Specs and Steps: Fix Your Old Glasses Whilst Waiting for Your Eye Appointment

[dropcap]F[/dropcap]or some of us, we can become a bit too attached to our glasses and even when they have seen better days or really need replacing, the temptation is to make do or apply a temporary fix to keep them going for a bit longer.

Glasses can be an expensive purchase in the first place so it is understandable that you might be reluctant to ditch a pair that has clearly gone by its sell-by-date, but you also need to check whether your prescription has changed and they are no longer suitable.

Minor adjustments

There are certainly some fixes you can apply to prolong the life of your glasses in this article, but you might also want to take the opportunity to see if you might be better off in the long run if you have laser eye surgery, so you won’t have to worry about your glasses anymore.

Check to see if the temples of your glasses could do with adjusting to help them fit better, by setting the frames on a level surface and looking to see if they are not balanced properly. If this is the case, carefully use a pair of suitable pliers to apply gentle pressure near the corner where the frame meets the arm, to bring it into line.

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If you find that your glasses are pinching, try gently bending the arm either away or towards the frame, to get the right fit. If you find the ear piece is too curved for your own comfort, try straightening it until it feels more comfortable.

Dealing with scratches

Most of the lenses used in glasses are made of plastic these days, which should make it easier to deal with some minor scratches that will inevitably appear after you have used your glasses for a while.

Use a suitable mild cleaning solution and a microfiber cloth to see if you can buff out the scratches or you could try making a simple homemade paste using baking soda and water. Make up a small amount so it is quite a thick paste and then rub it across the lens in a circular motion, using a soft cotton cloth.

Smarten up your frames

You can get your frames looking almost as shiny as they did when you first got your glasses, by lightly sanding the plastic with a very fine buffer.

You should definitely test out a small area before you do the rest of the frames just to be sure that the frames are suitable and remember that there only so many times you can do this before it won’t work wonders anymore.

Time for a change?

You may be quite attached to your old glasses but there are only so many repairs and fixes that you can do, so it might be time to consider a change.

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A number of people might think that laser eye surgery would be too expensive for them and therefore persevere with their old glasses or consider wearing contacts, but there is a chance that you might qualify for treatment under the NHS.

It is certainly worth finding out about something like laser eye surgery, especially when you take a look at that old pair of glasses that you are fixing up again to try and get a bit more life out of them.

[author ]Carl Robinson is a longtime eyecare worker who used to wear eyeglasses. A passionate writer, he likes to share his insights by posting on the web. His articles appear on many websites and blogs.[/author]