If Your Favorite Glasses Have Scratches… Don’t Throw Them Away! Here Are 5 Ways To Give Them A New Life
Glasses go through interesting phases in their life – they start the journey fresh and clean (quite visibly). And then, the first scratch happens. I don’t think they ever look back after that! I have been wearing glasses since I was 5 and have tried all kinds of glasses by now. One thing never changed – scratches and the dilemma whether to throw them or not. Fortunately, I realized I didn’t have to throw them. There are temporary fixes that will spare you the effort of having to make way through the pile of scratches to see something. Here you go… 5 fixes!
1. Vaseline
There are some ingredients/products ruling the world of internet today – Vaseline a.k.a petroleum jelly is surely one of them. We have used it as everything from makeup remover to cuticle softener now. And now scratch remover it is. Take a pea size amount of petroleum jelly and smudge it on the glass in circular motions. Now, pick up a soft microfiber cloth and clean it using circular motions. Why would petroleum jelly remove scratches? No, it doesn’t – it just gives the appearance of a clean glass. It fills in all the gaps and cracks temporarily and makes it look clean. You will have to do this every time the effect of petroleum jelly wears off.
2. Car Wax
Car wax – for obvious reasons. Car wax helps in coating the glass with a protective film, thereby securing it from further scratches and other forms of physical damage like sunlight, rain, and dust. Well, I was reckless as hell. After two days of searching, if I hadn’t found my glasses, then I’d surely find them somewhere under the bed with a coating of at least an inch of dust. In spite of that, I managed okay-ish glasses, thanks to car wax. Spray a few drops on the glass and rinse it with tap water. That’s it. That will do the trick for a while.
3. Toothpaste
Before trying this hack, make sure you choose a non-gel and more importantly, a non-abrasive toothpaste. I know a whitening toothpaste promises clean teeth, but for that to happen, the toothpaste is made abrasive. If you use the same toothpaste on eyeglasses, it could remove the protective coating on your glasses, making matters worse. Take a small amount of a smooth toothpaste and rub it both on the inside and the outside in circular motions and then rinse it under running water. Effort-free sight now at your disposal!
4. Baking Soda
You can’t talk about hacks and not mention baking soda, can you? Baking soda is mild yet cleanses the grime well. Probably why it works perfectly as a lens cleaner. It not only cleans the surface but drastically reduces the visibility of the scratches. Make a paste by mixing a little amount of water with baking soda. See to it that the consistency is relatively thick. Again, apply the paste on both the sides of the glasses and gently wipe in circular motions. Rinse the glasses in lukewarm water and dry it with a microfiber cloth.
5. Metal Polish
The polish used to clean surfaces of metals like gold and silver work great for cleaning eyeglasses without having to spend much. Just like any other hack, make sure the liquid seeps into the crevices and gently rub in circular motions. Do not use foil or any other rough piece of paper to clean the polish off as it will only worsen the damage. Plus, try using the gold metal polish because the silver polish is slightly more gritty than the gold one.
6. Rubbing Alcohol
Rubbing alcohol (Active ingredient being Isopropyl Alcohol) is another excellent at-home method to clean eyeglasses. It extensively removes the dirt accumulated in the scratches and cracks. This considerably decreases the prominence of the scratches. You could make a DIY solution with rubbing alcohol to keep it handy just in case your glasses are just more prone to reckless handling. Take a spray bottle and fill it with rubbing alcohol. Add a few drops of mild dish washing soap and shake the mixture well. Spray the liquid whenever your sight gets murky and uncomfortable. Just refrain from using it on an everyday basis.
According to me, there are two kinds of eyeglass wearers. One, who are extra cautious – they think twice before sneezing. Just in case it might cause a microscopic scratch on their glasses! Two, under-the-bed, one-inch-dust kind. Both of them need these hacks. To keep it impeccably clean for the former and to be able to see through the glass for the latter. Whichever category you belong to, feel free to use these hacks and add to the list if you want to. Please leave your feedback in the comments section below!
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