Why is contact lens care important?
Proper care of your contact lenses is essential to protect your eyes from infection and irritation. Cleaning your lenses daily and storing them in fresh solution overnight helps maintain moisture, ensures comfort, and supports long-term eye health. Eye drops can also help relieve dryness and soothe tired eyes throughout the day.
Caring for two-weekly or monthly lenses becomes simple once you establish a routine. Washing, rinsing, and storing your lenses correctly only takes a few minutes. However, if you have a hectic schedule and find this routine difficult to maintain, daily disposable lenses or extended wear options may be more suitable. Keep in mind, extended wear lenses should only be used with approval from your optician.
How do I clean and store my contact lenses?
- You should always use fresh solution to clean and store your contact lenses. Follow the steps below to ensure you clean and store your lenses in the safest way possible.
- Wash your hands and dry them thoroughly with a lint free towel to prevent fibres from transferring to your eyes.
- Take one lens out at a time and place each lens separately in the palm of your hand. Cover the lens in your recommended cleaning solution. Using the tip of your forefinger, gently rub the lens in a circular motion to loosen any debris or deposits that have built up over the day.
- Rinse the lens with saline solution (or multi-purpose solution), making sure to remove any remaining debris.
- Fill a clean contact lens case with disinfecting solution (again, multi-purpose solution can be used for this stage too). Place your lens inside the case and leave to disinfect for as long as the product packaging recommends. The disinfecting process is vital to killing microorganisms, removing them from the lens.
- Repeat steps 3-5 with the other contact lens.
How to Clean Your Contact Lens Case
Keeping your contact lens case clean is just as important as caring for the lenses themselves. Follow these simple steps to ensure your case stays hygienic:
- Empty out the old solution and rinse the case with fresh contact lens solution.
- Turn the case upside down and place it on a clean tissue to air dry completely.
- Remember to replace your lens case regularly—ideally once a month, or at least every three months.
