To maintain optimum vision and to keep your glasses at their best, it is worth following a few simple do's and don'ts that will extend the life of your lenses and frame ... • DO rinse dirt and dust from your glasses under cool or tepid running water before cleaning them. • DO clean the lenses with the correct solution and cloth (anti-reflection lenses in particular need special types). Please ask if you are unsure which type you should be using as some cleaners can damage some coatings. • DO hold the frame by the eye-rim whilst you are cleaning the lenses and not the bridge or sides. • DO use a case whenever you are not wearing your spectacles. • DO call in whenever necessary in order that we can carry out any adjustments or minor repairs before they become more serious problems. • DON'T polish the lenses when they are dry. • DON'T take your glasses off, or try to put them on with one hand.. • DON'T lay the spectacles with the lenses face-down on any surface. • DON'T subject anti-reflection lenses to high temperature or humidity (i.e. left on a car dashboard on a warm day). • DON'T let anyone else wear your glasses - they have been made and adjusted to fit you and may become loose or badly fitting. One of the most common complaints relating to spectacles used to be that screws came loose.  Whilst this can happen , it is not the problem that it used to be... as long as the frame is made of sufficient quality metal! At our practice, we treat all lens-retaining screws with an industrial thread-locking solution. This enables the screw to be removed when necessary, but should keep it secure for several years. Unfortunately there are plenty of frames available that are made of rather poor quality metals. If your frame has been purchased from a reputable independent optician, it is likely to be a well-manufactuered quality frame.  However there are numerous mass-manufactured metal frames available in the UK from various sources. Spend a bit of time looking at frames and you stand a better chance of detecting and avoiding these poorer ones... We have had frames brought to us for repair that have been supplied in cases that would have cost more to make than the frame inside them! A good quality frame and lenses should last several years if looked after, so it pays to treat your glasses as the precision- made custom device that they are.