Scratches are one of the biggest plights facing the
modern glasses wearer. They never seem to appear alone, often popping up with
no logical explanation as to how they got there. Not only do scratches affect
your glasses cosmetically, but they also act as pesky distractions that can
reduce clarity and your ability to concentrate.
We recommend that you avoid using any unapproved
chemical solutions or methods for trying to fix scratched lenses, as they often
use abrasive materials and solutions. Even those labelled non-abrasive can
cause damage to the lens. Instead, we recommend regularly cleaning your lenses
and doing your best to prevent scratches using the below methods. Here
are some tips on how to remove scratches from glasses safely and effectively.
Cleaning your lenses –
Instead of experimenting with how to remove
scratches from your glasses, we recommend regularly cleaning them. This will
not only help to increase the lifetime of your glasses but it will also help to
reduce the visibility of any scratches.
Washing-up Liquid –
This is an easy at-home clean that is more
effective than just holding your glasses under running water. Simply run your
glasses under luke-warm water to remove any dust or larger pieces of dirt and
debris.
Add a drop of washing-up liquid to your fingers and
rub until bubbles are formed. Gently apply this solution to the lenses,
covering the whole lens equally and rinse under luke-warm water once more. Make
sure to remove all of the solution to avoid smudges. Use a microfibre cloth to
gently dry the lenses to prevent leaving any streaks.
Alcohol-Free Spray –
This is the easiest and most recommended method for
cleaning your lenses. Apply the alcohol-free spray to a microfibre cloth - not
the lenses - and gently, but thoroughly, clean the lenses. Make sure to remove
any excess liquid before you finish to prevent any streaks or smudges.
These methods
are ideal for those looking for a quick and effective way of cleaning there
frames and lenses. Take a look at our blog for a more detailed guide on how to clean your glasses.
It is important to use a microfibre cleaning cloth
to clean your lenses and even more essential to ensure that your cleaning cloth
itself is kept clean. Attempting to use an unclean cloth on your lenses can
lead to smudges and streaks.
Preventing
Scratches –
The easiest way to deal with scratches on your
lenses is to avoid them to begin with. Of course, this is easier said than done
but here are some tips to help you do that.
Lenses will always be at risk of scratches when
you’re wearing your glasses. With the fast-paced and chaotic nature of modern
life, it is almost impossible to avoid them. You can, however, have more
control when not wearing your frames. Keeping them in their supplied case is
the easiest and most effective way of keeping your glasses safe.
Unfortunately, most scratches and smudges and
self-inflicted. They are often caused by the casual and almost careless way
that glasses are handled. We tend to pay more attention to other people’s
actions than our own. This means that we forget the damage that our own hands
can do to our lenses. It is best to avoid touching your lenses whenever
possible. We recommend gently grabbing your glasses by the nose bridge if they
need moving or adjusting. This reduces the risk of smudging or scratching your
lenses.
The biggest cause of scratched lenses is leaving
your glasses face down on a table. It may not seem like much but any slight
knock or movement on an abrasive surface can cause damage to your lenses.
That’s why we recommend leaving your frames with the arms open and the ends
facing upwards, such as in the image below. The main thing is to avoid direct
contact between your lenses and the surface. However, this should only be done
if you have no case or safe space to store your glasses.
There are home remedies that others may suggest, including toothpaste, baking soda, car wax and polish. We don’t recommend any of these methods as these things can often cause damage to the lens and leave it in a worse condition than how it started. Instead, we recommend trying your best to prevent scratches appearing to begin with and regularly cleaning your lenses to keep them in top condition.
To help prevent scratches appearing, to begin with, look at adding an anti-scratch coating to your lenses. No lenses are absolutely scratch-proof, but this coating will most certainly give your new lenses much more protection compared ones without this coating applied.
Alternatively, If your lenses are scratched or damaged, you can reglaze them. If you have a pair that you love and don’t want to part with, you can order a reglaze to have new lenses fitted into your favourite frames.