rinse Your Glasses Well and Avoid Lint
Once you’ve lathered up your eyeglasses, rinse them well under warm water. A thorough rinse is just as important as the washing process, because any soap that remains on your lenses will leave smears when it’s time to dry them. And speaking of drying, always dry your glasses with a lint-free cloth to make sure you have crystal-clear visibility.
Keeping your glasses clean is an important step towards good eye health, as are regular professional eye exams. To schedule your exam with the trusted professionals at Beaumont Vision, contact us now.