Reviewing Proper Cleaning and Hygiene for Contact Lenses

Whether you are a soft lens or specialty contact lens wearer, it is important to always maintain proper contact lens hygiene to reduce your risk of infection. Always remember not to sleep, swim, or shower in your contact lenses. While many patients remember not to sleep or swim in their contacts, it is easy to forget not to shower in your contacts.

Soft contact lenses function as tiny sponges when they are on the eye. When exposed to water, your contact is free to absorb any bacteria or fungi living in the water. One particular microorganism we worry about in water is acanthamoeba, which can lead to blindness if not treated properly. If you are concerned about your ability to swim without your contact lenses, prescription swimming goggles are available.

It is also important to remember not to over-wear your contact lenses. If you wear daily disposable lenses they should be applied to the eye from a fresh flat pack in the morning and thrown out before bed. Any lens that is meant to be re-worn, such as a weekly, biweekly, or monthly replacement lens, should be removed before bed, rubbed gently in the palm of your hand with fresh contact lens solution, and stored overnight in its case with fresh solution. In the morning, the contact lens solution should be dumped after applying your lenses. Make sure to use a new lens based on the schedule of the lens you wear. If you are not sure, consult your doctor.

For specialty lens wearers who wear one pair of lenses for a year, it is important to follow the same cleaning regimen as discussed for soft lenses (using cleaners approved for your type of lens). For scleral lens wearers, it is important to make sure you are filling your lenses with non-preserved saline prior to applying to the eye.

All lens cases should be cleaned daily with warm water and soap, rinsed with approved solution, and left to air dry. Cases should ideally be replaced monthly or at least every three months. If you use any suction cups/plungers for applying and removing specialty lenses, clean and replace these using the same approach.