Whether it’s because your shades’ lenses are all scratched up, broken, or falling out, you’ve finally realized that it’s high time to get some replacement sunglass lenses. You’ve looked up the right model number, color code, found the right size of replacement lenses, and gotten them delivered.

Great, but now what? Do you even know how to replace sunglass lenses? No? Well, thankfully for you, we do, and we’re willing to show you how.

Out With the Old…

Before you can put those replacement lenses in, you’ve got to get those old ones out. Get a bowl of warm water, and submerge your shades in it for about a minute or two. This heats up the metal or plastic of the frames, making them more malleable. You don’t want to leave the frames in there too long, or else they’ll expand around the lenses making it harder to get them out. Once you’ve warmed them up just right, gently twist and bend the frames, working the lenses out. Don’t be too tough on them, or else your risk breaking your sunglasses.

… And In With the New.

Now that you’ve got an empty set of frames, you’re all set to get those replacement lenses in. Start with the bottom. Nestle the replacement lenses in the bottommost part of the frames, and then work them along the groove. Don’t be shy about touching the lenses, because you can always clean them afterwards. Once they’re in, check to make sure they won’t fall out. It’s important to note here that you should reheat those sunglasses before trying to fit the replacement lenses in for the same reason you did it to get the old lenses out. The more malleable the frames, the easier it’ll be to fit those replacement lenses in.

Replacing sunglass lenses is pretty easy to do. It just takes a bit of care and patience. If you have any questions about how to put replacement lenses in your shades, feel free to ask in the comments.