Eyewear Care: A Guide to Caring for Your Eyeglasses and Contact Lenses

If you own glasses, wear contacts—or are planning to do either—you want to:

1. Take good care of them in the interest of ensuring your health and vision
2. Avoid replacing them more often than you want

At EZContacts, we want you to get the most from your eyewear. So, here, we offer you a series of tips for caring for your eyeglasses and contact lenses.

How to clean your eyeglasses

Eyeglass wearers constantly deal with smudged lenses. And the truth is, most attempt to clean their lenses in potentially harmful ways. Cleaning your lenses with a fabric that feels soft but is abrasive is a common mistake.

• Tissues—Paper products such as tissues and napkins are made from wood pulp and are therefore abrasive. Particles in the paper can create tiny scratches.
• Clothing—Sure, your shirt may be the handiest, most convenient cleaning cloth, but if your clothing isn’t 100% cotton, the fabric can also scratch your lenses.

The safe way to clean your lenses

• Remove dust or debris from your glasses. Anything on the surface of your lenses may end up scratching them, so you’ll want to begin by rinsing them under running water.
• You can also apply a bit of dish soap to your lenses and gently rub them between your thumb and index finger. (Make sure your hands are clean.)
• Dry your eyeglass lenses with a microfiber cloth.

Eyeglasses cleaner and glasses wipes

• Carry a small container of eyeglass cleaning solution or prepackaged moistened glasses wipes to use when you’re on the go. Sprays and wipes are specially formulated to clean oils and debris from your lenses without damaging the coatings.
• Don’t use glass cleaning spray or any household cleaning solutions. They contain ammonia and chemicals that can harm the coatings on your lenses.

Cleaning your frames

• It’s also good to get in the habit of cleaning your eyeglasses frames to prevent oil from your skin and debris from building up.
• The same process applies: rinse with warm water and soap and dry with a microfiber cloth.
• Hold your glasses by the bridge when rinsing, cleaning and drying them so as to not bend the frames.
• Use a soft toothbrush to clean away grime and oil from the nose pads and hinges. Be sure to avoid touching the lenses with the toothbrush bristles.

Caring for your eyeglasses

• When you handle your glasses, hold them by the frames with both hands to avoid bending them or dropping them on the lenses.
• When you set your glasses down, be sure to place them upside down (with the bridge at the bottom). Laying your glasses face down on the lenses is an obvious no-no.
• When your glasses are not on your face they should be stored in their case, preferably a case with a hard shell.
• Avoid heat. Remember to never leave your eyeglasses near a heater, fireplace, or in a hot car. Heat can warp your lenses.
• Don’t leave your eyeglasses unprotected in areas prone to splatter and spray, such as the kitchen or bathroom counter. Hair spray, perfumes and other products can damage the coatings.
• Clean your eyeglasses daily to avoid eyestrain and prolong the life of them.
• Do not practice “home remedies” for removing scratches or Google your way to a magic remedy. There are no effective ways to remove scratches, so you’ll only worsen the problem.
• Most eyeglass lenses now feature a built-in scratch-resistant coating. However, scratch-resistant coatings are sometimes optional, so be wary of this and if need be, invest in the coating for extra durability.

Caring for your contact lenses

Daily disposable contact lenses are removed and discarded at the end of each day, so cleaning and storage is not an issue.

However, “disposable” doesn’t necessarily mean “single-use.” Daily wear contact lenses that are thrown out after repeated uses (usually 2 to 4 weeks) are often called disposable.

Proper care of your re-usable contact lenses will make them more comfortable and prevent problems such as infections.

• Clean them daily.
• Always wash your hands before handling contacts or touching the eye.
• Before putting re-usable lenses in their case, rinse them off to remove debris like makeup or eyelashes.
• Use the proper solution. Effective contact lens solution contains ingredients that disinfect, clean and remove protein. Some people’s eyes produce higher protein levels, so if you experience frequent discomfort, try a hydrogen peroxide solution.
• Use new solution every time you clean and disinfect your contact lenses.
• Keep your contact lens case clean and replace it at least every three months.
• Never share your lenses. You don’t want to risk spreading bacteria.
• Dedicate one lens to the right eye and one to the left. Do not switch them. If an infection develops in one eye it can spread to the other.
• Avoid water activities.
• Comply with the wearing schedule of your contacts provided by your eye care professional. Overusing your contacts introduces health risks.

Ready to select your eyewear? 

EZContacts offers an immense selection of brands and styles for every budget. 

SHOP FOR EYEGLASSES | SHOP FOR CONTACT LENSES | SHOP FOR SUNGLASSES