How To Take Care Of Your Glasses: 9 Easy Tips

Your glasses are your windows to the outside world.

If you neglect your glasses, you could end up with scratched, damaged, or warped lenses or frames. Both are ugly to look at and look through!

This guide will give you the tools to take care of your eyeglasses properly. It's simple once you know how! Let's dive in.

9 top tips on how to take care of your eyeglasses

Taking care of your glasses isn't difficult if you break maintenance into three key areas: cleaning them, storing them, and using them properly.

If your glasses accidentally get scratched or crushed, you can bet it's because one of the fundamentals of glasses care is being ignored. Save your glasses unnecessary damage (and your wallet the pain of replacing them) by following these 9 simple tips.

Cleaning tips to take care of your eyeglasses

1. Follow a simple daily cleaning routine

Cleaning your glasses should be a simple ritual in your day, like brushing your teeth. Here's all you need to do:

• Wash your hands thoroughly.
• Run your glasses under warm water to remove any debris (or fill a bowl and wash it in there).
• Drop one concentrated drop of dish soap into your fingertips and gently rub on your glasses.
• Completely cover the lenses and frames, including around the nose pads and temples.
• Rinse again with water and shake off the excess.
• Polish with a microfiber cloth.

Does it have to be daily? In theory, yes. In practice, just as often as you can per week. We won't tell anyone! We've gone into more detail on the washing step here.

2. Only wipe your glasses with lint-free microfiber cloths

We've all quickly polished our glasses on our sweaters before. Quick hot breath on each lens and a wipe on the seemingly forgiving wool of your grandma's latest knitted creation.

Yet that jumper is far less forgiving than you might think. Your clothes feel soft to you but are far more abrasive than they appear. Save your lenses from unnecessary scratches by using a lint-free microfiber cloth to polish them.

3. Breakouts around your nose and ears could be a sign you need professional help

Professional cleaning shouldn't be necessary if you cleanse your glasses properly and often. If you notice that you're getting oily deposits on your nose or uncharacteristic pimples, you may need a professional glasses cleaning service to help remove the muck!

Storage tips to take care of your eyeglasses

4. Invest in a hardshell case

Not only can they become a fashion accessory of their own, but a good hardshell case will also protect your glasses from every type of damage imaginable. Crushing, smudging, scratching, even dropping. A hardshell case is essential for your glasses to care.

5. Store your glasses in a case at night

Ever had your cat accidentally knock your glasses off the nightstand? Or did your kids steal your glasses before you woke up? Keep your glasses protected in a hard case at night to save from such disasters!

6. Soft pocket cases will work if you don't have anything else

We get it! Hardshell cases are bulky. They don't fit into your pocket as elegantly as soft cases do. If you don't have anything else, soft pocket cases will provide more protection than no case at all.

Everyday-use tips to take care of your eyeglasses

7. Handle your glasses from the temples of the frame

The arms or temples of your glasses are there as little handles to your glasses. Try to avoid handling your lenses too much. It can lead to scratching or smudging.

8. Don't use acetone on your lenses

The superpowered chemical seems like a great cleaning solvent for all kinds of things, but not your glasses! Acetone can strip away the protective layer of your glasses. Lotion-free dish soap is perfectly fine.

9. Place your glasses down carefully

When you remove your glasses, we understand that there isn't always a case available. As long as you avoid putting your glasses face down and on unstable surfaces, your glasses should be fine!

What not to do with your eyeglasses

• Don't polish your glasses on your clothesShirts are not made for polishing your glasses – convenient as it may be! Cleaning your glasses improperly leads to irreparable damage. Carry with you a tiny microfiber cloth for whenever you need to polish your glasses on the go.
• Don't use saliva to clean your glassesSaliva is not a cleaning solvent! Please don't spit on your glasses to clean them. It can lead to bacteria build-up if not properly cleaned afterward. We've detailed how to make our favorite DIY glasses cleaning liquid here – it only takes 1 minute so there's no excuse!
• Don't use soap with lotion to clean your glassesSoap with lotion can leave an oily residue on your lenses that cause smudges. Find a simple lotion-free dish soap to cleanse your glasses lenses or specialist glasses cleaning soap.
• Don't use the household glass cleaning productsMost glasses are not made of actual glass. They are made of a type of plastic that is bent to refract light to deliver your prescription. High-quality glasses often have a protective layer to deliver anti-scratch, UV, and anti-glare properties. By using glass cleaning products like Windex, you risk removing that layer, leaving your eyes and lenses more prone to damage.

What to do if your eyeglasses are scratched

If your glasses are scratched, the best thing is to do nothing. Seriously! Minor scratches are not a big problem. They are natural to the wear and tear of glasses over time. You can certainly prevent your glasses from being scratched by investing in high-quality glasses and caring for them properly.

That being said, scratches are only a problem if you can't see through them. In that case, it's best to replace them. We've written more on the topic of glasses scratches here.

How to tell if you need a new prescription or new eyeglasses

Say that you've been wearing your glasses for a while and your vision is starting to falter. What's the issue – your glasses or your vision?

If you need to replace your glasses, you'll see the following signs:

• Your frames or lenses are broken
• Your lenses are extremely scratched and occluding your vision
• You see better without your glasses than with them on

If you need a new prescription, you may experience:

• Headaches while wearing your glasses
• Squinting even though your glasses are clean and not too scratched
• Blurry or double vision while wearing your glasses

If in doubt, contact a professional optometrist to see where the problem lies!