Sunglasses Care and Cleaning

Properly taking care of your sunglasses is important. Regardless of whether you bought a new pair of sunglasses or some brand new replacement lenses - you want to make sure they last you as long as possible. The good thing is caring for and properly cleaning your sunglasses might be easier than you think.

The Basics

When transporting your sunglasses, it is important to keep them in a case. You might be tempted to throw them in a bag while you are going on a trip or leave them on your car’s dashboard if you are in a hurry, but doing so might scratch your lenses and even warp or break your frames. Most people keep their prescription glasses in a case but they usually don’t bother to do the same with their sunglasses. If you purchased name brand sunglasses and quality lenses, you want to care for them as best as you can by putting them in a case. The size of the case is also very important! If the case is too large the glasses can jostle around and cause scratches. If your case is too small it can damage the lenses while you are opening and closing the case. You want to always make sure your case is just the right size.

Another thing you should do is regularly check your sunglasses to make sure the screws are tight. If they do happen to come loose, make sure to tighten them up using a small optical screwdriver. Never attempt to use regular tools to tighten them up, doing so might cause more harm than good. You can purchase a repair kit from your sunglasses’ supplier or your eye doctor. You can also find them at most mass-market retail stores. In case you don’t feel comfortable doing your own repairs, the shop where you purchased your sunglasses or replacement lenses should also be able to help with basic repairs rather quickly. Most shops don’t even charge a fee for this. Optical screwdrivers, either a flat head or a phillips, can be purchased here at Fuse Lenses.

Cleaning Your Sunglasses

You should clean your sunglasses on a daily basis. Debris and smudges left on your lenses can affect your vision, affect how you look in your sunglasses and even cause scratches when not cleaned right away.

However, you should not clean your sunglasses while they are dry. If there is dirt, sand or other debris on your sunglasses, it could cause scratches if you are rubbing them off while your lenses are dry. The best method is to spray your lenses with a high-quality cleaner that is specifically made for cleaning sunglasses. If you have mirrored sunglasses, make sure your lens cleaner does not contain any alcohol, as alcohol can negatively affect the mirror coating. For heavier build up on lenses, you can use warm water and gentle dish detergent to clean them. Avoid soaps with microbeads, harsh soap, or other detergents and cleaners because it might leave deposits on the lenses. When you are away from home and do not have access to any of this - you can also fog up your glasses with your breath and clean it that way. However, never use your own spit, fogging them up should be enough. You wouldn’t want to clean your lenses with today’s lunch.

Whenever you are wiping your glasses clean, you want to make sure to use the right type of material to avoid scratches. Use a clean, soft, absorbent cloth to dry the lenses like the one offered at Fuse or at other sunglasses stores. You do not want to use paper-based products to dry off your glasses because they can be too abrasive. Wiping your glasses with your t-shirt can also be damaging to your lenses.

A lot of people are not aware that they should be regularly washing their cleaning cloth. Leftover debris, oil, and other particles might be left on the cloth after use. You would not want to clean your glasses with a dirty cloth because then that would be counterintuitive. Make sure to wash your cleaning cloth in warm soapy water periodically and do not use fabric softener.

Saltwater

One of the most common debris that can cause scratches on your lenses is salt particles from saltwater. Mirrored lenses are the most affected by saltwater because not only can the salt cause scratches but it can also cause corrosion because of the metal mirror finish. The salt, combined with moisture and oxygen can be more damaging to your mirror lenses and metal frames than rust. It eats away at the metal, which weakens it, and causes it to fall apart. This is why after a day on the water, it is important to rinse off your lenses in fresh, clean water as soon as possible.

Summary

• Keep your sunglasses in a case when it is not in use. You want to make sure the case is just the right size for your lenses. If it’s too big the glasses can move around in your case and develop scratches. If the case is too small, you can damage the lenses just with opening and closing the case.
• If you have frames with screws, make sure that they are not loose. There are small screwdrivers you can use that are made specifically for glasses. You can find these at a glasses store, mass-retailer or even here at Fuse Lenses. If you do not feel comfortable tightening the screws on your own, you can usually take your sunglasses to the place you purchased them from and they will do it for you.
• Clean your lenses on a daily basis, but do not clean them while they are dry. Cleaning them while they are dry can cause scratches from sand, dirt or other debris that is on your lenses.
• To clean your lenses you want to use a lens cleaner that does not contain alcohol. The alcohol can rub off the mirror coating if you have mirrored lenses. You can also use warm water and gentle dish detergent to clean your lenses. If you are on the go and do not have access to lens cleaner or gentle soap, use your breath to fog up your glasses before cleaning them.
• When wiping your lenses, make sure you use a clean and soft absorbent cloth. Paper-based products and your T-shirt can be too abrasive and scratch up your lenses.
• Cleaning cloths get dirty too. Make sure to wash them regularly so you don’t end up cleaning your lenses with a dirty cloth. Wash it in warm water and please do not use fabric softener.
• Use extra precaution around saltwater. Saltwater can damage mirrored lenses and metal frames. Rinse off any excess salt particulars with fresh running water.