Keep Your Frames Properly
Maintained.
Your lenses are designed to correct your vision
based on being held firmly in a fixed, stable position in front of your eyes. So
when it comes to your frames, it’s pretty easy to see why frame care
and maintenance is so important.
Many of us don’t realise how critical proper frame
alignment really is. But it’s why our eyecare professional checks and double
checks the position of our frames in relation to face shape and size.
The correct part of the lens needs to align properly in front of the eye for
ideal vision correction.
Frame maintenance isn’t time consuming—but it is a
common sense, routine task you can perform to keep your vision in the clear.
Here are tried-and-true ways to keep your frames in mind. And in place.
Caring for frames.
Both hands, please! Eyecare
professionals suggest using both hands when putting on and taking off your
glasses to avoid twisting or misaligning them. Gently grasp the frame arms of
your glasses with equal pressure and carefully slide them on, lifting them over
your ears. Use the same grip to remove them, sliding them up and forward.
Pay attention. When was the last time you
actually took a good look at your frames? Periodically check your
frames to see if they are misaligned, and to test for loose screws in the frame
arms. If the frame looks twisted, or if your lenses seem to ride uneven
on your nose, then it’s time to drop in on your eyecare professional for a
(typically free) adjustment. In addition, many optometrist practices sell inexpensive
tool kits containing a small screwdriver and an assortment of temple
screws for emergency repairs.
Adjust early, adjust often. It’s a good
idea to stop by your local optometrist to have your frames
adjusted. Many eyecare professionals will re-adjust your frames, whether you purchased your
glasses from them or not. Even a slight adjustment can make an important
difference in your healthy sight.
Don’t try this at home. Adjusting your
frames is not a do-it-yourself job. Your eyecare professional is
trained to know how your lenses need to be positioned relative to your eye.
Also, a frame can contain fragile materials and design elements. You
might just snap them in your effort to fix them. That means no bending of frame
arms!
Don’t forget to wash. Just as you need to
wash your lenses, you need to wash your frames. Regularly. With soapy
water and a soft cloth.
Not on your head, not on the floor, not by the
sink… Storing frames on your head can stretch and misalign
them. Stepping on your glasses is the quickest way to twist them or break them.
And the bathroom sink is a good recipe for soiled lenses as well as frames.
Sturdy frame cases exist for good reason.