How to Avoid Scratches on Your Glasses

Your eyeglasses are some of the most important things you own. They help you see objects clearly so that you can navigate the world around you. Scratches on your glasses make it hard to see and conduct normal life. Although scratches are inevitable sometimes, you'll want to do what you can to avoid scratches on your glasses.

These tips will help you prevent scratches that could make your glasses more difficult to use.

Keep Your Glasses On

Keep your glasses on your face to avoid scratching the lenses. If you want to take your glasses off but keep them nearby, wear a chain around the stems (which are actually called the temples) and allow the glasses to dangle from your neck. This way, the lenses will be touching your soft shirt instead of a hard surface.

The temptation to remove glasses is especially strong for people who are new wearing glasses. If you allow yourself to take your glasses off frequently from the beginning, you may develop a life-long habit of removing them throughout the day.

Force yourself to wear new glasses all day long in the first few months that you own them. This will help you adjust to having them on your face. This way, keeping them on will become second nature to you.

Use a Glasses Case

If you want to take off your glasses and leave them off for a while, use a glasses case to protect them. Keep cases in convenient places like your desk at work, your night stand at home, and your purse, backpack, or handbag. This helps ensure you'll always have a case on hand when you need it. Ideally, the cases you use will be hard (not soft) in order to keep the glasses sufficiently protected.  

Clean Your Glasses With Professional Cleaner

One way that many people scratch the lenses of their glasses is by cleaning the glasses on their shirt or with an abrasive cloth. The best way to clean your glasses is by rubbing the lenses with a microfiber cloth designed specifically for this task.

You can also use a glasses cleaning solution made from dish washing liquid and water to spray the lenses before cleaning them with the cloth. This helps to remove smudges and hard-to-remove stains or spots.

Don't Set Glasses Lens-Down

If you do take off your glasses and place them temporarily on a hard surface, fold them and place the temples down on the table so that the lenses are pointed upward toward the ceiling. Don't set your glasses lens-down.

Keep Your Glasses in Consistent Places

Glasses may be more likely to get scratched when they're placed somewhere and forgotten. To avoid losing your glasses, store them in the same spots every time you take them off. For example, at the end of the night, put your glasses on the night stand next to your bed. Avoid leaving your glasses in the bathroom or on your dresser if that's not the normal spot where they can be found.

Handle Them by the Temples

When taking off your glasses, use both hands to remove them from your face. Hold the glasses by the temples instead of the rims around the lenses. Never grip on to the glasses via the lenses themselves. Holding your glasses this way helps ensure that you have a good grip on your glasses and you're unlikely to drop them.

Contact Your Eye Doctor for More Information

For more advice about how to protect your eyeglasses and prevent the lenses from getting scratched, talk to your eye doctor. At SouthPark Optical Center, we're always happy to answer patient questions and give advice. Call us today to find out more about how you can take care of your glasses.