How to Care for Your Acetate Sunglasses
A quality acetate frame can last for decades with the right care. These simple habits keep your sunglasses looking and feeling new.
A good pair of acetate sunglasses is built to last for decades. But like anything made from natural materials, acetate rewards a little care. The difference between a frame that looks tired after two summers and one that still feels new after ten years usually comes down to a few simple habits.
Understand What You Are Wearing
Acetate is a plant-based material derived from cotton and wood pulp. It is warm to the touch, rich in colour and slightly flexible, which is exactly what makes it comfortable. It is also sensitive to heat and harsh chemicals. Treat it like a fine leather good rather than a piece of plastic, and it will age beautifully.
The Daily Habits
Use both hands
Always take your sunglasses off with two hands, one on each temple. Pulling them off with one hand twists the frame slightly every time. Over months, that twist becomes a loose hinge and a crooked fit.
Clean the lenses properly
Rinse the lenses with lukewarm water first, then dry them with the microfibre cloth that came in your case. Never use your shirt, paper towels or kitchen roll: they carry dust particles that leave fine scratches. Avoid household glass cleaners as well, since the ammonia can damage lens coatings.
Store them in the case
The single best thing you can do for your sunglasses is to put them back in their case when you are not wearing them. Not on your head, not hanging from your collar, not loose in a bag next to your keys. The case exists for a reason.
The Things That Damage Acetate
Heat
Never leave your sunglasses on a car dashboard in summer. Temperatures behind a windscreen can exceed 80 degrees Celsius, enough to warp acetate permanently. The same applies to saunas and radiators. If a frame does lose its shape, do not try to bend it back yourself: an optician can adjust it gently with controlled warmth.
Chemicals
Perfume, hairspray and sunscreen all contain solvents and oils that dull the surface of acetate over time. Put your sunglasses on after applying sunscreen, and wipe the temples occasionally with a slightly damp cloth to remove residue.
Salt water
A day at the beach is what sunglasses are for, but rinse them with fresh water afterwards. Salt crystals are abrasive, and dried salt slowly attacks both the hinges and the finish.
A Little Maintenance Goes a Long Way
Once or twice a year, tighten the hinge screws with a small eyewear screwdriver, or let your optician do it in two minutes. If the finish of your frame ever starts to look matte after years of wear, a professional polish can restore the original depth and gloss. That is one of the quiet advantages of acetate: unlike injection-moulded plastic, it can be brought back to life.
Care for them well, and your sunglasses will not be a seasonal purchase. They will be a companion.
