D-eye-Y Emergency Fixes

Got a Screw Loose?

There’s never a good time to lose a screw from your glasses – especially if you’re living under lockdown. It’s the kind of thing that happens when you’re already running late, or it’s raining, or you’re presenting to the boss at work.

Without your glasses, you’ll suddenly feel less connected to the world, and everyday tasks can become a lot more challenging. The good news is that even if you can’t get to your nearest Vision Works store for professional repairs, there are temporary repairs you can do yourself. Check out our handy D-eye-Y hacks for holding things together for the time being.

Just one note of caution, please remember that your glasses and lenses are precision made to match your prescription and sense of style, so do be careful with them!

Raid Your Toolkit

If you see where the screw falls, you can replace it yourself if you have a screw- driver of the right size – a jeweller’s toolkit is probably your best bet. It’s worth investing in one of these so that you can periodically tighten the screws on your glasses, so they’re less likely to fall out. Don’t use a screw from a different pair of glasses – if it’s a different size, it will damage the thread.

In our o-pin-ion...

A pin is the perfect temporary fix – line up the holes on the frame and push in the point of the pin, then bend it over. Just make sure that there are no sharp points sticking out anywhere. You can also use a small safety pin in the same way, or a small staple – push it through and bend over the ends so that it can’t fall out.

Don’t be bamboozled...

By broken glasses – use the fine tip of a wooden toothpick as a replacement for the missing screw. Once it’s firmly in place, you can snap off the rest of the toothpick. You’ll still have the other end to remove any embarrassing bits of spinach caught in your teeth – and now you’ll be able to see them, too!

Reaching the parts nothing else can

Sticking with the dental theme, floss also makes an excellent repair material as it’s strong, light and thin enough to fit through the hole. Poke one end through far enough that you can tie a knot to hold your glasses frame together, and you’re good to go.

A different angle(r)

If you’re someone who’s hooked on fishing, then you’ll find the answer attached to your rod. Simply cut a length of line and use it the same way – it’s more than strong enough to last until you can get to your local Vision Works store.

Sew far, sew good

A needle and thread are another excellent D-eye-Y repair technique – a stitch or two in time could save you a lot of hassle and squinting during the day.

Stuck on you

If you don’t have any pins, staples or dental floss, you can channel your inner nerd and use a plaster or tape to stick your glasses together. You might not love the look, but other people could just think that you’re too busy inventing the next billion-rand app to get your glasses fixed.

Care for your spares

It’s worth having a second pair of glasses (perhaps with a cheaper frame) in the same prescription for emergencies, or perhaps a supply of daily contact lenses so that if that tiny screw does fall out, you won’t have to do any repairs on your primary pair.

Whatever you do...

Don’t use glue or superglue. This will ruin your frame and damage the surface of your lenses, causing fogging or blurring that can’t be undone as it effectively “melts” the plastic.

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