Check off list for contact lens maintenance

Almost all eye health issues related to contact lenses result from misuse or failure to meet the hygiene rules. They are fairly simple:

• Keep your contact lens case clean. Rinse out between usage and dry.
• Once a week scrub out your lens case using saline solution and a clean toothbrush kept specifically for this purpose.
• Throw away and replace your contact lens case at least every 3 months.
• Check contact lens expiry dates. Do not handle the bottle tips and make sure the bottles are properly sealed after use.
• Never share lens cases.
• Never “top up” solutions – always pour away old solutions, rinse and add new solutions. Never re-use old solution.
• Always wash your hands in hand wash if possible before handling your lens. Soap should be fine – but do you know what the last person to use it did with it? We advise anti-bacterial handwash.
• If possible, get some lint free tissues to dry your hands with. Normal towels and tissues leave small traces of fibre on your hands which can cause severe discomfort if transferred to the contact lens surface.
• Never take your contact lenses beyond their prescribed use period.
• Don’t sleep in your contact lenses – don’t even nap in them.
• Don’t leave your contact lenses in water. Any kind of water.
• Take great care with make-up (ideally using lid care wipes to remove your make-up)

How do people really behave?

In a recent survey, we discovered a large number of problems relating to everyday lens care. These included:

• 18% of respondents admitted to using inappropriate liquids for rinsing and cleaning (e.g. tap water)
• 25% admitted not washing their hands before handling their lenses (occasionally or regularly)
• 13% admitted to "topping up" their lens solution rather than emptying, rinsing and re-filling
• 16% admitted to changing their lens case less than twice a year

Make-Up and contact lenses:

• Never share make-up.
• Make sure your make-up is not out of date.
• Always put your contact lenses in before applying your make-up.
• Use sterile wipes or lid care products to remove your make-up.
• When removing make-up, wipe in towards the nose, not out away from the nose.

Advice to users:

Using contact lenses should be completely safe. If you follow the rules, get on top of your lens cleaning programme and obey the hygiene rules above you should be fine. Almost all problems with contact lenses (>90%) relate in the first instance to lax hygiene. We know you will always be caught out from time to time (ever thought of carrying an emergency travel bag with you?) but that should not excuse normal, everyday failure to do the basics.

Not found what you were looking for? Go back to our Help & Information Page.