display frame hygiene

**Graduate** · 07-16-2006, 02:45 AM

do opticians wipe displayed eyeglass frames & sunglasses with anti-microbial solutions since different people try them on their face.

second question: is it ethically ok to sell displayed/demo frames & sunglasses?

**Chris Ryser** · 07-16-2006, 03:47 AM

Originally Posted by Graduate

do opticians wipe displayed eyeglass frames & sunglasses with anti-microbial solutions since different people try them on their face.

second question: is it ethically ok to sell displayed/demo frames & sunglasses?

What an interesting and probably very controversial theme of this thread.

In all the many years I been around as an optician, owner of a frame import company going to visit retailers for years, and being a whol;esale lab owner, I have never seen any optician wipe frames with ariti-microbial solutions for that particular reason.

They will wipe a frame because it may have fingerprints on the demo lenses. It would also be kind of hard to do as there are hundreds of frames on a board, customers try them on and then put them back. An optician would not even always know which frame had been used.

I dont think this issue has even been discussed over the last 4 years I have been active on the Optiboard. Very interesting subject.

**For-Life** · 07-16-2006, 09:37 AM

Well you go to a clothing store, try on a pair of pants that has been tried on by hundreds more and wear it.

I assume that if the customer is concerned about the problem then when they get the finished job at home they can clean it. Either that or you clean it before you fit it.

**optigrrl** · 07-16-2006, 10:36 AM

Hunh - good point. We wipe down for fingerprints, but not for hygenic reasons. We do thoroughly clean the frames before we dispensing them but we don't use an antimicrobal soap solution. Will change that...

**Jedi** · 07-16-2006, 10:57 AM

Originally Posted by For-Life

Well you go to a clothing store, try on a pair of pants that has been tried on by hundreds more and wear it.

Exactly.
We are being fooled by advertisers scaring us into being artificially "clean". Anti-germ this anti-bacterial that. I'm more concerning with people who have a weakened immune system from slathering on their daily dose of Purell. Humans haven't needed this stuff for thousands of years and don't need it now (on an everyday basis).

**GOS_Queen** · 07-16-2006, 11:03 AM

When I was dispensing, I would only get concerned about frame hygiene if someone had pink eye or the like.

**Graduate** · 07-16-2006, 01:27 PM

Originally Posted by GOS_Queen

When I was dispensing, I would only get concerned about frame hygiene if someone had pink eye or the like.

Yes one of the good reason,also think abt ppl moving with herpes & other skin infections.

Eye glass frame would stand out better in transmitting infection then cloths.

**Happylady** · 07-16-2006, 01:38 PM

I sometimes clean the nosepads on the frames, women's makeup can discolor them. I clean the lenses, too.

**Graduate** · 07-16-2006, 03:04 PM

i think eyeglass manufacturers should come up with some kind of protective plastic sleeve like barrier on temples and nose pads that can be peeled off with every frames tried and whole layer peeled off when frame is finally sold.
rather then investing on AR dummy/demo lenses, they should think something like this.

**Happylady** · 07-16-2006, 03:09 PM

Really, it is a non issue to me unless the person trying them on has an eye infection. Has anyone ever heard of anyone getting sick or getting an infection from trying on frames?

Of course, I don't worry about trying on clothes in a clothing store, either. Oh, and I am almost never sick. I think the last time was March 2004 when I had a mild cold.

**Johns** · 07-16-2006, 04:09 PM

We make it a point to take the frames as people try them on, spray them with alcohol, and wipe them off. We also make it very obvious between pupliometer uses. This past winter, during flu season, we even advertised how we are different from our competition this way. We also have Purell bottles on each dispensing counter, as well as on the reception desk. We've had nothing but favorable comments from our customers.

Call me strange, but I'm kind of freakish about cleanliness. I've also read some of the studies regarding the over-use of these agents, but I assume that most of my customers are very lax about their hygene, especially handwashing, and I don't want to take the risk.

Out of 16 employees, they only logged a total of 7 sick days total in the last 12 months. Maybe it's working.

**Framebender** · 07-16-2006, 04:18 PM

I haven't given alot of thought about. We use a dishpan once a month and use a couple of capfuls of Pinesol in the water to clean stock, but mostly because I hate fingerprints or dust on the lenses. We've were using Pinesol for the smell rather than the disenfecting properties. Its something to consider though and I'll be bringing it up at the next staff meeting.

**edKENdance** · 07-17-2006, 12:47 AM

Originally Posted by Happylady

I sometimes clean the nosepads on the frames, women's makeup can discolor them. I clean the lenses, too.

LMAO! I once put a pair of sunglasses on a lady that was apparently wearing a lot of makeup. She loved them. When she took them off the nosepads were completely discoloured. She said, "does that come off?" Off the top all I could think to say was "I sure as hell hope so"

:)

**Chris Ryser** · 07-17-2006, 03:08 AM

Doe anyone wear protective gloves when working on customers, as adjusting frame for examples?

**edKENdance** · 07-17-2006, 03:12 AM

1. Chris. You wake up too god damned early.

2. I forgot what I was gonna say.

:cheers:

**Graduate** · 07-17-2006, 02:54 PM

like we remove chin rest paper and wipe head rest of slit-lamp with alchol after every patient, opticians can spray and wipe some kind of disinfectant on each frame after try, if that does not alter shine of frame,just an idea.

**kmc** · 07-17-2006, 03:27 PM

one could say the same of you ED.

**kmc** · 07-17-2006, 03:32 PM

you know how if a child is born premature, they are stuck in those little incubators and nurses and doctors have to care for them through thos little holes just big enough to put your arms through because of germs, blah,blah,blah? Maybe that's what we need! This way, we won't actually have to touch and thing or anyone. Just have a plexiglass box that fits on the patients head and you can reach in (gloved... of course) and do all of the adjusting and fitting. no worries about eyeboogers or face cheese flying around or flaking off. not to mention, no worries about smelling bad breath. yeah, let THEM smell it for a while.. heeheehee