How should I take care of my prescription spectacle lenses?

Today's modern prescription spectacle lenses really are a miracle of technology. If you want to enjoy your spectacles for as long as possible, it's not only important to take good care of them. It's also important to protect them from damage caused by harmful external factors.

Whether you're short-sighted or far-sighted, the right prescription spectacle lenses make sharp vision easy. You'll be able to enjoy your spectacles for many years if you have them specially adapted to suit your individual prescription by an optician. But one important condition of this is that you'll need to take proper care of your spectacle lenses, and handle them sensibly. This is because improper handling of technically advanced modern spectacles can lead to the lenses becoming scratched, or to damage being caused.

This is particularly true in the case of plastic lenses. High-tech coatings do offer a maximum level of protection, even for very thin and fragile plastic lenses, but they can still be scratched. The result is that the lenses become less clear, it gets more difficult to see through them, and vision becomes less sharp. But this doesn't have to happen. Here are some helpful tips:

For routine care of your spectacles, it's important only to use lens cloths made from microfibres. They are available from any optician's store. Dust and dirt cling to them. This process, known as dry cleaning, removes particles of dirt and dust and can be carried out at any time, even when you're on the move. If the spectacle lenses are more heavily soiled, the first step you should take is to wash them in lukewarm water. A drop of washing-up liquid makes the cleaning process even more effective. But be careful: don't use oily soaps. Oily deposits may be left behind on the lenses, causing irritating smears. Lens cleaner sprays, available from opticians, are also very effective. After being cleaned with the spray, the lenses can then be wiped dry with a lens cloth.

The alternative for on the go: Clean your spectacles quickly and gently

Did you know about the pre-moistened lens cleaning wipes from ZEISS? Individually packaged, the wipes are quickly to hand in every situation. They are pre-moistened with a special combination of two active agents, free from aggressive cleaning substances and artificial fragrances.

Prescription spectacle lenses don't get along well with T-shirts, jumpers, and other textiles. So even if it's the easiest, most tempting option, it's never a good idea to wipe your spectacles with your clothes. The danger of scratching the lenses is too high. The fact is that scratches still can't be buffed out of lenses. So the damage caused to them will be permanent.

Now and again, it's worth making a trip to an optician's store to have your spectacles cleaned. The optician has special equipment which can be used to clean spectacles thoroughly and gently. The most important of these is the ultrasonic bath. In this process, the spectacles are placed in a special container. In the space of a few minutes, the spectacles are cleaned extremely efficiently using ultrasonic vibrations. The process cleans not only the lenses, but also the frame. Devices for use at home have now become available. If you want to buy one, you would be well advised to visit a specialist store for expert advice. This is because the best cleaning results can only be achieved by machines which operate at a very high vibration frequency.

As well as taking proper routine care of your spectacles, it's also important to handle them correctly. It seems obvious, but here it is again for good measure: never place your spectacles face down on the lenses. Instead, fold them up and put them down so they rest on the frame. To avoid the annoyance of searching for your spectacles, it is advisable to always put them down in the same place. Then they'll always be there, making it easy to find them. It's worth pointing out at this stage that seats, chairs, and sofas are completely unsuitable places to put spectacles. It's just too easy to sit on them by accident.

If you aren't going to be wearing your spectacles for a long time, such as during the night, it's best to store them in a suitable spectacles case. This advice is especially relevant for dog owners. You might find that your four-legged friend enjoys chewing the frames, and even the lenses, of your spectacles. The result won't just be annoying for you; it could also be dangerous for your dog.

Something else that spectacles and spectacle lenses really don't like is high temperatures. So whether it's summer or winter, you should never leave your spectacles out in direct sunlight. In particular, you should avoid leaving them on the dashboard of your car. Radiators won't do your spectacles any good either. And if you visit a sauna, it's best if your spectacles don't join you. The cold months of the year can also damage spectacles: spectacles can warp if they are exposed to very cold temperatures. So it's not a good idea to leave them in your car overnight in winter.

In general, a high-quality spectacle lens coating can make your life, and your spectacles cleaning routine, much easier. A ZEISS DuraVision lens coating, for example, makes your spectacle lenses water- and dirt-repellent and gives them antistatic properties. In spectacle lenses with a DuraVision coating, the lens surface is smoothed to such an extent by the coating that dirt particles or droplets of water simply cannot cling to it so strongly. Because of this, lenses which have received this treatment are easier to clean. They also need to be cleaned less frequently. Even greasy fingerprints can easily be removed from the prescription spectacle lenses.