Over time and with daily usage, eyeglasses sustain a great deal of strain and general mishandling. The most common problems are frame loosening and/or minor bending. Taking your eyeglasses to be professionally repaired for minor problems is unnecessary given the existence of small eyeglass repair kits, available at department stores and pharmacies. As of December 2010, most complete eyeglass repair kits cost less than $30.
Micro Screwdriver
Micro or tiny screwdrivers are a staple item in any eyeglass repair kit. Loosened eyeglass screws can cause the frames to become wobbly and more susceptible to serious structural damage. Tightening the screws to increase stability is easy, and most repair kits come with a small plastic magnifying glass to more easily see the tiny grooves in the screws’ heads. Additionally, eyeglass repair kits come with replacement screws in case you drop and lose the screws already in your frames during repair work.
Rubber Ring or Grommet
When your eyeglass frame hinges have become loosened or stretched, the rubber rings or grommets that come with most eyeglass repair kits can be used to temporarily hold the loose hinge in place. Although wobbly hinges caused by loosened screws are more commonly repaired by tightening them, stretched hinges present a somewhat different problem that cannot be fixed with a micro screwdriver. Rubber rings present a temporary fix for this problem until you can have the hinges professionally repaired.
Small Pair of Pliers
A small pair of pliers can be used to bend a bent or warped metal eyeglass frame back into shape — as long as the bend is minor. For this sort of repair, place the tips of the pliers near the bent area, and very gently pull it in the opposite direction of the bend. Wrap the plier tips with a small amount of electrical tape to soften the contact point between the pliers and the frame.
Plier repairs should only take place on the sides and at the bridge of eyeglass frames. Attempting to bend the frame surrounding the lenses can crack the lenses.