We often get enquiries about damaged lenses, with clients telling us about specs they’ve had in the past, and asking how to avoid such problems again. We also get asked for a second opinion when client send specs to us from elsewhere which they feel are faulty. There’s nothing worse than constantly being bothered by a lens which isn’t clear, it can even be dangerous when driving at night. So here are a few things to remember.

The vast majority of spectacle lenses sold nowadays are plastic, usually coated with an anti-scratch layer. This can never make your lenses totally scratch proof, so you still have to careful! A big problem is laying the glasses face down. Lenses are curved, they will rock against the surface they lay on, and you’ll have a big graze in a stripe down the lens. So keep them in the case or lay them on their folded arms.

When you clean your specs, wash them under the tap first. A quick huff or wipe on your shirt will not dislodge gritty particles. If you then polish the lens you’ll grind circular scratches onto it. So immerse the glasses in warm soapy water, or hold them under running water. Dry with a soft, lint free cloth. If you’ve been on the beach, or around a very dusty atmosphere, take extra care.

Never keep anything in the case with your glasses! We’ve heard of keys, coins, and even an emery board cosily tucked up against specs! Great for business for us, not such good news for the spec owner! Once a lens is scratched, it cannot be polished out, so replacement is your only option

If you have an anti-reflection coat on your glasses, you could have a problem with the coating breaking down. What looks like scratches might be a fault with the coating, so if you have been ultra-careful with your lenses and they go misty, check with your optician to see if it is the coating. It’s fairly unusual nowadays but it can happen, there’s usually a guarantee period so talk to your optician straight away if you notice a problem.