Some Important Tips for Cleaning Eyeglasses – Dos and Don’ts
If you wear eyeglasses, you know how essential they are to you every day. Quality eyeglasses are quite an investment, making it vital for you to care for them as you should. Plus, you know all too well how irritating it is to have grit or dirt stuck on your lenses. You might also have headaches and eye strain because of dirt and grit on the lenses.
It may create a perfect environment for bacteria to grow if you infrequently clean your eyeglasses. You might get an infection by spreading bacteria in sensitive areas where the eyes and the nose are close.
That’s why you may need to know how to care for your eyeglasses. Our optometrist near you has come up with several nuggets of wisdom that will help you learn how to care for your eyeglasses.
How to Care for Eyeglasses
Here are some important tips for cleaning and caring for eyeglasses:
The Dos
1. Wash Your Hands
Your hands touch many surfaces, which often have microorganisms. Therefore, your fingertips will almost always have microbes on them, even when you think they are clean. The microbes could easily be transferred to the frame and lenses of your eyeglasses.
So, wash your hands using an antibacterial soap before cleaning your eyeglasses. The soap will remove not only the microbes but also the oils that are naturally on our skin that you transfer to your eyeglasses.
The oils and dirt can cause smudges or scratches on your lenses that could damage them.
2. Use Both Hands
Whenever you remove your glasses, ensure that you use both hands. If you use one hand, you can cause the frame to be misaligned or even break. Also, don’t place them over your head since this will cause the frame to bend or stretch.
3. Rinse Your Glasses Under a Gentle Stream of Water
When you rinse your glasses under a gentle stream of tap water to remove dust and debris, if there’s hard water in your area, you will need to use distilled water instead. It can also help you clean your glasses without scratching them.
4. Use a Microfiber Cloth to Clean and Wipe the Lenses
The microfiber cloth is designed to clean the eyeglasses without scratching them. A microfiber cloth is the most effective tool to guarantee that your glasses are clean and have no smudges or scratches.
5. Spray Cleaning Solution on the Lenses
The cleaning solution is quite effective in ensuring that your glasses remain clean. If you don’t have the cleaning solution, use a lotion-free dishwashing liquid. However, use it sparingly since they are very concentrated. In fact, just a drop on each lens is more than enough. Gently rub it over, then rinse the lenses.
6. Rinse Both Sides of the Frame and Lenses
If you fail to remove all the traces of soap, your lenses will be smeared when you dry them. Therefore, ensure that you rinse your eyeglasses before you dry them.
7. Gently Shake Your Glasses to Remove Excess Water Droplets
Inspect your lenses to ensure that all the dirt has come off. You can gently shake your glasses to remove the excess water droplets. If you are afraid that watermarks or streaks will show after the glasses are dry, then use a gas duster to dry them.
8. Inspect Your Lenses Again
If there are any smudges or streaks, you can use a microfiber cloth to remove them. You can also use disposable lens cleaning wipes since they are designed to use on eyeglass lenses.
The Don’ts
1. Avoid Using the Wrong Liquid
Some people might use saliva, others might use any kind of liquid soap, while others may use warm or hot water. The problem with using the wrong liquid is that you risk damaging the lenses permanently.
2. Do Not Clean Them With the Wrong Material
People use their cloth, paper towel, or tissue to clean lenses when nothing else is available. These materials are also inappropriate since they might scratch the surface of your lenses. The best material to clean your eyeglasses with is a microfiber cloth.
3. You Should Not Wipe Them When They Are Dry
Once your eyeglasses are dry, it will not be wise to wipe them. When there is dust, and then you try and wipe your glasses, you will end up scratching the lenses. Always use water or a cleaning solution before wiping the glasses.
Visit An Optometrist Near You
Now you know how to care for your eyeglasses. But if you have any issues or need any help with eyeglasses in Monterey, our optometrist is available to help you. Contact our eye clinic in Monterey, Eye MD Monterey, to schedule an appointment.