Just like pulling on a pair of new socks or sliding into some box-fresh slippers, looking through a perfectly clean pair of glasses is a great feeling for all spectacle wearers. Unhindered vision, crystal-clear lenses and the warm glow that smears, streaks and fingerprints are a thing of the past, for a few hours at least.
But, sadly, nobody has yet found a way to ensure your lenses are kept grime-free forever, meaning it’s left to us to do the dirty work and regularly give them a thorough clean.
Although it may be tempting to reach for the tissues or a shirt sleeve, this will do more harm than good.
Clothing often leaves tiny particles of dust or dirt on your lenses, and your vision could suffer a result. Scratches cannot be removed either from plastic or glass lenses. Even if the defect only appears to be of a minor, cosmetic nature, light is dispersed by the micro-fine scratches, irritating the eye and leaving you needing to fork out for a new set of specs.
Luckily for you, our very own Andrew Oliver, a former winner of the Dispensing Optician of the Year award, is on hand to give you his top tips for giving your glasses a quick clean on the go.
- Wash your hands thoroughly first with soap and water so that they are free from any dirt.
- Rinse your glasses under a warm tap, but ensure the water is not too hot.
- Remove dust or debris to avoid scratches.
- Use cleaning spray (such as the Glasklar solution supplied here at TKS) on both sides of the lenses and gently rub solution on the lenses using your thumb and fingertip.
- Leave for a moment until nearly dry, then use a regularly-cleaned cleaning cloth to take away any residue by holding the cloth between your thumb and fingertip and gently holding the lens.
Follow these five stages and you should be good to go. Take a look through the lenses to make sure they are clean and make the most of your crystal-clear vision.
It is always a good idea to return to your optometrists to get your spectacles checked, get the screws tightened and make sure the fitting is correct for you.
