How to Care for Your Prescription Spectacles

Cleaning your spectacles

Your prescription spectacles should be cleaned regularly to retain their clarity and to help prevent the lens scratching. Besides that, it is also not a good impression if others can see that they are dirty.

1. To clean your glasses off any fingerprints and smudges, wipe the lenses with soft lint-free cloth, best to use microfibre lens cloth.

2. To remove dirt or grit, rinse your glasses under the running cool tap water and pat dry lightly with a tissue to remove excess water. Then polish the lens with a microfibre cloth.

3. If your lenses are particularly dirty, clean your lenses with a lens spray, followed by a polish using your lens cloth.

4. Always use a microfibre cloth on your glasses as they are very effective and gentle on your lenses. Wash your lens cloth regularly in a cold machine wash, don't use fabric softener as this will leave residue on your lenses.


Improper Cleaning Hurts Your Lenses

1. Improper cleaning can lead to scrathes which reduce the clarity of your lenses that cannot be removed.

2. Tissue can scratch a dry lens as they leave rather coarse particles on the surface, so use tissue on a wet lens only. Bear in mind not to use perfumed tissue as well (such as eucalyptus) as this perfumed tissue contain oils which can cause smudging.

3. Using a cloth or your shirt that may have embedded dirt will cause smudging and scratches as well. So, it is always best to steer clear of these too.

4. Always avoid wiping or rubbing dry your lenses, as this is often how they get scratched. Patting dry will give you the best results.

5. Coating don't like heat. So make sure the water isn't too warm when rinsing your glasses under water or you could possibly damage the coating on your lens.


How To Protect Your Spectacles

1. To avoid misalignment of your frames, always use both hands when taking off your glasses. Using only one hand, you will put your frames under stress and they may distort.

2. To prevent accidental scratching, it's always a best practice to keep your glasses in their case when you are not using or as soon as you take them off. If for some reason, you don't have the case with you and you need to put your glasses down, always make sure that the lenses are not touching anything. Never ever lay your spectacles face down -- this will scratch the centre of the lens. Also, never put them in your pocket of bag without proper protection!

3. Other tips that you may not be aware of. Always be careful when using hair sprays, perfume or any other personal care products as these can damage the lens coating and reduce your vision.

4. Perspiration and exposure to sea air can also damage the lens coating, so make sure your clean your glasses regularly.

5. Lastly and the most common, never store your glasses in your car as excessive heat can distort your glasses. Don't keep your glasses on the dashboard of your car either!