Resist the urge to use your T-shirt! Photo: ReutersIt could be because we’re short-sighted, long-sighted, or have an astigmatism, but roughly half of us wear some kind of glasses. What many of us specs-wearers also have in common is that, when we go to clean them, we often resort to unsuitable means.
Polishing glasses with a T-shirt or a cloth is not a good idea, as it only spreads the dirt, with tiny grains of dust acting like sandpaper on the glasses, as the German Board of Vision warns.
If you don’t want scratches on your lenses, you’re better off cleaning them under running water or with a glass or window cleaning spray. You can then simply wipe them with a microfibre cleaning cloth, preferably from the outside of the lens in towards the middle.
For more stubborn spots, the experts recommend using an ultrasonic cleaner at your local optician.
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To ensure your vision remains clear even when using a face mask, spectacle wearers should place their glasses over their mask. The air from breathing flows upwards then flows past the lenses.
You can also sew a wire into the upper part of the mask so that the hem can be adapted exactly to the shape of your nose and the warm air you breathe out no longer flows upwards.
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However, it is recommended that you use a stainless steel wire so that the face covering can be put in the washing machine without it rusting.
Using an anti-fog spray on your glasses can also be effective. It prevents the air from breathing steaming up on the lenses.
If you’re buying new glasses, ask your option about the option to have them coated with a special anti-fog coating.