Tips for proper lens care

You may not need this guide if you’re wearing daily lenses. Daily contact lens users start each day with a fresh pair straight from the box. At the end of the day, a daily lens is thrown away so there’s really no need for extra care. However, if you’re using lenses with a longer replacement schedule, such as bi-weekly or monthly lenses (or even quarterly or annual coloured lenses), we’ve got a few tips on lens care for you.

While wearing lenses, all sorts of dust, deposits, bacteria and other impurities will gradually start settling on the lens surface. That’s why it’s so important to properly take care of your contacts! First thing you’ll need is a quality lens solution to clean and store your lenses in. You can use either a multi-purpose solution (also known as universal or all-in-one solution), or you can use a peroxide solution. If you’re taking care of coloured lenses, you may want to avoid peroxide solution as it’ll destroy the colours.

 

Taking care of lenses with a multi-purpose solution

Multi-purpose solutions are the least demanding type of solution. As they may vary according to the manufacturer or exact type, it’s important to check the package leaflet before use. However, each multi-purpose solution has the following things in common:

1. always wash your hands first before handling the lenses – ideally with an antibacterial soap – and then carefully dry them
2. rinse the lens case with the solution and fill it with a fresh dose of solution
3. remove the first lens from the eye — it’s good to always start with the same lens so as not to mix up your lenses when storing them
4. place the lens in the palm of your hand, cover it with a few drops of solution and gently rub it with your finger – this type of “rubbing” helps remove dirt and deposits
5. then, rinse the lens again with some solution in order to wash away those deposits
6. store the lens in the case filled with solution
7. repeat the process for the second contact lens
8. leave the lenses in the solution for the time specified by the manufacturer – ideally overnight
9. after the necessary time has passed, remove the lenses, rinse them with some fresh solution and they’re ready to be inserted
10. pour out the used solution from the case, rinse it with some fresh solution and leave it to dry

Multi-purpose solutions are also suitable for cleaning coloured contact lenses.

 

Taking care of lenses with a peroxide solution

These solutions require extra care and attention. It’s very important to always strictly follow the package instructions. Peroxide solutions are the most effective lens cleaning liquids. They excel at removing dirt and deposits but if you do not use the solution properly, you can injure your eyes. So, make sure to thoroughly read the leaflet, to never apply this type of solution directly in the eye and to let the peroxide fully neutralise during the cleaning process.
Finally, though we’ve mentioned it before: don’t use peroxide on coloured lenses because it will negatively affect the colours.

By following all necessary lens care procedures, you’ll be able to avoid nasty infections and ensure your lenses stay in great shape throughout their designated period of use.