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Blue light from digital screens is a rising eye health threat. Wearing blue-light glasses is proving to be an effective line of defense against the harmful effects of blue light, but properly cleaning and caring for these special lenses is important.
Here’s what you need to know about how to clean blue-light glasses so the lenses continue protecting your eyes from harmful light waves.
Understanding Blue-Light Glasses
Blue light refers to the portion of the visible light spectrum that falls between 380 nm and 500 nm. Because these light waves are shorter, they also have a higher frequency and carry more energy.
Blue light exists in nature, but our modern lifestyle often results in unhealthy exposure levels due to digital screens. Researchers believe that blue light from screens contributes to disrupting sleep patterns and could also damage retinal cells and increase the risk of developing age-related macular degeneration.
While other risks are linked to screen time, such as developing digital eye strain, wearing blue light glasses can increase comfort and mitigate the harmful effects of blue light.
Caring for Blue-Light Glasses
Scratches don’t affect your glasses’ ability to correct refractive errors, but a damaged lens coating can impact your vision and expose your eyes to blue light, UV rays, or glare.
You might have heard of DIY solutions for buffing out scratches with baby oil or toothpaste, but you should know that these products can cause further damage to the coating and that it’s best to take your scratched glasses to an optometrist for repair or replacement.
You can also prevent scratches by learning how to clean and store your blue-light glasses properly.
How to Clean Blue-Light Glasses
Ideally, you should clean your glasses every other day or as needed with this method:
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Start by rinsing the glasses with some lukewarm water to wash off any debris that might cling to the lenses or frame.
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Apply a drop of dish soap or lens cleaning solution to each lens, and gently wash the lenses using circular motions.
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Rinse the glasses thoroughly with more lukewarm water.
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Dry the glasses carefully with a clean microfiber cloth.
These washing mistakes should be avoided at all costs:
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Don’t use water that is too hot or too cold, since extreme temperatures can damage the coating.
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Don’t dry your glasses with your shirt or a cloth that could contain impurities.
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Eyeglass cleaner wipes are convenient, but you might inadvertently rub small impurities into the lenses since you’re not rinsing the glasses before cleaning them.
How to Store and Handle Your Blue Light Glasses
You can prevent scratches and extend the lifespan of your eyeglasses with these tips:
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Avoid touching the lenses as much as possible, and get into the habit of picking your glasses by the frame instead.
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Always fold the temples when setting the glasses down so they don’t topple over and rest with the lenses against a hard surface.
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Invest in a hard protective case with a soft inner lining to store your glasses safely.
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An anti-scratch coating can go a long way toward protecting your lenses.
Protecting Your Eye Health With Vision Care Direct of Oklahoma
Managing screen time at work and at home can be challenging, but there are steps you can take to protect your eye health, such as wearing blue-light glasses. While blue-light glasses are not usually covered by your vision plan directly, they can be made affordable by savings created by VCD vision plans on other items.
Since most blue-light glasses use a special lens coating to filter blue light, it’s important to preserve the integrity of this coating by preventing scratches.
Wearing blue-light glasses is only one of the many steps you can take to be more proactive about your eye health. As a provider of discounted vision plans, Vision Care Direct of Oklahoma can help you take additional steps, such as accessing affordable annual eye health exams. Contact us for more information or to learn more about how we help patients save on vision care.
