Before I got my first pair of readers, I had always thought it would be fun to wear glasses! I saw the colorful options and range of styles and figured it would be nice to have another fashion accessory. But while I do enjoy the look of my glasses (and actually being able to see, of course!), I quickly learned that wearing glasses comes with its own unique set of challenges!
While glasses aren’t exactly high maintenance, a little bit of savvy and a small amount of upkeep can help make wearing them much more enjoyable! From keeping your lenses clean to keeping your frames from sliding off your face, here are 7 handy tips and tricks that people who wear glasses ought to know. :-)
Related: 7 Practical Tips For People Who Are Always Late
7 Useful Hacks For People Who Wear Glasses
1. Keep Your Glasses Handy
What do my reading glasses and my phone have in common? I’m constantly setting them down and forgetting where I left them! But I recently discovered this little magnetic gadget that allows you to hook your glasses to your shirt so you always know where they are!
It’s a total game changer, and now I just need something similar for my phone! ;-) And for those of you who misplace stuff as often as I do, check out these handy products for people just like us!
2. Prevent Foggy Lenses
Glasses sit right up against your face, so it’s important to keep them clean. You don’t want germs migrating from your glasses to your face and making you break out (or worse—get sick!) Sanitize your frames by washing them daily with warm, soapy water and letting them air dry.
I’ve been washing my glasses every time I get home from being out in public, and as an added bonus, the soap leaves behind a thin film that repels condensation and prevents the lenses from fogging up as much!
3. Protect With Plastic Wrap
As you crafters and DIY enthusiasts out there already know, sometimes projects can get a little messy! If you’re going to be working with paint, harsh cleaners, wood varnish, or any potentially sticky substance, you can protect your lenses by covering them in a layer of plastic wrap prior to getting started.
Your glasses will be well protected from messy splatters, and you can simply peel off the soiled plastic wrap when you’re done!
4. Keep Your Glasses On Your Face
Whether it’s due to a sweaty workout, having naturally oily skin, or just an imperfect fit, most people who wear glasses have experienced the struggle of glasses that seem determined to slip off your nose. Thankfully, there’s a great product called Nerdwax that can help your glasses stay put!
Just apply a bit of Nerdwax to the part of the frames that rests against your nose to increase the friction between your glasses and your skin. Or if you prefer a DIY solution for keeping your glasses in place, you can always get out your hot glue gun instead!
5. Make Your Own Lens Cleaner
As I mentioned earlier, cleaning your glasses is important for preventing acne and illness. And as it turns out, making your own DIY lens cleaner is super quick and easy! In fact, you only need three household ingredients: water, rubbing alcohol, and soap. Get the lens cleaner how-to here.
6. Easily Identify Your Shampoo
Removing your glasses can leave you blind in the shower, making it difficult to tell the shampoo from the conditioner! Make your life a little easier by placing a rubber band around your shampoo bottle so you can easily identify which bottle is which without having to read the labels.
7. Straighten Crooked Glasses
If you ever catch your reflection and notice your glasses look askew, there’s a simple fix! Just place your glasses on a flat table to determine which side needs adjusting, then bend it slightly until the glasses sit flat on the table. (If you have plastic frames that need a little convincing, use the heat from a hairdryer to help make them more malleable.)
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Do you have any other tips or tricks for glasses wearers?
