Green algae and spectacles

Factual Questions
1

I just gotten a brand new pair of spectacles, and is wondering how to prevent those digusting green algae from growing there. It is a problem in a tropical climate where you are constantly sweating…

I asked the local neighbourhood optician if there is any chemical bath to prevent the algae and other foul, assorted fungi from growing, but he said no and perhaps muttered “Clean it everyday yourself, your lazy bum!” at the same time.

So is there are any reliable way to prevent algae and the sort from growing around the rim of my spectacles?

Thanks in advance!

2

My method is to get up and more around at least once a day. Oh, you mean alga on the glasses.

Regular cleaning should do the trick. It’s not a tropical thing because I live on the desert and need to clean the back side of the nose pieces every now and then.

If the frames are brass they will turn green anyway and I cay that’s OK. What’s wrong with green frames?

3

Are you talking about algae or the green oxide crud that builds up that comes from copper in the frame metal reacting with your sweat and gets into the nosepieces? I’ve never heard of algae being a glasses issue.

4

Yeah, that’s not algae, it’s a form of rust from the frames and screws of your glasses. I find that washing your glasses with those lens cleaner alcohol sprays they sell everywhere (at WalMart, they give free refills) does a better job of preventing buildup than plain soap and hot water, which I suspect encourages the oxidation of the metal. You might also look into replacing the nose pads and rusty screws.

5

I am not sure whether it is rust or algae, but the plastic part of the spectacles have it too (the one that rests upon your nose, especially).

6

My optician said it’s oxidation of the nickel in the alloy. Just wash them everyday, and get a different metal next time.

7

It is green algae. I had them growing in the little holes where you screw in the nose pads to the frame. Every time I swapped the nose pads, they will regrow within a matter of weeks. I tried cleaning it with bleach and other house hold cleaning liquid but it didn’t work.

Finally with a stroke of genius, I removed the nose pads and threw them away, removed the plastic lens and used a lighter to carefully set fire to the nose pad holders on the frame for about 4 seconds on each side. My frame is a metal one, so it survived the fire. Boy, did the algae burn! There was a puff of smoke and there were some crackling sparks as well.

I then got new nose pads from the opticians.

It’s now been about 3 weeks since and it’s completely clear of green algae.

8

No, it’s not green algae. I doubt very much algae could survive in such an environment. As others have said, it’s metal corrosion.

Here’s an article about how to clean green corrosion off glasses.

Here’s a previous thread.