Cleaning and disinfecting your contact lenses with multipurpose solution

Cleaning and disinfecting your lenses is one of the most important things you can do. Improper handling and cleaning of contact lenses is a major source of eye infections and other problems. So make cleaning and disinfecting them part of your daily routine when you remove your lenses at the end of the day.

Of course, if you’ve chosen daily disposable lenses, you can skip all of this!

Step 1: Once you have the lens out and in the palm of your hand, cup your hand slightly and squeeze fresh contact lens solution onto the surface of the lens.

Step 1:
Once you have the lens out and in the palm of your hand, cup your hand slightly and squeeze fresh contact lens solution onto the surface of the lens. Follow the instructions on your multipurpose solution for how many drops you should use.

Step 2: Rub the lens in this small pool of cleaner.

Step 2:
Rub the lens in this small pool of cleaner. Follow the directions on your multipurpose solution for how long to rub and rinse your lenses. Make sure you are getting both sides of the lens clean.

Step 3: Put the lens in your storage case, cover it with more fresh lens solution, then cap it.

Step 3:
Put the lens in your storage case, cover it with more fresh lens solution, then cap it. You should follow your multipurpose solution's instructions on how long to soak your lenses to disinfect them.

 

And that’s it! Always keep your lenses in their case and covered with fresh lens solution when you’re not using them.

Taking care of your lenses

Contact lenses are delicate, but they’re also highly precise medical devices. You have to treat them with some care to get the most out of them. 

  • Always wear your lenses on the schedule that your eye care professional prescribed. Trying to stretch them for longer wear periods is bad for your lenses and your eyes.
  • Be gentle! Today’s soft contact lenses can tear. If one of yours does, throw it away. When you’re handling your lenses, don’t squeeze them, and watch out for anything that can snag them, like jewelry or a fingernail.
  • Use fresh contact lens solution every time. Not tap water. Not used solution. And definitely not your saliva. Using only fresh solution will minimize the risk of germs and other contaminants getting on your lenses.
  • Rub and rinse, even on so-called “rub-free” care systems. Following the lens solution directions, clean and disinfect your lenses in fresh solution, rinse in fresh solution, then rub and rinse again in more fresh solution. Research shows this is still the best way to keep them clean. If you are using a solution that contains peroxide, always follow the instructions and read the warnings and precautions on the bottle or box. Never put peroxide solution directly in your eye.
  • Rinse out your lens case with lens solution after every use, then leave it uncapped and upside down in a clean, dry place when you’re wearing your lenses. The American Optometric Association recommends replacing your case every 3 months.

And as always, your eye care professional is your best source of information and help. Always follow his or her instructions, as well as the instruction insert that came with your lenses, the directions on your lens case, and the instructions on your contact lens solution. They all work together to keep your lenses, and your eyes, in the best possible shape.