Ah, sunglasses. Most of us have a love/hate relationship with shades. Your favorite pair makes you look like a superstar, but you live in fear of the day you leave them on a bus seat, sit on them, or drop them irretrievably. There’s good and bad news. The bad news is that your fears are pretty rational. More than half of all Americans lose or break their glasses every year, and every 14 minutes, someone loses, breaks, or sits on a pair of sunglasses. The good news is that those situations are fixable.
Sunglasses are popular. Like, crazy popular. The U.S. vision care market generated $34.54 billion last year, and nearly 96 million pairs were sold. In Australia, about half of the population wears sunglasses. Given the worldwide love for stylish shades, it’s no surprise that there are support systems for those in the midst of broken or lost sunglass misery.
Finding Your Lost Sunglasses
It’s a preemptive option, but it’s an option, nonetheless. New sunglass trackers are now on the market, allowing you to see where you’ve left them. It won’t help you much if you’ve dropped them down a ravine, but it could be handy for locating a misplaced pair. Just attach the tracking device to the end of one arm and use your iPhone or Android to locate them when they’ve gone missing.
How to Fix Sunglasses
How to Fix Scratched Sunglasses Lenses
There are a few options for scratched lenses. Brass or silver polish, toothpaste, baking soda and water, vehicle wax, and lemon pledge can all be rubbed onto lenses with a lint-free cloth to remove scratches.
How to Replace Sunglass Lenses
If your lenses are scratched beyond repair or broken, replacement lenses can keep you from having to toss the whole pair. You have a few options here:
- Buy lenses directly from the manufacturer, usually for beaucoup bucks, and install them yourself.
- Buy aftermarket lenses for less and send your frames in so that someone who already knows how to fix sunglasses can make the switch.
- Buy aftermarket lenses for less and learn how to fix sunglasses on your own.
If you’re taking the “teach a man to fish route,” read on to find out how to fix sunglasses. Hint: It’s not as hard as you think!
- For metal frames: Loosen the screws on the bottom of the arms that hold the frames together. Pop out the old lens, pop in the new ones, check for alignment, and re-tighten the screws. Easy peasy!
- For plastic frames: Soak the glasses in hot soapy water for about 30 seconds. Try pulling on the frame while pushing out the broken lenses. If the lenses won’t give, keep soaking the glasses in 30 second intervals until they’re pliable enough to release the lenses. Pop in the replacement lenses and celebrate!
Lost and broken sunglasses don’t have to be the end of the world. So, leave the dollar rack behind and pick out a rock star pair you love. Just stay away from the Sydney Harbour Bridge. More like this blog: Replacement sunglass lenses More info like this.