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5 Tips For Cleaning Your Eyeglasses

If you wear glasses, you know that smudges are uncomfortable and can cause eye strain. But did you know that eyeglasses can harbor harmful bacteria unless they’re cleaned properly?

That’s why keeping your glasses clean is so important. Here are our top tips for cleaning your eyeglasses thoroughly and safely.

1. Use a Microfiber Cloth

Microfiber cloths are those small squares of cloth that usually come inside your eyeglass case when you pick up your glasses from your eye doctor.

They’re designed to gently and efficiently lift any dust, dirt, and grease from the lens’ surface.

Don’t use the bottom of your shirt, tissue paper, or other cloth — these will just smear grease around the lens, not actually remove it. Even worse, abrasive materials can push the dirt into the lens and frame, permanently scratching and damaging them.

Bonus tip — you’ll want to keep a microfiber cloth handy because they aren’t just great for glasses; they’re also perfect for cleaning phone and tablet screens.

2.Use a Lens Cleaning Fluid

You no longer need to use your breath to moisten your lens. You can easily purchase specialized fluids designed for cleaning your glasses.

But make sure they’re safe for various coatings like anti reflective (AR) coatings.

Some lens cleaners can be too harsh and strip away the coating, so look for “AR Safe” listed on the bottle.

Alternatively, you can use dish soap. But stick to the original kind — not dish soaps for sensitive skin or with added lotions.

3.The Type of Water Matters

If you’re using dish soap to clean your glasses, the type of water you use may make a difference.

Rinse your specs under lukewarm water. Avoid hot water, as it can damage some lenses and coatings.

Also, if hard water flows from your tap, use distilled water instead for rinsing to avoid mineral deposits getting in your frames.

4.Try Compressed Air

Water streaks or droplet marks can make your vision uncomfortable. For crystal clear lenses, use a can of compressed air to dry the lenses and frames after rinsing.

5.Bring Them In to Your Local Optical

Overland Optical Family Eye Care Center is happy to help with all of your eye care needs. Our on-site repair lab will save you the hassle of shipping your eyewear out for repairs, or for a thorough cleaning.

To schedule an appointment or learn more, call Overland Optical Family Eye Care in Overland or St. Charles today!

At Overland Optical Family Eye Care, we put your family’s needs first. Talk to us about how we can help you maintain healthy vision. Call us today: 314-423-3874 or book an appointment online to see one of our Overland eye doctors.

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Can You Use New Lenses for Old Frames?

Everyone drops their eyeglasses sometimes. While your frames may be able to take the abuse, the lenses could easily scratch or crack. When that happens, you may wonder whether you can put new lenses into your old frames. Is it possible and/or advisable to do lens replacement for eyeglasses?

There’s no simple, generic answer to this question. Whether you can insert replacement prescription lenses into your eyeglass frames will be determined by the condition of the frames, their shape, size and curvature, as well as by your prescription requirements. To find out what you can do, we recommend bringing your glasses to our optical store in Overland and St. Charles, Missouri, to show them to our staff; we will gladly evaluate your frames for suitability.

Does the style of frames matter?

If you’re worried about which frame designs can be fit with replacement lenses, it doesn’t make a significant difference. Nowadays, most types of Rx lenses can be crafted to fit every style of frames. However, if style and long-lasting use matter to you, then old frames can be a problem. Even if the old frames have a contemporary look, they’ll age faster and look even more dated during the life span of their new prescription lenses.

It’s also worth noting that if you wear rimless glasses and drop them, there are no frames to protect the lenses, and therefore they’ll get more easily damaged. Obviously, when this happens there are no old frames to accommodate replacement lenses, so you’ll need to purchase everything new.

How are replacement lenses for glasses fit into old frames?

Generally, the frame must be heated to remove the old lenses and then reheated to properly place the new lenses. This process comes with a high likelihood that the plastic will become stressed, making it prone to splitting, cracking or breaking sooner.

What are the benefits of buying new frames?

On the surface, the biggest benefit of purchasing new eyeglasses frames instead of putting new lenses in old frames is it gives you a chance to update your appearance. When you bought those glasses, you may have been in a different mood – and now, you’d rather express your casual and creative attitude instead of your professional, academic one. New eyewear gives you an opportunity to share the new look you want.

New frames are also more durable, because they won’t have undergone the damaging process of being fit with replacement lenses. So you’ll enjoy more years of wearing time ahead.

What are some common reasons to choose new lenses for old frames?

  • You’ve worn your old frames for years and love them
  • Your preferred eyeglasses frames are no longer available

If you feel strongly about using your old frames for your new lenses, stop in to speak with one of our optical specialists in Overland and St. Charles, Missouri. We’ll examine your old frames carefully for damage, and if it works to use replacement prescription lenses, then we’ll use high precision and a gentle touch to fit them perfectly.

At Overland Optical Family Eye Care, we put your family’s needs first. Talk to us about how we can help you maintain healthy vision. Call us today: 314-423-3874 or book an appointment online to see one of our Overland eye doctors.

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Old Frames with New Lenses, or New Designer Frames? What to Buy?

See the pros and cons of both optical options

When your vision prescription changes, you’ll need new eyeglasses lenses. Most patients are excited to choose a new pair of designer frames from our trending optical collections in Overland and St. Charles, Missouri. However, some customers question whether they can just fit new lenses into their old frames. What’s the bottom line?

In general, it’s best to buy new frames, because using old frames can lead to a range of problems. Here’s a rundown of the reasons we don’t usually recommend fitting new lenses into old frames:

Pros of buying new designer frames

  • Old frames must be heated to take out the old lenses, and then they are reheated to insert the new lenses. This process ages the frames and increases their risk of cracking, splitting, or breaking.
  • You won’t ever be without a pair of glasses while you send your old frames for refitting
  • Most optical stores offer a deal when you buy a new frame at the same time as your new lenses
  • You can leave your old frames as a spare pair
  • Buying new designer frames reduces the chances of frame breakage after a few months
  • It’s much easier to adjust new frames when they bend out of shape or feel uncomfortable on your face
  • If any eyeglass parts break, it’s much easier to find replacement parts for new designer frames
  • You get to update your style

Cons of buying new frames

  • It can be more costly
  • If you’re attached to the look of your old frames, you’ll need to adjust to your new appearance

Still not sure what to do? Let us look at your old frames!

If you feel very strongly about using your old frames and reglazing them with a new pair of lenses, please let us look at them to help you make the final decision. Our optical staff will assess the old frames for any corrosion, dry or brittle parts, or loose hinges or screws. We’ll also check to see if your old frames are still in production, so we can order replacement parts if something breaks while putting in the new lenses. Bring your old frames to our optical stores in Overland and St. Charles, Missouri, and we’ll be happy to take a look, as well as show you new options from our high quality selection of designer frames!

At Overland Optical Family Eye Care, we put your family’s needs first. Talk to us about how we can help you maintain healthy vision. Call us today: 314-423-3874 or book an appointment online to see one of our Overland eye doctors.

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