How to Prevent Scratches on Your Glasses

For glasses wearers, noticing a new scratch in the lenses of your favorite frame can be an incredibly frustrating experience. And since scratches can’t be buffed out, the best solution is to prevent scratching them in the first place. Aside from the simple suggestions you’ve likely heard before–like keeping your glasses in a hardcase when you’re not wearing them–we’ve compiled a list of our top suggestions to keep your lenses safe. It starts with how the glasses are designed. 

Start with a Strong Material

Basic plastic lenses, made out of a material referred to as CR-39, is a solid and economical choice for someone with a simple prescription, and it is naturally one of the most scratch resistant materials on the market. But upgrading to either polycarbonate or trivex–both a durable type of plastic–can be a simple first step in creating a pair of glasses that is more durable and impact resistant. Polycarbonate is recommended for both safety glasses and children, and trivex is resistant to cracks and chipping without compromising visual clarity. 

Choose An Anti-Reflective Coating

Anti-reflective coatings are designed to do a lot more than protect your eyes from glare, and the quality of modern anti-reflective coatings has come a long way since their inception. Nowadays we can rely on our anti-reflective coatings to repel oil and water, resist fog, and you guessed it, protect our glasses from pesky scratches. While it’s impossible to completely “scratch-proof” your lenses, think of anti-reflective coatings as a protective barrier against the outside world. 

A word of caution, however–a poor quality anti-reflective coating can do more harm than good when it comes to your lenses. In fact, some antireflective coatings may even cause your lenses to scratch easier. Or, they may flake off over time without the proper care. So, we recommend to either get a good quality antireflective coating or none at all. For this reason, we only sell the higher tier antireflective coatings at our office.

A durable lens is a great start to protecting your glasses from scratches, but there are also practical steps that glasses wearers can take to avoid scratches and scuffs. 

Clean Your Glasses Regularly 

Even imperceptible dust and debris can scratch a lens under the right circumstances, so regularly keeping your lenses clean is an easy way to keep your glasses scratch-free. When a lens isn’t cleaned for a while, dust and lint can really settle in, meaning there is a higher chance of a scratch. 

Use Only Designated Microfiber Cleaning Cloth

While it may be second nature to use our sleeve or a nearby towel to wipe off our lenses, using anything but a clean, microfiber cloth could be causing more harm than good. That’s because small, foreign objects could be hiding within the folds of fabric and we may not notice until it’s too late. 

The same can be said about the surface of your lenses. Before wiping them down with any solution or cleaning cloth, rinse the lenses underneath a stream of cold water. If you need to use your fingers to get some lingering debris off, that’s okay—just use a gentle touch.

Microfiber cleaning clothes should be washed gently and regularly to keep them in the proper condition to safely clean your lenses. 

Use Only Products Designed for Lenses

Cleaning your lenses with household cleaners, such as Windex, can be surprisingly abrasive and may strip your glasses of any protective coatings. Use only designated products designed specifically for glasses. Your local eye clinic likely has a selection to choose from, and most lens cleaners and cleaning kits only cost a few dollars. 

Never Leave Your Glasses in the Car

An easy way to protect your lenses from damage is to not only keep them in a protective case, but to keep them in a protected space, too. Crazing happens when lenses and anti-reflective coatings are exposed to extreme heat, so be sure to never leave them in a hot car.  While crazing isn’t the same thing as a scratch, the spider web effect can make your lenses look even worse, and the world can look fuzzy from behind a crazed lens. 

Try Contacts for Sports and Activities

Glasses are often the most vulnerable during an activity, like playing sports, riding a bike, or hiking. While contact lenses aren’t for everyone, they can be a great alternative to glasses for the active patient on the go. The best way to determine whether or not contacts are right for you is to speak with your optometrist. 

In conclusion, while it’s not entirely possible to make your lenses completely scratch-proof, there are many steps you can take to protect them.