Eyeglasses are a key item in many people's daily lives--as a fashion accessory, to help you see better and to protect your eyes from the sun. If you wear prescription glasses, you know how expensive the lenses can be--and how delicate. Polishing your eyeglasses is one of the best ways to protect your investment, and help you see well.

Buy microfiber cleaning cloths at your eyeglass store. They usually contain fine abrasives to polish away minor scratches.

You can also buy professional cleaning solutions from your vision specialist, but many of them are expensive. If you want make you own at home, there are a number of formulas you can use to polish your eyeglasses safely.

One is made from one ounce of rubbing alcohol and two ounces of distilled water. Spray it on the glasses and then wipe with a white cotton handkerchief.

Another formula for polishing your eyeglasses is one ounce of rubbing alcohol and four drops of mild dish-washing liquid.

For heavier scratches, polish the glasses lightly with the kind of car polish you normally use to buff your car to a fine finish.

Heavier scratches can also be dealt with by using a tiny amount of Rain-X, just as you would on your car windshield.

For really heavy scratches, polish the eyeglasses lightly with your wheel rim polish.

Ask your optometrist or vision specialist where you buy your glasses if there is a warranty on the lenses. This will usually cover wear and tear on the lenses for up to a year.

Ask your vision specialist for a professional cleaning. He might use ultrasonic cleaners that can get out embedded dirt and give your glasses a professional polish. Continue to polish at home regularly.

Ask for a re-coating. Many of the scratches you see are on the coating, not the lens itself. Then keep them polished at home.