How do I clean and care for my contact lenses?
Proper cleaning can remove up to 90% of bacteria!
Contact lenses are a medical device that is individually selected by an eye care professional based on your visual acuity, lifestyle and needs. In order to ensure your eye health and enjoy maximum contact lens comfort, it is essential that you take good care of your contact lenses and observe basic hygiene requirements.
Contact lens care
Contact lenses accumulate various kinds of plaque and dirt, which are excellent breeding grounds for bacteria. To protect your eyes from possible infections, it is essential to clean and disinfect your contact lenses every day when you choose to wear them again. If you choose daily disposable contact lenses, discard them when you take them out and wear a new pair of contact lenses.
HYGIENE
Before touching your contact lenses, wash and dry your hands thoroughly to prevent dirt on them from getting on the contact lens.
CLEANING
A contact lens care solution and a case are essential for the care of reusable contact lenses.
IMPORTANT
Never use tap water to clean contact lenses or the case. Water can harbour micro-organisms that can cause eye infections.
Do you knowthat proper cleaning of contact lenses can remove up to 90% of bacteria? Rinsing and storing your contact lenses in a contact lens solution is not enough to clean them properly. Don’t forget to clean your contact lenses mechanically too!
Mechanical cleaning of contact lenses
- Place the contact lens on a clean, dry palm and apply a few drops of contact lens care solution.
- Gently rub the inner and outer surface of each lens with your little finger.
- Rinse the lenses thoroughly with contact lens care solution and place them in the case.
- Fill each compartment with the new solution, screw on the caps and leave the lenses to soak until you need to change the solution, as indicated in the solution instructions.
Contact lens case care – After inserting your contact lenses, remove the old solution from the contact lens case, rinse it with a clean contact lens care solution and leave it upside down to dry in a dry environment. This will ensure greater disinfection as micro-organisms cannot multiply in dry conditions. Change the contact lens case with each new pair of contact lenses.
A lesson on the use of contact lenses
If you have recently started wearing contact lenses and find it difficult to insert/remove them, we recommend you watch a video on contact lens use (insertion/removal) and care.
Need help?
Book an appointment with an eye care professional who will train you on how to properly clean and care for your contact lenses, so you can enjoy maximum contact lens comfort!
Frequently asked questions
How long should I keep my contact lenses in solution?
For proper disinfection, follow the contact lens solution manufacturer’s recommendations. It is recommended that contact lenses should normally be kept in the solution for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.
Does proper care of contact lenses extend their wearing life?
No, in order to protect your eyes from possible infections and to feel comfortable with your contact lenses, it is essential to clean them properly and to follow the manufacturer’s/eye care professional’s recommended wearing times.
Why can’t tap water be used for contact lens care?
Tap water can contain micro-organisms that are dangerous to health and can cause infections. One such microorganism is Acanthamoeba. This infection can cause very serious problems for your eyes.
