Gone are the days when reading glasses were seen as a burden that those with bad eyesight were doomed to wear. Today, with a wide variety of glasses and frames available, reading glasses have become more than just a necessity; they’re also a fashion statement. If you’ve bought yourself prescription reading glasses, you’ve undoubtedly spent a fair deal of money to get the right frame, color, and shape.

However, now that you own them, you must care for them so they last you a long time. Let’s face it, changing prescription glasses regularly can be expensive, and nobody wants to be shelling out money on them every couple of months. If you're wondering how to care for your reading glasses, here are seven clever tips to help you out. 

Here are seven of the best insider tips on how to care for your reading glasses. Let’s dive in.  

The very first thing you can do to help your new swanky pair of reading glasses last longer is to keep them clean at all times. And yes, it all comes down to cleaning at the end of the day, but trust us when we say it helps. However, it’s how you clean them that really matters. 

While your most common instinct might be to take them off and wipe them clean with your t-shirt, this is the worst thing you can do to your reading glasses. Our clothes accumulate a lot of dust over the course of the day, and when you use them to wipe your glasses, you’re scraping those sharp dust particles on your lenses which eventually leave them scratched. 

Instead, clean your reading glasses with a drop of lotion-free dish soap and some water, and wipe them with a clean cloth after. This ensures that your lenses are dust-free when you wipe them dry. 

Quick tip - Avoid using citrus-based dish soaps as the acidic content can be too strong for your lenses. 

While washing your glasses with soap and water routinely is the best way to keep them clean, the tools you use to wipe them dry also matter a great deal. Once again, resist the urge to wipe them with your t-shirt. 

The best way to wipe your glasses dry is by using a clean microfiber cloth. More specifically, a lint-free microfiber cloth is the ideal solution. These are the least likely to scratch your lenses. NEVER clean your glasses with tissues, napkins, or any other paper towels, as their mildly textured surfaces are enough to scratch your delicate lenses. 

Quick Tip - Avoid washing your lens cleaning cloth using a fabric softener, as it can leave your lenses mildly smeared. 

Imagine putting your glasses on the chair or couch beside you for just a minute, only for you or someone to sit on them and crush them to bits. It’s happened to the best of us and can be a very expensive problem to deal with. 

This is when it becomes essential to keep your glasses on a tabletop, especially if you live in a space with a lot of people. However, the best way to store reading glasses when they’re not being used is in a hardshell case. These are the best way to protect your reading glasses from being crushed, dropped, or even scratched. 

Be it during the day or when you go to bed at night, taking out just one minute to safely put your reading glasses in a hardshell case can save them from being damaged. 

This is something we’ve seen countless people doing, and trust us when we say that it's the easiest way to get your expensive lenses scratched. Be it at home or a cafe or bar, tabletops are never free of dust and debris. This layer of dust can easily scratch your lenses if you put your reading glasses on them face-down. 

Instead, keep them upright, or even better, carry along your hardshell case so you can safely store your glasses in them when not in use. 

Another thing people wearing reading glasses often do is place them on their heads when they’re not using them. While this might make them easy to access when you need them, they can also loosen the frames over time. 

Further, your hair isn’t always going to be dust-free, and with your lenses constantly rubbing against them, don’t be surprised if you see a scratch or two here and there the next time you put them on. 

As mentioned earlier, the best way to store reading glasses is to put them in a hardshell case, or even a soft one if that’s what you’ve got. The idea is to keep them protected from dust particles. 

While acetone can be a great chemical agent to clean nail paint, varnish, or paint in general, it’s way too harsh to use on your reading glasses. The chemicals present in acetone are harsh enough to strip away at the protective layer on your glasses, be it the blue-light filter or even an anti-scratch layer. 

The best option on how to care for your reading glasses is to use mild or lotion-free dish soap as mentioned earlier, or even a dedicated lens cleaning spray. This is the best solution for cleaning eyeglasses without damaging the lens. 

The purpose of reading glasses, as the name suggests, is to help with reading or doing work at a close distance that requires immense clarity. These could include using reading glasses for knitting or even cooking or baking. 

However, when you’re not doing work at close quarters, reading glasses are of no use, and one tends to take them off. However, the way you put on or remove your reading glasses can also affect how the frame holds up over time. If you remove them from one side with one hand, chances are you’ll bend the frame in a manner that leaves it crooked. 

The best way to handle your glasses is at the bridge, or the part that sits on your nose. This is where the frame is strongest, and leaves no room for it to bend.

The best way to clean your glasses is with lotion-free dish soap like Dawn. Alternatively, you can also use a dedicated lens cleaning solution or some lotion-free hand soap. 

Here’s what you can do to keep your reading glasses from getting dirty -

• Store them in a hardshell case when not in use. 
• Wash them with soap and water regularly. 
• Don’t place your glasses on your head. 
• Never place your reading glasses face-down on a tabletop. 

Dish soap and water are a great solution to keep your glasses, and is even suggested by the Americal Optometric Association. All you need to do is rub a small drop of dish soap on your lenses and rinse them. 

Saliva and other substances like vinegar, acetone, glass, or window cleaners are not good solutions to clean your reading glasses. The chemicals in most of these substances can damage your lenses, and saliva, on the other hand, simply doesn’t work. 

You must always use a lint-free microfiber cloth to wipe your glasses. However, always ensure that you wash your glasses before wiping them dry, as not doing so can lead to your reading glasses getting scratched. 

Maintaining your reading glasses is key to ensuring they last as long as possible. After all, purchasing prescription reading glasses can be expensive. We’ve mentioned what not to do with your reading glasses, along with seven tips on how to care for your reading glasses. Here's a quick summary - 

• Clean your reading glasses the right way with soap and water. 
• Always use a lint-free microfiber cloth to wipe your reading glasses dry. 
• Store your reading glasses in a hardshell case when not in use. 
• Never place your reading glasses face-down on a tabletop. 
• Avoid keeping your glasses on your head. 
• Never use harsh substances like acetone to clean your reading glasses. 
• Always handle your reading glasses by the bridge to prevent them from bending or becoming loose. 

We hope this guide has helped you understand the best ways of taking care of reading glasses. Follow them diligently, and you’ll make sure they last an eternity and make for a bold fashion statement even several years down the line.