Eyewear Maintenance & Repair Guide
Now that you’ve found a stylish pair of specs or sunnies, what can you do to keep them perfect? To maintain eyewear that you can flaunt all day, every day, we’ve rounded up essential tips for eyeglass care + repair. Wondering how to clean your glasses lens or how to fix your glasses, period? We've got the answers below.
Essential Eyeglass Care
Prevention is key (no pun intended) when it comes to glasses maintenance. To keep your specs in tip top shape, here are tips on how to handle your glasses properly.
Use both hands.
When holding your specs, use both hands carefully when picking them up or taking them off. Taking them off with both hands helps keep the temples in place — they may come loose if you pull on either side too much.
Set down your glasses with the lenses facing up.
Make sure that your lenses are facing upwards whenever you leave them on a table. Keeping your glasses lens down makes them more prone to scratches. Fold the temples and lay your glasses down so that the lenses are facing the ceiling. Whenever possible, keep your specs in a case — grab a sleek one from Quay for keeping your specs safe + sound.
Avoid heat.
To keep your lenses from cracking or getting warped, don’t leave them in the heat. A hot environment may also cause plastic frames to melt and metal ones to become too hot to touch.
Keep them out of the hot sun.
Of course, you can wear your sunnies and glasses while you’re out and about doing your own thing. But you never want to leave them out in the hot sun for prolonged periods, especially on your car dashboard where they can receive direct sunlight for too long — hot conditions, as detailed above, can warp the lenses and frames.
Dry immediately when wet.
If your glasses become wet from rain or sweat, wipe them with a microfiber cloth. The same goes if you were cleaning your glasses with soap and water. You may not be able to remove water stains that form if you keep your specs wet for too long, so get to wiping ASAP. On a related note, do not wear your glasses when swimming or showering.
Any major tips to help your glasses last longer?
One big tip to help your glasses last longer is to clean them properly. Use the right materials to clean — a microfiber cloth designated for glasses is a must, as you don’t want to accidentally scratch your lenses with paper towels, tissues, or clothes. Water and gentle dish soap should remove most of the buildup on your frames and lenses, but you can also use a lens cleaner specifically made for glasses. Make sure not to use any household cleaners that may warp your lenses. For more tips, check out our product care page.
How to Repair Your Eyeglasses
Curious about how to fix broken glasses? Going to your optometrist or optician is your best bet for a complicated glasses frame repair. However, there are a few tips + tricks that you can try at home (carefully) to troubleshoot minor issues.
Fix Lens Scratches
For deep scratches, seek help from a professional. But if you have a minor scratch, you can try removing it at home.
Apply a baking soda and water paste to your glasses.
After cleaning your glasses with a microfiber cloth, create a paste by adding one or two tablespoons of baking soda to water. Then, gently apply the paste to your glasses with a cotton ball and rinse it off. Avoid using toothpaste or a glass etching solution on your lenses to remove scratches — these can damage them even more.
How to Tighten Your Glasses
Glasses can loosen for many different reasons — as you take them on and off each day, the arms can start to feel laxer around your face. Here’s the easiest way to adjust them, plus tips on how to handle specific materials.
Tighten the screws at the hinges.
The easiest way to tighten your glasses is to start at the hinges. At the temple hinges, tighten or loosen the screws for a comfortable fit. A small screwdriver may work, but other times, you may need one specifically for eyeglasses — you can oftentimes find these in glasses repair kits. To tighten, turn the screws clockwise. Avoid over-tightening, as this may cause your frames to snap or the screw to break.
Adjust nose pads on metal frames.
To specifically tighten metal frames, you can also adjust the nose pads. Gently push the nose pads closer inwards together for a better fit on your nose.
Place plastic glasses in warm water for a minute.
To tighten plastic frames, put your glasses in warm water for about a minute. Gently apply inward and downward pressure to the arms to tighten your fit. Avoid getting too much warm water on your lenses, as this may warp them.
Note that memory plastic, titanium, and aluminum alloy aren't easily adjustable, so consult a professional optician in these cases.
How to Fix Metal Frames
If you've got slightly bent metal frames, it’s easy to adjust them at home. You need two things: pliers with plastic tips and a thin cloth. Cover the metal part you want to fix with your cloth, and gently use the pliers to adjust it.
How to Fix Plastic Frames
For plastic frames, you can, again, place your glasses in warm water. After keeping your specs in warm water for about a minute, apply gentle pressure with your thumb to adjust the plastic. You may need to place your glasses in warm water a few times before getting your desired results.
How to Fix Glasses Parts
Paying a visit to your optician is usually the best way to fix glasses parts. However, you can tighten and loosen some parts (including nose pads and temple hinges) with an eyeglasses kit, such as Quay's Tri Fold Cleaning Kit. These sets typically come with a cleaning cloth, cleanser, case, and small screwdriver for easy maintenance + cute, durable storage.
Quay Warranty Guidelines
If you notice issues with your specs, get in touch. More details on our Returns + Delivery Page. With careful maintenance, you can keep your specs in great shape before the next time you want to switch them out for a new pair. Need a minor adjustment? Heading to a professional is your safest bet, but carefully trying these tips and tricks at home may help. To keep your glasses in flawless condition, check out Quay’s glasses accessories.
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