Essential Eyeglass Care

Prevention is key (no pun intended) when it comes to glasses maintenance. To keep your specs in tip top shape, here are tips on how to handle your glasses properly. 

Use both hands.

When holding your specs, use both hands carefully when picking them up or taking them off. Taking them off with both hands helps keep the temples in place — they may come loose if you pull on either side too much. 

Set down your glasses with the lenses facing up.

Make sure that your lenses are facing upwards whenever you leave them on a table. Keeping your glasses lens down makes them more prone to scratches. Fold the temples and lay your glasses down so that the lenses are facing the ceiling. Whenever possible, keep your specs in a case — grab a sleek one from Quay for keeping your specs safe + sound. 

Avoid heat.

To keep your lenses from cracking or getting warped, don’t leave them in the heat. A hot environment may also cause plastic frames to melt and metal ones to become too hot to touch. 

Keep them out of the hot sun. 

Of course, you can wear your sunnies and glasses while you’re out and about doing your own thing. But you never want to leave them out in the hot sun for prolonged periods, especially on your car dashboard where they can receive direct sunlight for too long — hot conditions, as detailed above, can warp the lenses and frames.

Dry immediately when wet.

If your glasses become wet from rain or sweat, wipe them with a microfiber cloth. The same goes if you were cleaning your glasses with soap and water. You may not be able to remove water stains that form if you keep your specs wet for too long, so get to wiping ASAP. On a related note, do not wear your glasses when swimming or showering.

Any major tips to help your glasses last longer?

One big tip to help your glasses last longer is to clean them properly. Use the right materials to clean — a microfiber cloth designated for glasses is a must, as you don’t want to accidentally scratch your lenses with paper towels, tissues, or clothes. Water and gentle dish soap should remove most of the buildup on your frames and lenses, but you can also use a lens cleaner specifically made for glasses. Make sure not to use any household cleaners that may warp your lenses. For more tips, check out our product care page. 

How to Repair Your Eyeglasses

Curious about how to fix broken glasses? Going to your optometrist or optician is your best bet for a complicated glasses frame repair. However, there are a few tips + tricks that you can try at home (carefully) to troubleshoot minor issues. 

Fix Lens Scratches

For deep scratches, seek help from a professional. But if you have a minor scratch, you can try removing it at home. 

Apply a baking soda and water paste to your glasses. 

After cleaning your glasses with a microfiber cloth, create a paste by adding one or two tablespoons of baking soda to water. Then, gently apply the paste to your glasses with a cotton ball and rinse it off. Avoid using toothpaste or a glass etching solution on your lenses to remove scratches — these can damage them even more. 

How to Tighten Your Glasses

Glasses can loosen for many different reasons — as you take them on and off each day, the arms can start to feel laxer around your face. Here’s the easiest way to adjust them, plus tips on how to handle specific materials. 

Tighten the screws at the hinges.

The easiest way to tighten your glasses is to start at the hinges. At the temple hinges, tighten or loosen the screws for a comfortable fit. A small screwdriver may work, but other times, you may need one specifically for eyeglasses — you can oftentimes find these in glasses repair kits. To tighten, turn the screws clockwise. Avoid over-tightening, as this may cause your frames to snap or the screw to break. 

Adjust nose pads on metal frames. 

To specifically tighten metal frames, you can also adjust the nose pads. Gently push the nose pads closer inwards together for a better fit on your nose. 

Place plastic glasses in warm water for a minute. 

To tighten plastic frames, put your glasses in warm water for about a minute. Gently apply inward and downward pressure to the arms to tighten your fit. Avoid getting too much warm water on your lenses, as this may warp them. 

Note that memory plastic, titanium, and aluminum alloy aren't easily adjustable, so consult a professional optician in these cases. 

How to Fix Metal Frames

If you've got slightly bent metal frames, it’s easy to adjust them at home. You need two things: pliers with plastic tips and a thin cloth. Cover the metal part you want to fix with your cloth, and gently use the pliers to adjust it. 

How to Fix Plastic Frames

For plastic frames, you can, again, place your glasses in warm water. After keeping your specs in warm water for about a minute, apply gentle pressure with your thumb to adjust the plastic. You may need to place your glasses in warm water a few times before getting your desired results.  

How to Fix Glasses Parts

Paying a visit to your optician is usually the best way to fix glasses parts. However, you can tighten and loosen some parts (including nose pads and temple hinges) with an eyeglasses kit, such as Quay's Tri Fold Cleaning Kit. These sets typically come with a cleaning cloth, cleanser, case, and small screwdriver for easy maintenance + cute, durable storage. 

Quay Warranty Guidelines 

If you notice issues with your specs, get in touch. At Quay, we have a 3-month warranty policy for any manufacturing defects. We offer exchanges or full refunds.

With careful maintenance, you can keep your specs in great shape before the next time you want to switch them out for a new pair. Need a minor adjustment? Heading to a professional is your safest bet, but carefully trying these tips and tricks at home may help. To keep your glasses in flawless condition, check out Quay’s glasses accessories.

