Perhaps the one thing that is worse than not cleaning your eyeglasses, phones, or the display screens of your devices is cleaning these valuable possessions in a way that damages and in some cases destroys them. You can avoid these mistakes. Here are some tips and tricks that will help you keep your valued lenses and displays clean, germ-free, longer-lasting, and more enjoyable to use.
How to Clean Your Eyeglasses
There is no debate that you need to regularly clean your eyeglasses. Here are a few important tips to keep in mind:
- Clean your entire glasses regularly, not just your lenses.
- Use warm water, not hot as that can damage the coating of the lens and distort frames if they are made of plastic.
- Use a soap, an eye glass cleansing product, or homemade cleanser to clean and disinfect your entire glasses, not just the lenses.
- Rinse and gently dry with a clean, premium microfiber lens cleaning cloth.
- Pay special attention to thoroughly clean the arms and nose bridge of your glasses. This is where oil and grease rapidly build up creating a home for germs and bacteria.
- Keep a lot of premium microfiber lens cleaning cloths handy such as in your car, on your desk, in all of your sports bags (golf, tennis, fitness center, etc), in your briefcase, in the glove compartment of your car, your motorcycle, your boat, next to your La-Z-Boy chair, and on your bedside night stand so you can continually wipe your glasses clean.
How to Clean Your Phone
Cleaning your phone is actually very easy to do and takes very little time. Here are a few tips to keep your phone clean and to greatly reduce if not eliminate the risks of getting sick from your phone:
- Clean your phone every day. Pick a time that is good for you and just make it a daily habit.
- Turn your phone off before cleaning it. This is good to do for two reasons. One, you are less likely to cause damage to your phone on account of it getting wet. And two, when you turn your phone off it is much easier to see the dirt, smudges, and fingerprints on the screen.
- Use warm water and soap to clean your phone or use a specially-formulated cleansing solution designed for phones, but don’t use harsh chemicals. Phones can be damaged when harsh chemicals seep into ports and jacks.
- Wipe your phone dry with a soft Microfiber Lens Cleaning Cloth. These cloths will dry your phone without scratching it.
- Practice defensive hygiene by washing your hands frequently throughout the day and by being aware of what your hands are touching. If possible, when in public places like waiting rooms, reception areas, bus stations, train stations, and airports try to avoid touching common surface areas. Rarely are these common surface areas cleaned.
- Be mindful of where you place your phone. The last thing you want to do is to use your phone in a public restroom or set it down on the counter of a public lavatory. The same goes for any other place likely to have an abundance of germs and bacteria.
How to Clean Your Displays
For many people, it is probably harder to remember just how many displays you actually have than it is to periodically clean them. Here are a few tips to keep your displays clean, extend their life, and better enjoy their usage:
- Take note of the displays that you use and value most (laptops, tablets, readers, TVs, car displays, appliances, etc.) and then make it a habit to keep them clean.
- Turn your displays off before cleaning it. This is good to do for two reasons. One, you are less likely to cause damage to your displays on account of getting them wet. And two, when you turn your displays off it is much easier to see the dirt, smudges, and fingerprints on the screen.
- Use warm water and soap to clean your displays or use a specially-formulated cleansing solution designed for them, but don’t use harsh chemicals. Displays of all manufacturers can be damaged when harsh chemicals seep into ports and jacks.
- Wipe your displays dry with a soft Microfiber Lens Cleaning Cloth. These cloths will dry your displays without scratching them.
- Don’t press down too hard when wiping your displays dry as this can damage the screen and rub off the manufacturer’s coating. Remember to gently wipe.
- If you are cleaning a large display or multiple displays, use two Microfiber Cleaning Cloths. Sparingly dampen one of the cloths to help it pick up dirty, dust, and debris and then use the second cloth to gently dry and remove any moisture.
- Remember to never use paper towels or dirty rags to clean your displays as these will scratch and contaminate them.
- If you have a weekly cleaning routine for your home, add cleaning your eyeglasses, phones, and displays to this routine.
Summary
Everyone has eyeglasses, a phone, a TV, or a car with a built in display, and many other devices and appliances that have displays. These things are part of all of our daily lives. Yet, though we depend upon them, most of us don’t take very good care of them. When left uncleaned and unattended, germs and dirt accumulate on these valued possessions making them less pleasant to use and in some cases less safe to use. A good rule of thumb is if you can’t remember the last time you cleaned your eyeglasses, laptop, or device display, then it is probably due for a cleaning. A better rule of thumb is to make it a habit to regularly clean these valuable possessions.