Our glasses usually break unexpectedly, leaving us frustrated, unprepared, and, most importantly, with blurry vision. While these broken and bent frames occur unexpectedly, a broken pair of frames doesn’t always mean an expensive trip to the repair specialist. In the blog below, we will cover some of the most common mishaps that can easily be fixed at home with basic tools and a little patience, helping you save money and avoid trips to the repair shop.
DIY Eyeglass Repair: Easy Fixes You Can Do At Home
Replace a Lost Screw with a Temporary Fix
One of the most common eyeglass accidents is losing the small screw that holds your eyeglasses together. If you don’t have a repair kit at hand, find a temporary household fix. A typical remedy is a wooden toothpick; just push the pointed end through the hinge holes until it’s snug and break off the excess wood. A thin paperclip, or even a piece of sturdy dental floss, strung through the hole and knotted a few times, will hold the arm to the frames for a slightly more temporary fix until you can get a permanent replacement.
Tighten Loose Arms to Avoid Slippage
If your spectacles feel loose or keep slipping down your nose, the culprit is often a loose screw at the hinge. This usually takes only a couple of seconds with a precision screwdriver. If you don’t have a dedicated optical kit, a very small screwdriver from a jewelry or electronics kit will often work. Place your glasses on a flat surface covered with a soft cloth to avoid scratching the lenses, and turn the screw clockwise until it resists. Be careful not to force it; overtightening can strip delicate threads or crack plastic frames.
Light Pressure Reshapes Bent Metal Frames
The good news is that metal frames are pretty flexible, so if they do get bent out of shape, they’re easier to adjust. If a frame is crooked, straighten it with needle-nose pliers, but first wrap the tips of the needle-nose pliers in a soft cloth or thin rubber. This keeps you from scratching the finish of your glasses with the metal tool. Apply gentle incremental pressure to the bent section. Better to make several tiny adjustments and check the fit in a mirror than to try and bend it all back at once.
Heat to Change Plastic Frames
Plastic frames are less durable than metal frames and can snap if you try to bend them when they are cold. Apply a little gentle heat to soften the material. To do this, run the bridge or the arms under warm water for about thirty to sixty seconds. Don’t bring the water to a boil, as the high temperatures can damage the coatings on the lens or melt the plastic. When the frames are warm and slightly flexible, gently push them back into shape with your fingers. If you don’t have water hot enough, you can also use a hairdryer on a low setting held several inches away, but keep the air moving so you don’t overheat one spot.
Change Old or Missing Nose Pads
Dirty, yellowed or missing nose pads can make glasses extremely uncomfortable to wear. Most nose pads are screw-in or snap-on. If it is the screw-in type, remove the tiny screw with your precision screwdriver, replace the pad and put the hardware back in. For snap-on styles, the old pad can usually be pried out with a fingernail or flat-edge tool and the new one pressed into place until you hear a click. Changing these regularly keeps your glasses hygienic and ensures they sit correctly on the bridge of your nose.
Reinstall a Popped-Out Lens
For a lens that pops out of a plastic frame, you can usually use the above heat method to soften the rim. When the plastic is warm, seat the lens into the groove near the bridge, then work around the edges, pressing firmly until the lens snaps back into place. For metal frames, there is generally a small screw at the rim that tightens the wire around the lens. Loosen that screw a little, slide the lens back into the groove and then tighten it back up to lock everything in place.
Not a Fan of DIY? Let the Professionals at Eyeglass Repair Take Care of Your Glasses
Taking care of your eyewear at home doesn’t have to be a difficult chore. With a steady hand and a few simple household items, you can often save yourself the trouble of a trip to the repair shop. Just be sure to work slowly and stop if you feel the frame is under too much strain.
While many small fixes are manageable at home, some repairs require an expert touch. At Eyeglass Repair, our professional services use specialized tools such as ultrasonic cleaners and soldering machines to get your glasses back to new without risking further damage. If you’re afraid of damaging an expensive pair of designer frames, it’s always best to leave the heavy lifting to the experts at Eyeglass Repair, who have the experience to work with delicate materials.
FAQs
Can I glue my broken frames with superglue?
No. It’s generally not a good idea to use superglue on your glasses. The glue fumes will permanently fog your lenses, and any glue that runs onto the lens surface is almost impossible to remove without damage. Glue also forms a rigid bond and frequently fails rapidly on flexible frames.
How can I tell if my glasses are metal or plastic when heating them?
Most plastic frames have a thicker look and do not have adjustable nose pad arms. Metal frames are usually thin, with wire arms holding the nose pads. If you are not sure, take a look at the hinges because they are usually embedded directly into the plastic frames.
How do I get a screw loose that won’t come out?
If a screw is stuck, don’t force it. You may strip the screw head. Try a drop of penetrating oil, or even a little soapy water, on the hinge. Soak it for a few minutes to loosen any dirt or corrosion, then try again with the correct-size screwdriver.