Cleaning the lenses of your glasses every day is the best way to care for and preserve them by avoiding scratches as well as other damages, which are never removed. In a time of need, people use whatever they have at hand to clean their glasses, for example, the edge of a shirt.
Your lenses need proper cleaning and maintenance to prolong the life of the glasses and, above all, to have perfect vision. But what is the best way to clean crystals? And how you can clean the lenses of the glasses correctly.
Therefore, the ideal way is to spray the warm water on glasses, take a drop of detergent on the index and thumb and, finally, gently rub the lenses until foam is generated. In this way, it will be possible to eliminate all the substances that are in the crystals.
How to clean spectacle lenses without scratching them
Unfortunately, the scratches are not eliminated or disappear, once the crystals are scratched, they remain scratched. That is why while cleaning them you have to be very careful and prudent.
Some of the ways to do it properly are as follows:
- The first thing you should do is make sure your hands are clean, use a neutral soap, without odours or additives. Preferably use liquid dishwashing soap and a lint-free cotton handkerchief to dry your hands.
- With clean hands, take the glasses and place a drop of dishwashing liquid soap on each glass.
- Massage the crystals gently with soap and a little water, remember to do this on both sides of the glass and even on the frame.
- Remove the soap from the glasses very carefully, otherwise, you may remove the soap completely, and the glasses will remain dirty.
- With a clean kitchen cloth, you can dry the glasses, check that there is no lint. You can also use a cotton cloth or, preferably, microfiber cloth such as the one delivered by the optician.
- Check the lenses of the spectacles again and make sure they are clean.
If you don’t have any of the things listed above, you can use disposable wet wipes that come in individual packages to lightly clean your glasses.
How to clean scratched lenses of the spectacles
All people who wear glasses find scratches over time that hinder vision, and even in the long term cause headaches, in addition to this, they impair the aesthetics of the lenses.
It is important to know that scratches on glasses are not eliminated once they are done, but you can reduce them, and luckily experts from JLR eye hospital are going to explain several tricks to do it:
Toothpaste
Due to its composition, toothpaste serves to polish and file the crystals superficially, since it contains microscopic abrasive particles.
- To start, clean your hands very well, then take a little toothpaste on your fingers and apply them to the glasses.
- Rub horizontally and gently for about 10 minutes.
- Later, with cold water, remove the toothpaste from the crystals and dry them with a microfiber cloth and they will be ready.
Sodium bicarbonate
You will need a container and a pallet to stir. And then get to work.
- Add a teaspoon of water and a teaspoon of baking soda to the container, mix them very well with the pallet until you have a homogeneous paste.
- Then, with the help of a cotton ball, take a little of this mixture and then pass it over the scratches on the crystals for a few moments.
- To finish, clean the lenses with water and dry them with a lint-free cloth.
Glass etching
This option is the strongest of the above because glass etching will remove the outer layer of the glasses. You can get this chemical at any hardware store or establishment where they sell material to make glassware.
- First of all, get some thick gloves to protect your hands from this powerful acid. You will also need a swab.
- Take a little of the glass pickling with the cotton swab and apply it to the crystals, without rubbing or massaging. Let the substance act for about 5 minutes.
- Then, carefully wash the lenses with plenty of water, removing any residue of the chemical. Finally, dry the crystals with a microfiber cloth or cotton handkerchief.
Cleaning when there is no water nearby
However, there are many occasions when it is necessary to clean the crystals well and there is no water nearby. In this case, it is best to resort to microfiber cloths that are usually given by opticians.
The glasses are usually delivered with a chamois cloth that is sent by the manufacturer. These are the most suitable for cleaning crystals. You can also use a linen cloth, and yes, that also does not cause scratch or abrasion on the material. However, this is not a substitute for washing under the tap and is only a temporary solution.
What you have to avoid is always the shirt or other materials that may contain particles of dirt and dust. And it is that, when rubbed against the glass, these substances can cause serious damage.
The problem is the dust on the rags that scratches the glasses, not the fabric, which is not hard enough to damage the organic material from which the crystals are normally made.
Most of the napkins and paper tissues have small and tiny glass particles that, in the long run, can damage the material with which the crystals are made. It is also advisable to avoid wet wipes that are not sold by opticians since those of dubious origin usually use substances that can cause the anti-reflective coating to lift.
Conclusion
If you wish, you can repeat these tricks as many times as necessary to prolong the life of your glasses and your visual health. If you follow these valuable tips, your glasses will always stay clean and scratch-free for as long as possible.
Author Bio
Name- Animesh Rai
Bio- Animesh Rai is a postgraduate in health and hospital management from the Indian Institute of Health Management Research, currently working as a Deputy Administrator at the Association for the Prevention of Blindness, a non-profit society, operating 200-bedded JL Rohatgi Memorial Eye Hospital. Hospital also has a training institute that offers full-time optometry courses in Kanpur.
