5 important tips for maintaining and extending the life of sunglasses

Last November, the news of the auction of personal belongings of the famous American writer Joan Didion, who passed away at the age of 87 due to Parkinson's in 2021, made quite a stir. Many items were sold at the auction, such as sunglasses, watches, a collection of seashells, and so on. At the auction, a pair of large-framed Selima brand sunglasses, worn by this iconic figure, was sold for $27,000, which made us wonder how she had taken care of these sunglasses for so many years.

Now, we want to share with you the proper ways to take care of sunglasses from the perspective of a sunglasses designer, optometrist, and the repair team of well-known sunglasses brands.

In memory of Joan Didion, the Selima brand sunglasses model

Now that the sale of Didion's sunglasses has become an excuse to write this article, it's better to remember the story of her modeling for the Selima brand sunglasses. Didion had a great affinity for large and dark sunglasses. In an interview with Vogue magazine, she explained the reason for this intense interest, saying, "I had a lifelong dream in my childhood of being in a zippy, dizzying life in Argentina and waving to photographers behind fashionable sunglasses." Interestingly, Didion became the official model for Selima sunglasses in 2015 and posed for photographers.

1.The first step in taking care of your sunglasses is to handle them with care

 Unfortunately, if the lens of your sunglasses  becomes scratched or damaged in any way, there is no other solution than to completely replace them. Although you may have read on social networks such as Instagram or some blogs that sweet milk or alcohol is suggested as a magical solution to remove scratches on sunglasses, this is not effective.

But optometrist Ricky Lim refutes these claims, stating, "This damages the lenses of your glasses. Although you may think it's a good idea based on a surface-level result, when you do this more than once or twice, your glasses' lenses become cloudy and you can no longer see clearly." This means that if you want your sunglasses to be usable for a longer period of time, you should protect them against surfaces or situations (such as throwing them in a handbag) that could scratch their lenses.

According to Lim, the best way to take care of your sunglasses is to keep them in their own specialized hard cases, and if they don't fit in your bag, use thick velvet covers.

2.Be careful with your glasses frame

"When Joe Biden, the President of the United States, is also busy taking care of his sunglasses."

The next thing you should consider is avoiding anything that could endanger your glasses frame. For example, when putting on or taking off your glasses, you should use both hands, and you should never put them on your head like a hairband. Lim confirms this statement and adds, "Using one hand puts uneven pressure on the arms of the sunglasses  and causes the temple arms to loosen. Apart from this, doing these things can scratch the frame and over time cause irreversible damage to your glasses."

3.Do not leave your glasses on a table without being careful

"Sydney Seggie," the owner of the Fellow Earthlings eyewear brand, says, "It's best not to put your glasses on the ground or table without the case, but if you forgot the case or you're planning to put on your glasses again soon, it's better to fully open the arms of the glasses  so they don't touch the surface of the table."

Seggie also emphasizes that you should never leave your sunglasses or prescription glasses under direct sunlight or even on the car dashboard, saying, "The sun and excessive heat can damage the frame and lenses of the glasses."

4.Cleaning glasses should only be done with a special cloth

 If you have always used a scarf, t-shirt, or paper towel to clean your glasses, I must say that according to Christie Gabriel, the manager of the Sunglass Fix brand, you have severely reduced the lifespan of your glasses.

Gabriel says, "It's true that cleaning your glasses quickly with handy items is very tempting, but the lifespan of your lenses is severely reduced, and you really should only use a microfiber cloth to remove smudges on your glasses.

The manager also warns that using paper products such as towels and paper napkins, despite feeling soft to the touch, are still rough for the lenses of your glasses and can cause tiny scratches on them due to their texture.

Gabriel goes on to explain that some individuals, especially during the pandemic, use moist towels to clean their sunglasses, stating, "The solvents in these towels not only damage the protective layers on the lenses but also strip the coating on the frame of your glasses.

Sydney Sagi also speaks about the proper way to clean sunglasses: "It is better to first wash your glasses with warm water, as even small particles of dust and dirt on the surface of the lenses can cause scratches. Then, use a lens cleaner spray and a microfiber cloth to clean them

5.Take care of your sunglasses at the beach

 Have you ever forgotten to take off your sunglasses when swimming or sunbathing at the beach? Or have you even washed them with sea water to clean off sand? If you have done these things, then tiny salt and sand crystals may have created tiny scratches on the surface of your sunglass lenses. From now on, it's better to rinse your sunglasses with clean water or mineral water if you accidentally spill sea water on them, and then dry them with a sunglasses cloth.