Cleaning your contact lenses
Taking proper care of your contact lenses is essential not only for keeping on top of your own eye health but ensuring that your lenses remain comfortable throughout their wear time.
Cleaning your contacts regularly is an important daily routine for certain types of contact lenses! It helps to remove dirt, debris and bacteria but also reduces the risk of infections and/or other complications. Let’s take an in-depth look at how and why cleaning contact lenses is so important.
Types of Contact Lenses That Should Be Cleaned
Before getting into the cleaning process, it's important to know which types of contact lenses require regular cleaning. Generally, contact lenses can be broken down into 4 main categories:
- Daily disposable contact lenses
- Two weekly disposable contact lenses
- Monthly disposable contact lenses
- Extended wear contact lenses
Daily disposable contact lenses do not require cleaning or storage. They are designed to be worn once and discarded after removal. Do not clean and reuse a daily disposable lens.
Extended-wear require particular care because their cleaning routine depends on the lens and the wearing schedule prescribed by your optometrist. If reusable extended-wear lenses are removed and will be worn again, follow the recommended cleaning and disinfection procedure before reinsertion. Never extend overnight wear beyond the schedule advised by your optometrist.
Weekly, Two weekly and Monthly disposable contact lenses have been designed to be worn daily and then cleaned and stored overnight so that they remain clean and healthy for 7, 14, or 30 days of wear.
Different types of contact lenses will require different care, so you should discuss your cleaning regime with your optometrist. Also, be sure to read the instructions provided with the lenses.
Keep contact lenses away from water. Remove them before swimming, showering or using a hot tub. If water accidentally comes into contact with your lenses, remove them as soon as possible. Discard daily disposable lenses. Reusable lenses should be cleaned and disinfected according to the recommended care procedure before they are worn again.
The Importance Of Cleaning Contact Lenses
Cleaning and maintenance are important tasks for two weekly and monthly disposable contact lenses, a good cleaning routine will help to ensure both the comfort and health of your eyes.
Contact lens cleaning isn't just a question of keeping your contact lenses dirt-free, it's also vital for maintaining good ocular health.
Every day, we are exposed to dirt, dust, fungi and bacteria in the air around us. If these things end up in our eyes, they can cause problems such as discomfort, inflammation, ulceration or even infection.
Contacts can slowly accumulate a build-up of protein and calcium that comes from your tears. This can cause the lenses to become cloudy, thus impairing vision. It can also stop the flow of oxygen to your eyes, which can cause other eye health problems.
One rare but serious condition, acanthamoeba keratitis is caused by a microscopic organism and is usually found in contact lens wearers who have not kept their lenses adequately clean or haven't followed the safe use guidelines. This illness can lead to severe pain, and in the most acute conditions could require surgical treatment.
Cleaning Contact Lenses With A Multipurpose Contact Lens Solution
Multipurpose solutions are designed to streamline the cleaning process and can be helpful when it comes to a wide range of actions such as cleaning, rinsing, disinfecting and ultimately storing contact lenses. See below for a step-by-step guide on how to clean your contact lenses using a multipurpose solution:
- Wash your hands: First step of the process, you need to thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water, then dry them with a lint-free towel to prevent any contamination of dirt or bacteria when it comes to handling your lenses.
- Remove one lens: Gently remove one lens from your eye, taking care so that you don’t touch the lens with your fingernails.
- Place the lens in your palm: Hold the lens in the palm of your hand, cupping it slightly to form a tiny bowl.
- Apply the solution: Pour a quite generous amount of multipurpose solution onto the lens so that the lens is completely submerged in the solution you just poured.
- Clean and rinse the lens: Gently rub and rinse the lens with fresh multipurpose solution, following the instructions supplied with your particular solution. Never rinse contact lenses with tap water.
- Store the lens: Place the lens in a clean contact lens case filled with fresh multipurpose solution. Again you should make sure the lens is fully submerged in the solution.
Never “top off” old solution. Empty the case completely after each use and always use fresh disinfecting solution. Clean the case with fresh contact lens solution — never water — and allow it to air-dry as directed. - Repeat the process: Repeat the exact same cleaning process described above but now for the other lens, making sure to always use fresh solution for each lens.
- Replace the solution daily: Get rid of the used solution in the case and refill it with fresh solution each and every single time you clean your lenses.
Hydrogen Peroxide Cleaning Solutions
Hydrogen Peroxide Contact Lens Cleaning Systems
Hydrogen peroxide-based systems are an alternative to multipurpose solutions for cleaning and disinfecting reusable contact lenses. They are generally preservative-free, so an optometrist may recommend one for some people who are sensitive or allergic to preservatives found in certain multipurpose solutions. However, they require a different cleaning process and must be used exactly as instructed.
With a hydrogen peroxide system, your contact lenses are placed in the special lens case supplied with the product together with the peroxide solution. During the cleaning and disinfecting process, the hydrogen peroxide must be neutralised. Depending on the system, this happens using a neutralising disc built into the case or through a separate neutralisation step.
Never put unneutralised hydrogen peroxide solution directly into your eyes or insert lenses before the neutralisation process is complete. Doing so can cause severe stinging, burning, irritation and potentially damage the eye. The lenses must remain in the supplied case for the full time specified by the manufacturer before they are worn again.
Always use the case supplied with the peroxide system, follow the manufacturer's instructions carefully and speak to your optometrist before changing from one contact lens care system to another.
Our Optometrist's Advice
“Hydrogen peroxide systems can be an effective way to clean and disinfect reusable contact lenses, particularly for some people who are sensitive to preservatives in multipurpose solutions. However, they must be used correctly.
The lenses are cleaned in hydrogen peroxide, but the solution must be fully neutralised using the system provided before the lenses are put back into your eyes. Never shorten the neutralisation time or substitute another lens case.”
John Dreyer BSc (Hons), MCOptom, DipCL
Optometrist & Clinical Content Reviewer
Summary
Taking the time to clean your contact lenses properly is essential for keeping on top of your eye health and also prolonging the life of your lenses. A double win!
Before deciding on the type of contact lenses you want to wear, bear in mind the time and attention they will require to keep them clean and healthy.
If you don't want the daily cleaning and storage routine required by reusable lenses, daily disposables may be worth discussing with your optometrist. A fresh pair is used each day and discarded after removal, so no lens-cleaning or storage system is required.
Don't forget: if you have any worries or concerns, speak to your optometrist, or you can check out our Eye Help pages, which are available to everyone. However, if you order lenses from us, you will have access to our contact lens aftercare pages, and access to our optometrist.
