How to Keep Your Glasses From Fogging Up

Late last week, we talked about Dwayne Wade’s glasses and how sports goggles can fog up at inconvenient times. This in turn called to mind the perennial problem of prescription glasses fogging up in the winter time, especially when you come in out of the cold and into a hot and crowded restaurant or bar. Here are some ways to avoid that problem.

It’s a little known fact that water vapor is continually condensing on your eyeglass lenses, however you only notice it when the rate of the condensing droplets outstrips the speed at which they’re evaporating such as in a humid environment.

One preventative measure you can take is to make sure your cold weather gear, such as a scarf or a face mask, isn’t channeling your breath directly towards your glasses. You can try repositioning your winterwear, or if that fails, a thicker scarf might prevent your breath from reaching your lenses altogether.

You can also buy commercial anti-fogging solution, which you apply to both sides of your lenses and then allow to air dry. For those who take a more DIY approach, you can mix a solution of three quarters water and one quarter vinegar and use it the same way.

Finally, if you know you’ll be entering a warm and crowded place, you can preempt this problem by making the transition slowly. You may not always have time for this option, especially if you’re getting into a heated car, but it’s good to know about if you happen to have left your anti-fogging solution at home.

How to Clean and Maintain Your Eyeglasses

The better you treat your eyeglasses, the longer they’ll last, and yet many people ignore the basic suggestions for cleaning and maintaining a pair of prescription glasses. That said, it’s important to know what types of trouble with your eyeglasses you can fix you self and which ones you should probably go to your optician to help resolve.

Here are 7 things you should know about cleaning eyeglasses and maintaining or repairing them:

1. Eyeglass cleaning cloths – Typically a pair of eyeglasses will come with a special cloth used for cleaning them. You should use these lint-free microfiber cloths because they are gentler and less likely to scratch your lenses than say that bottom of your sweater.

2. Extreme measures – When your glasses are extremely dirty, you should wipe them carefully with soap and water using the eyeglass cleaning cloth, then allow them to air dry. If you’re still having trouble you can purchase some eyeglass lens cleaner.

3. Don’t get caught – By using both hands instead of one hand whenever you remove your eyeglasses from your face, you can greatly increase the life of your glasses. This prevents the earpieces from getting caught on your hair or ears and twisting the frame out of shape over time.

4. Eyeglass cases – When your eyeglasses aren’t resting on the bridge of your nose, they should be in a hard eyeglass case. Otherwise they’re likely to get sat upon, trampled underfoot, or knocked off a table or other surface.

5. Beware the weather – Plastic fashion frames can sometimes lose their shape in hot weather, especially if you leave them on the dashboard of your car. Opticians can reheat the frames to get them back in shape; you should not attempt to bend the eyeglass frames on your own.

6. Loose screws – You should check your glasses on a regular basis to make sure the fit is still comfortable. If a screw is simply loose you may be able to fix it using an eyeglass repair kit but for anything more complicated you should take it in to your optician, who will typically adjust it for free.

7. Upright and locked position – If you decide to lie down, you should probably take your glasses off. Otherwise you might drift off, roll over, and bend them out of shape.