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  • Close-up photograph of young woman putting contact lens in eye

    Prevent Infection With Proper Contact Lens Care

    Reviewed By James M Huffman, MD
    Published Mar. 04, 2020

    Follow your eye care provider's instructions to wear, clean and store your contact lenses. These are some contact lens care tips to keep in mind:

    • Wash your hands with soap and water and dry them with a lint-free towel before handling your contacts.
    • Minimize contact with water. Remove lenses before showering, swimming or entering a hot tub.
    • Do not rinse or store your contacts in water (tap or sterile water).
    • Do not put your lenses in your mouth to wet them.
    • Do not use saline solution and rewetting drops to disinfect lenses. Neither is an effective or approved disinfectant.
    • Follow your eye care professional's schedule for wearing and replacing your contacts.
    • Use the "rub and rinse" method to clean your contacts. Rub your contact lenses with your fingers, then rinse them with solution before soaking. Use this method even if the solution you are using is a "no-rub" variety.
    • Rinse the contact lens case with fresh solution — not water. Then leave the empty case open to air dry.
    • Keep the contact lens case clean and replace it regularly, at least every three months. Lens cases can be a source of contamination and infection. Do not use cracked or damaged lens cases.
    • Do not re-use old solution or "top off" the solution in your lens case.
    • Do not transfer contact lens solution into smaller travel-size containers.
    • Do not allow the tip of the solution bottle to touch any surface. Keep the bottle tightly closed when not in use.
    • Never wear your lenses after storage for 30 or more days without disinfecting them again.