Why Everyday Care Matters
Glasses are worn for most of your waking day, which means they're handled, removed, cleaned and put down far more often than most people realise. Most of the damage we see didn't happen in a single dramatic moment — it built up gradually through small, everyday habits.
The good news is that the habits which protect your frames are simple. They just need to be consistent.
Daily Cleaning: Do's and Don'ts
Rinse your lenses under lukewarm water before wiping them, so any grit or dust is carried away rather than dragged across the lens surface. A few drops of gentle, fragrance-free dish soap on your fingertips helps lift oils without damaging lens coatings.
Dry your glasses with a clean, soft microfibre cloth — not a paper towel, tissue, or your shirt. These can leave fine scratches over time, even when they feel soft to the touch.
Avoid cleaning products containing ammonia, bleach or vinegar. They can strip anti-reflective and protective coatings and, on some acetate frames, affect the finish.
Safe Storage Habits
Always store your glasses in a hard case when you're not wearing them. Leaving frames loose in a bag or pocket is one of the most common causes of bent hinges and cracked temples.
When you do need to set them down without a case, fold them and lay them lens-side up. Resting frames lens-down, even briefly, is an easy way to pick up scratches from grit on a table or counter.
Keep glasses away from direct heat — a hot car dashboard, a sunny windowsill — as heat can soften acetate and adhesives, leading to warping over time.
Protecting Hinges and Screws
Always use both hands to take your glasses off: one on each temple. Removing them one-handed puts uneven pressure through the hinge on the opposite side, which is a common cause of loosening and eventual fracture.
If a screw feels loose, it's worth having it checked sooner rather than later. A loose screw that's left alone allows small amounts of play in the hinge, and that movement gradually wears the surrounding material — turning a five-minute tightening into a full hinge repair.
Materials Matter
Different frame materials respond differently to wear, so a one-size-fits-all approach to care isn't quite right. Acetate frames are durable but can become brittle with age or heat exposure, which is when temple and bridge fractures tend to occur.
Titanium and stainless steel frames are lightweight and corrosion-resistant, but repeated bending — particularly at the hinge — can eventually fatigue the metal. These frames typically respond very well to precision laser welding when a structural repair is needed.
Warning Signs You Shouldn't Ignore
A few signs are worth acting on early: a hinge that feels stiff or gritty when opening and closing, frames that sit unevenly or slide down your nose more than they used to, a visible hairline crack near a hinge or the bridge, or screws that keep working themselves loose no matter how often they're tightened.
None of these mean your glasses are beyond help. They usually mean the opposite — that a straightforward repair now can prevent a more serious break later.
When to Repair, Not Replace
Many damaged frames that people assume are finished can, in fact, be professionally repaired. If you're noticing any of the warning signs above, or your frames have sustained damage from a knock or fall, it's worth getting an honest assessment before deciding to replace them.
We'll always tell you plainly if a repair isn't achievable to a standard we're prepared to stand behind — but in many cases, a proper repair costs a fraction of a new pair and lets you keep the frame you already know fits and suits you.