A pandemic that raged through society and its foundations across economies and continents is bound to significantly affect life in some manner or the other. Proof of the same can be found in the masks, sanitizers, and temperature checks that have become a standard practice in life within a post-pandemic world. To combat the same, the masses have had to adopt certain lifestyle changes to effectively limit their exposure to the virus. Don a mask and repeatedly sanitizing hands after contacting any shared surfaces is considered necessary to keep infections at bay. One might pose a question regarding the same, as to whether spectacles can be detrimental to the pursuit of staying infection-free or not.
Being exposed to a global pandemic provoked the masses to understand the fundamental concepts of objects or surfaces that are most likely to help in the transmission of the virus through shared contact. One may consider spectacles to be a surface susceptible to becoming a fomite as they are repeatedly touched, set down, worn on the face, and constantly exposed to the outside air. It is vital to sanitize such surfaces so that the chain of transmission can be broken. But due to the customized designs of the spectacles and high costs, one might be apprehensive about sanitizing it with standard sanitizer which might affect the quality of the lens of the spectacles. Therefore, let us see how to sanitize spectacles amidst a pandemic so that you can stay healthy and protected.
Why Should You Sanitize Your Spectacles?
The transmission of the viruses mostly happens through shared surfaces, with infection entering the body through the nose, eyes, and mouth. Therefore, it is imperative that one should know how to sanitize spectacles and practice it recurrently to keep the virus at bay. Since our eyeglasses are so close to the eyes, mouth, and nose, it is vital to keep them disinfected and clean, especially when exposed to multiple shared spaces and people.
A person touches their face many times a day, and those who wear spectacles are more likely to do it as they adjust their glasses or take them off multiple times during the day. The age group that is more susceptible to contracting the virus, with those over 40 are also more likely to use prescription or reading glasses, hence they should be more careful of inadvertently transmitting or contracting the virus through their spectacles. It is also an established fact that the virus can thrive on the glass surfaces for a period of 9 days, and therefore, frequently sanitizing the spectacles keeps these surfaces clean.
How to Sanitize Glasses?
Sanitizing spectacles should be a frequent practice as they are around a sensitive part of the body. Let us look at the standard steps in how to sanitize spectacles to prevent contracting the virus:
1. Warm Water:
Take your spectacles and run them under warm water and ensure that you run every single part under the water.
2. Regular Soap:
Take any mild regular soap on the fingers and gently lather over the spectacles, carefully wiping down all parts of the spectacles like the nose buds and frames.
3. Rinse:
After a gentle lather and cleaning are done, rinse the spectacles carefully under the warm water again, making sure to completely rinse out any remnants of the soap.
4. Dry:
It is important to wipe down the lenses and frames with a lens cloth or a microfiber cloth only. Any other material like cotton, bacterial wipes, or paper towels can lead to scratches on the lens or wipe away any filter (blue light filter) or film externally applied on the lens.
What Not to Do:
• Do not use rubbing alcohol on the spectacles, as it may be too active or harsh on the lenses.
• Do not use agents like bleach, ammonia, or any type of acid as they can damage the lens, lens filters, or even the frames.
• Do not use paper towels or abrasive materials to wipe down the lens as it may lead to scratches.