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€120,000 EUR to help fuel the dreams of 12 scholars because we believe your vision has the power to change the world.

Our 12 winners wrote an essay on how the money would help fuel (and further) their education. Then semi-finalists were asked to create a video on what self-expression means to them. Meet our scholars and see some of what they had to say:

DIAMOND B.

The ability to express myself has allowed me to cultivate this experience and transform into the confident warrior that I am today.

HEIDI T.

I would use this scholarship towards gaining additional knowledge and experience aimed at advancing healthcare accessibility and quality of care through courses at my university as I complete my biochemistry degree.

VIENNA S.

self-expression is key to my well-being. It's the way I tell the story of who I am, how I feel and what I believe.

LILIANA G

I aspire to earn my Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Neuroscience and earn my Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Social Psychology before I turn 26. I yearn to investigate how group behavior and human cognition influence public policy.

GABRIEL S.

Self-expression is like the soul's fingerprint. It is in the way that we speak, the way that we dress, it is even in the way that we move.

FEBIE L.

Anyone who is willing to dedicate their life to nurturing another life should have every opportunity to do so. I wish to educate myself on assisted reproductive technologies that help couples overcome infertility.

KEANU C. 

Possessing a selfless attitude, good problem-solving skills, good communication skills, and commitment to patient advocacy are all the things that have led me to choose nursing.

ENRICO D.

One day, I stared at myself in the mirror, told myself I was enough, and burst into tears. I am my own person. I am valid... I’m loving myself, living in the moment, and embracing love and support from people who offer it.

MAE J.

I plan to someday go beyond advocating, learning, and researching; I’m determined to become a clinical psychologist who provides direct support to individuals who struggle with mental health issues.

LAIBA Z.

I believe that people shouldn't have to hide themselves to blend in with the crowd. I finally gained the confidence to not let the opinions of others stop me from expressing myself.

VANESSA S.

My self-expression is constructed by little dots of my cultural experiences that have created the person that I am today.

MYRA J.

I will graduate with my Bachelors at the age of 19 due to my persistence in high school and I have begun my Master’s degree program. I also started a company named “Mexituras” to help bring awareness to Artisans in Mexico who make €1 for every hour worked.

SCHOLARSHIP CRITERIA

• Must be located in the US, District of Columbia, Australia, New Zealand 
• Must be at least 16 years old at the time of application  
• Applicant's educational goals have a clearly defined purpose + mission, plus a specific use for the funds as explained in your application  
• Applicants must attend or plan to attend a two-year or four-year college, university or vocational/technical school

TIMELINE

• April 14th Scholarship open for applications
• June 9th Scholarship application period ends 
• July 1st  Semi-finalists are notified + given their video prompt 
• July 15th Final due date for video entries 
• On or around August 2nd Recipients will be notified + announced

SELECTION PROCESS

• First-round written submissions are reviewed + semi-finalists will be invited to a second round, where they will create a one-minute video submission. The Quay team will review the group of finalists from the second round to select final winners.  
• Twelve (12) winners will each receive €10,000 EUR for a total of €100,000 EUR in scholarships. All fifty (50) semi-finalists will also receive merchandise gift cards, redeemable for one (1) pair of sunnies or blue light glasses (€85 value).

EVALUATION CRITERIA

Semi-finalists Answers will be evaluated in the following proportions: use of funds (20%), writing ability (20%), creativity (20%), originality (20%), and overall excellence (20%).

WRITTEN APPLICATION QUESTIONS

• Full name  
• Email  
• Phone number 
• Physical address, including country 
• Anticipated high school graduation date 
• Birth date  
• Annual household income 
• Ethnicity  
• Essay 1 (250 words or less): What are your educational goals, and how would you use this scholarship to support those goals?  
• Essay 2 (250 words or less): Self-expression is a core value at Quay. What does self-expression mean to you? 

Submissions are now closed, and the winners have been notified. Thank you to everyone who participated.

Have more questions? Contact [email protected]

Scholarship Criteria 

• US, Australia, New Zealand 
• Must be at least 16 years old at time of application 
• Applicant’s educational goals have a clear and defined purpose and mission and a specific use for the funds as explained in the application 

Evaluation Criteria

• Use of funds (20%)
• Writing ability (20%)
• Creativity (20%)
• Originality (20%)
• Overall excellence (20%)

 Timeline 

• August 15^th - Scholarship open for applications, marketing begins 
• October 4^th - Scholarship application period ends 
• October 16^th - Semi-finalists are notified + given their video prompt 
• October 31^st  - Final due date for video entries 
• November 16^th - Recipients are notified + announced  

Selection Process 

• First round written submissions will be reviewed and semi-finalists will be invited to a second round, where they will create a one-minute video submission. A group of finalists from round two will be reviewed by the entrepreneursdomain internal leadership to select final winners.  

ENTER NOW: THE SCHOLARSHIP ENTRY PERIOD HAS CLOSED. 

*Thank you for your submissions, all recipients of the scholarship have been notified.