Cleaning and caring for your soft contact lenses: A refresher
Many of our patients have had contact lenses for decades and they give them little consideration on a daily basis. Contact lenses give so many the freedom from glasses, allowing them to enjoy perfect vision, however wearing them does increase your chance of contracting an eye infection so it is especially important that they are cleaned and maintained properly. Here we recap on how best to do this.
Cleaning your soft contact lenses
- After removing your lenses, clean them immediately to remove mucus, protein and debris that build up on the surface during the day.
- Place the lens in your palm and apply a few drops of cleaning solution as recommended by your optometrist. Gently rub the lens in a circular motion with your finger, not rubbing the lens too hard.
- Rinse the cleaner off with an approved lens rinsing solution.
- Fill the case with fresh cleaning solution to protect your lenses overnight. Always use fresh solution each time you clean and store your lenses.
- After use, rub the inside of your case with clean fingers, rinse with fresh disinfecting solution and allow to air-dry naturally.
- Replace your storage case whenever you open a fresh bottle of solution.
And remember…
- Always wash and dry your hands thoroughly before handling your lenses. Avoid using soaps that are strongly perfumed or contain moisturisers.
- Do not sleep in your lenses unless advise to by your optometrist.
- Do not use tap water or saliva to rinse your lenses or case.
- Use fresh solution each time you clean and store your soft lenses.
- Do not swim or shower in your lenses without seeking the advice of your optometrist.
- Avoid lens mix-ups. Always start with the same contact lens when you apply, remove and clean your lenses.
- If your eyes become red and/or painful at any time, please seek the advice of your optometrist.
Also, please remember, we stock a vast range of contact lenses so if you ever have any issues with yours, we would be delighted to recommend an alternative for you to try. We also stock a range of solutions which we’d be happy to discuss with you to ensure you have a product that best suits your requirements.
You can download handling leaflets for soft, scleral, hybrid and gas permeable contact lenses here.
Soft contact lenses handling leaflet
Scleral contact lenses handling leaflet
