Eyewear care: how to look after your glasses

To avoid: paper tissues and T-shirts

Glasses wearers know it well — tissues and t-shirts should be permanently banned.

When it comes to cleaning your sunglasses, any optician will tell you: anything but that! Paper tissues are absolute aggressors for your sunglasses.

Raw cotton fibers pick up dirt from the glasses and then spread it across the entire surface. They act like sandpaper and destroy the coating on your lens surface. Unfortunately, you can create the same effect with the microfibers of your t-shirt if you use it to clean your sunglasses. 

If you have no choice and only have a tissue with you, run your glasses under water before cleaning the lenses with the tissue. This will help you avoid scratching your lenses.
Also, never place your glasses face down. Always remember to lay your glasses gently on the temples.

Avoid sand, salt, and chlorine water

The plastic lenses of your glasses do not tolerate sand, salt, or chlorinated water. If contact is unavoidable, rinse them thoroughly with water immediately afterward. Make sure no grains of sand are smuggled into your glasses case. This could damage your glasses due to movement during wear.

Wet microfiber or commercial wipes for on the go

When traveling, it is best to clean your sunglasses with commercially available microfiber cloths.

They also absorb grease residue from the lenses without leaving traces. If your sunglasses are very dirty, special care products and aerosols from specialist retailers are recommended.

This way, you clean your plastic and mineral lenses with care and thoroughness.

Some care products even have an antistatic effect, so that dust and dirt no longer stick as easily to the lens.
Simply run your glasses under water. There is nothing better for your lenses. And avoid extreme temperatures.

Cleaning with lukewarm water and detergent

Better than microfiber cloths: plain tap water. The best way to clean your sunglasses is to use lukewarm water. For cleaning, simply use a drop of detergent or another liquid cleaner with a neutral pH. This gently removes dirt particles and dissolves grease.

To dry your glasses, it is best to use a clean glasses cleaning cloth. White vinegar is also a very good care product that we recommend using on your frame and lenses.
If in doubt about the use of a cleaning spray product, ask your optician for advice.

Ultrasonic cleaning

From time to time, you can clean your sunglasses in an ultrasonic bath. This is the most thorough and intensive cleaning method. It will make your sunglass lenses clean in just a few minutes. Do not exceed temperatures above 50°C. 

Your sunglasses simply do not like hot temperatures above 50°C.

These can occur, for example, in a car parked in an unsheltered parking lot. Due to intense heat, the glasses frame can warp, the lenses will shrink and no longer fit correctly in the frame.

The right cleaning habits

If you notice smudges on your glasses while on the go, use a soft microfiber cloth. Dust and dirt adhere to the surface of the cloth.

This makes it ideal for a quick clean. Keep the glasses cleaning cloth away from dust so that any particles clinging to it do not damage the lens surface.

A glasses case is best for storage. At home and with heavier soiling, it is recommended to clean glasses when wet.

For this purpose, you will find specialized cleaning sprays from specialist retailers. However, a deep clean can also be performed with lukewarm water. Proceed as follows:

- Remove large dust particles by blowing on the glasses

- Rinse the lenses on both sides with lukewarm water and drain well; if very dirty, a drop of detergent helps

- Gently rub the still-damp glasses with a cloth

- Repeat the process if not all contaminants have been removed rather than working with too much pressure

The most thorough and gentle way to clean your glasses is to use an ultrasonic device. Opticians also use such a device for glasses care. In the water bath, the lenses and frame are cleaned in just a few minutes by ultrasonic vibration.

Ultrasonic machines are also available for home use but are generally less powerful than those used by your optician.

If you wish to get one, it is advisable to pay attention to a high oscillation frequency.

What to avoid when caring for your glasses

Just when things need to go fast, cleaning mistakes creep in. If you want to clean your glasses properly, avoid the following:

- do not apply too much pressure when cleaning; small particles can cause scratches on the surface or the lens may pop out of the socket

- do not use solvents for cleaning; they can damage the coatings on the lens surface.

- do not use water that is too hot. A heat source can damage the coating on your lenses. Preferably use cold water; excessively high temperatures can warp the glasses frame. Solid impurities, such as paint splashes, must first be soaked in lukewarm water; they can then be carefully removed with a fingernail.

If in doubt, visit your optician, who will then clean the glasses professionally.

Can scratches on lenses still be removed?

Unfortunately not. Glasses lenses are not just made of a glass or plastic disc — they are also coated with many layers for anti-reflective treatment, tinting, and other possible options. Scratches on the lens also damage these coatings.

A "rough polish" of scratches does not work. Scratched glasses should soon be replaced: micro-scratches cause glare and reflections. The eye has to constantly compensate and tires quickly. The result can cause headaches.

How to store sunglasses safely?

It is best to keep your sunglasses in suitable cases. Rimless glasses are only optimally protected in a hard case. In particular, to protect the glasses, the case must not be dirty with sand or anything else. The safest option is to keep your sunglasses on your own nose.

What should I pay attention to with rimless glasses?

Please always handle your rimless glasses with great care — they are more delicate than framed glasses. Always store glasses in a hard case and always pick them up with both hands! When cleaning, hold only the lens being cleaned and do not hold the glasses at the center, on the bridge, or on the other lens.

Over time, screws can loosen slightly. Please come in regularly (every 6 months) for maintenance and have screws tightened only by our technical staff. Only then will you be able to claim the warranty in the event of damage. Please do not attempt to adjust or tighten the screws yourself.

If you need new sunglasses, you do not have to change the frame.

What to do if your sunglasses get damaged while traveling?

If your prescription is so high that you depend on your glasses every day, you should have a secondary pair of glasses with you. In particular, the production of new progressive lenses generally takes one to two weeks, making it practically impossible to replace them spontaneously.

Single-vision glasses can be made very quickly at Céline Roland Opticien Lunetier.

A pair of sunglasses for emergencies is generally particularly affordable, as it does not necessarily need to be modern or equipped with the highest level of comfort. Simply ask our team for a personalized quote at your next opportunity. Often, an old frame can be used for this purpose.

However, if you are already on vacation and a second pair of glasses is not available, Plus values can sometimes be used with a ready-made pair of glasses, which can be purchased at low cost almost anywhere.

If you are staying abroad for an extended period, there are opticians who are happy to provide replacement glasses, which can be produced in an emergency without your presence.