Be careful with straightening your glasses yourself. It is easy to overdo the adjustment and then go back to where it was so you try again…With plastic frames it can be very easy to get them too soft. And finally, having them even on a flat surface may not be what you really need. Often our ears are slightly to pretty greatly uneven. If you’re out and about just go to a glasses store or department.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.That magnetic clip is OK for those who wear tops with a pocket, but I don’t so I keep my glasses on a neck chain.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Hi Jillee, What awesome hints. This may be your best post yet.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Awwww, Lori! Thanks, you made my day. :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.The best thing as a de-fogger is shaving lotion from an aerosole can. Baby shampoo works just as well. Just apply to the glass (this trick can be used for fogged up bathroom mirrors) and wipe off. This is good for scuba diving glasses too.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.In #7 you say lay the glasses on the table to see if they are straight, well no one is straight, ( ears, eyebrows) your glasses are to fit your face not the flat table! Please don’t do this, take them to your eye doctor to get adjusted.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Very true Cyndi, usually one ear is higher/lower than the other, most of us are not symmetical :-) You can adjust them to match your ears, safely, if the adjustment is fairly minor. There are some very good videos published by optricians to show you how to do a minor adjustment at home. If the adjustment is not just a tweak, or you find yourself having to do it more than once, go to an optrician’s office or clinic inside Target, Costco, etc. They have the correct tools to ensure the glasses don’t break when they are adjusted, and many will do it for you for free.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Here’s a winter tip for preventing fogged-up glasses when coming indoors from the cold. Instead of facing forward when you go in the door from outside, face backwards! Your glasses will remain clear! No steamed-up, foggy glasses!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I’ve been in the optical field for over 10 years. Please do not clean your lenses with rubbing alcohol!!! It can damage the coatings that come even on basic lenses.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I’ve used those magnetic glass holders for years. when they first came out i got some. unfortunatly, the price has gone to outragious. they used to be five dollars for two. i can’t believe what they go for now. and they don’t cost that much to make. its a shame to gouge the customer. i’ve worked in manufactoring for years and know that this item cost pennies to make. so sad.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Do you know how to make them, can you tell us, please ?? GRACIAS.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I make eyeglass leashes with a ring at the end so I can easily switch from reading to sunglasses. They can also be used without the ring to be a mask holder. Masks are like glasses… a pain to find when you need them going in and out of stores.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I was told by someone where I buy my glasses, that using anything with alcohol will take the coatings off, so I never use wipes or spray with alcohol. I do use soap and water, though, and dry with my cleaning cloth. I never use anything but the cloths made specifically for cleaning glasses.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I’ve asked before when I scratched the scratch resistant coating when I dropped my glasses years ago. They said they could recoat them & it would fill in the scratch, but they’d have to send them off to have it done & that would take two weeks. I just lived with it because it wasn’t bad and I couldn’t go two weeks without my glasses.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Here I am, five years later lol, but here goes. Like you, I can’t do without my glasses. Unless your prescription has changed too drastically to be useful, save your previous pair as a backup/spare. If anything happens to your current glasses, at least you have *something* to use. RE the coatings, mine have a limited warranty – if they are scratched within the first two years, I can have them recoated for free, up to two times in that period. I have used it!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My shampoo bottle fix that is is for me to remember is that we read from left to right, we use shampoo first and then conditioner, so I always keep the shampoo on the left and the conditioner on the right.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.You can use hot water instead to a hair dryer to help straighten glasses. I did it before I had a hand held hair dryer.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Even though I only use reading glasses from time to time (so far), I just had to say that this was a very helpful post in so many different areas around glasses. Thanks, Jillee. :)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I was told by several optometrists office that you can’t. To remove the scratches would require grinding the lens down and that would change the prescription.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Great tips . I occasionally if the allergy levels get really bad have to wear my glasses. My main problem is actually with my sunglasses keeping them in place. The warm and soapy water reminds of my Dad when he cleans his. I can also tell when he’s cleaned his because he uses a towel in the bathroom to dry them -and the one side of the towel is damp. I’ll have to to ask him if has any problems with his glasses fogging up.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.The method Landon describes sounds like the way my Dad cleans his glasses. I wore glasses as a teen and hated it. I do have a pair that I occasionally have to pull out if I’m not able wear my contact lenses. I know the feeling of fighting to keep them on your nose. A lot of people with the Covid like neck-gaitor type devices because they don’t make your glasses fog up. I’ve been using one lately for work and it worked. Most places that sell eyeglasses will refill your glasses cleaner if you purchase it from them for free.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I had the same problem with shampoo and conditioner when I used a brand that had nearly identicle bottles. I didn’t think of using a rubber band. Instead, I used a Sharpie to write a big S on the shampoo bottle.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.my father cleaned his glasses with warm water and soap. the glasses became totally non see through.
his opticien advised strickty only cold water.
also hand gel instead of dishwashing soap because of the special lining.
thank you jillee for all your ideas. you’re the first one to read every day!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Someone else recommended washing glasses with soap and water, which I always do, and he said to let them air dry to prevent fogging. My glasses ended up with water spots after they dried, so that was no good. What did I do wrong?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Maybe try warmer water? If you use cold, they will spot when air dried :)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.What I do is wash mine with warm to hot-ish water, and give them a good rinse. Then I slow down the water flow because that cuts down how much air bubbles the aerator in the faucet puts in the water and rinse them again. Usually the water sheets right off without leaving water droplets on the lenses. It’s the droplets that leave the spots. So, with my water when I have it turned on the water coming out looks white from the aerator. When I slow down the flow just enough that it runs clear and I don’t get droplets.
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