Many small eyeglass repairs can be done at home. When the glasses are badly damaged, a professional must make repairs, because glasses that are damaged or not repaired can cause poor vision. However, it is often impossible to visit an immediate vision center. There are many ways to fix glasses well enough to last until professional repairs can be done or glasses replaced.
The front and temples of the glasses are held together by hinges, which are held with small screws. Over time, the screws tend to loose from the configuration. Sometimes it even falls completely, and the eyeglass frame is messy. Tightening the screws will increase the adjustment of the glasses, which will improve the user's vision. Tightening the hinge screws is easy because it's like other screws. The only difficult part is finding a screwdriver that is small enough to do the job. An economical optical repair kit that includes the necessary screwdrivers and spare screws can be found in most drug counters. Some kits also contain a small magnifying glass.
Bridges, parts of the lens frame that flow through the nose, are very vulnerable to damage. It is difficult to repair eyeglass bridges permanently, but temporary repairs are quite easy. One method is to wrap the bridge in a duct tape and use it like that until the glasses can be replaced. This is the right method, but the results are not comfortable to use, and thick bands can block the user's vision. A better method is to glue the bridge pieces with hot glue or cyanoacrylate glue (like Superglue). Be sure to keep the glue away from the lens.
The temporary method for repairing a plastic frame is to soften the damaged edge over boiling water. Push the short pin on one side and then push the other pin on the pin. Flatten the plastic while still soft from heat. Never place a plastic eyeglass frame on a fire.
Temple frame pieces receive a lot of pressure, so that is a point of tension that might be damaged. Temporary repair methods include the use of masking tape or hot glue. Like a bridge, it is possible to soften the damaged edges of a plastic frame and attach them to the pin. It is also possible to temporarily replace parts of the temple with those taken from a pair of other lenses. Simply open the hinges, remove the old temple and install a new one.
Scratches on the eyeglass frame do not reduce the user's vision, but can look bad. If the frame is made of plastic and the dye completely passes through the plastic, scratches can be polished with a nail file. A good plastic scourer will do the job too. Scratches on metal frames can be minimized by polishing jewelry.
The deep scratches on the lens cannot be removed without damaging the corrective value of the lens. However, if the scratches are small and really only on the anti-reflective layer, they can sometimes be repaired. Enameled wax will finish scratches and soft paint will soften the surface. It is also possible to remove the lens layer. Most sandy cleaners will, even toothpaste. Many layers also dissolve in acetone.