Your prescription glasses may look as beautiful as the day you bought them, but if your nose pads have started to yellow, or better yet, green dirt is accumulating underneath, they become unsightly when people approach you. What can you do about this problem? Is there anything you can do to clean the yellowed nose pads from your glasses?
Why the nasal pillows turn yellow
The nasal pillows are made of transparent plastic. They are in constant contact with your skin and under the plastic the skin often sweats. Sweat, over time, causes the nasal pillows to turn yellow. On average, it takes about a year for eyeglass nose pads to turn yellow, and you probably want your glasses to last for more than a year, especially if you are paying a lot for designer eyeglass frames.
In addition, the reaction between the acidity of sweat and the metal of the frames can cause a greenish build-up on the nasal pillows. This buildup also contains dirt and grime from your skin. It is unsightly and also quite unhealthy if you stop to think about it.
Can it be cleaned?
The answer to whether the nasal pillows can be cleaned or not is yes and no. Not much can be done about yellowing nasal pillows. Unfortunately, once the nose pad has turned yellow, it is permanent. However, green grime and grime under the nasal pillow can be cleaned.
One way to do this is to use a pre-moistened alcohol pad. Push the alcohol swab between the nose pad and the frame, and allow some of the alcohol to seep onto the nose pads. Then rinse it off with water.
If this doesn’t work, use a soft-bristle toothbrush, preferably child-sized, and scrub the nasal pillows. You can even remove them if you want them to be really clean, but be sure to carefully keep an eye on the screws if you do, because they are small.
Some people who wear glasses claim that soaking them for an hour in soapy water and then rinsing them will remove the dirt that accumulates under the nasal pillows. Again, this won’t help yellowish plastic, but if you have buildup it’s worth a try.
Consider the alternative
If you have yellowish nasal pillows, you have another alternative. Replacing the nasal pillows is quite affordable. You can purchase a nose pad repair kit from a pharmacy or your local optometrist, but be sure to have your glasses with you as there are different types available and you will need the right ones.
To make the replacement, start by placing your supplies on a light colored towel. This will prevent small parts from slipping off the table. Next, use a jeweler’s screwdriver to remove the old pads. Once they have been removed, use alcohol-soaked pads to clean the frames near where they connect to the nasal pillows. You want to remove all debris before putting on the new pads.
Once the glasses are clean, install the new pads with the jeweler’s screwdriver. Be careful, as these delicate pieces are very easy to damage. If you feel resistance when you try to screw in the new screw, pull it out and start over.
When you’re done, put some clear nail polish or white glue on the screw heads. This way they won’t come off eventually, but you can remove them with your screwdriver if you need it later. Do not use strong glues, as this will make it difficult to remove the nasal pillows when they also turn yellow. When you’re done, you’ll have glasses that look as good as the day you bought them, and you’ll pay very little for the refreshed look.