“Oops, this happened,” precedes a texted photo of a temple (one of the “arms” that hold your glasses on your ears) pitifully separated from the front of a client’s frame, oh, about monthly. Eyewear ruin can bedevil the brightest day, especially when there’s no backup pair. Want to keep your specs solid? Follow these tips. (And consider getting a backup pair.)
Most heads are substantially wider above the ears. Putting glasses up there will stress and bend hinges so the frame no longer fits your face.
Protect your frames
- Take them off and put them on using two hands. One-sided handling results in lopsided frames and weakened or broken hinges.
- If you use your eyeglasses as a headband, they will adapt accordingly. Most heads are substantially wider above the ears. Putting glasses up there will stress and bend hinges so the frame no longer fits your face.
- Protect your glasses when you’re not wearing them, by enclosing them in a hard clamshell-style case.
- If you must lay them down outside their case, fold the temples and position them frame down, lenses up.
- Choose their resting place carefully: glasses on the floor get stepped on, on a chair get sat on, on the bed get lain upon and within reach of pets and babies get absconded with and terrorized, never to function again. (Ask me how I know.)
- A tether around your neck can help you keep your glasses close without laying them down; just rotate them off your chest before you bear hug.
- When your specs start to slide down your nose or sit crooked across your brow (it happens over time even with the best of care), bring them to your optician and have them adjusted. We love to see you. And we want you to wear them comfortably and level on your face.
Love your lenses
- Grimy glasses distort your view. Keeping them clean:
- makes your vision clear and your world glisten
- gives others a clear view of your eyes
- protects your lenses from scratching, and
- prevents gunk from permanently lodging in corners and crevices.
- Wash them under running lukewarm water with your fingers and a small dab of dishwashing liquid, or with plenty of lens cleaning solution, and dry them with a clean microfiber cloth.
- Hot water can destroy anti-reflective coatings; keep it cool.
- Cotton, paper (including tissues) and other fibrous products can scratch your glasses.
- You can’t sleep with your eyes open anyway, so remove your glasses before you retire.
- Remove your glasses before getting dressed and undressed to avoid squishing them as you pull your shirt on and off.
- This should go without saying, but I have heard some hellacious stories: refrain from tossing your glasses anywhere, ever.
Both precision devices and fashion accessories, when properly calibrated, eyeglasses can deliver the gifts of crisp vision and irresistible appeal. Like growing greens in the garden, they require only moderate tending to yield invaluable benefit.
Take care, and see you soon!
