When to Clean Contact Lenses

It is essential that you follow your eye doctor's recommendations for the correct use and care of contact lenses, including care products. Cleaning is the first and most important part of the appropriate contact lens care. First-time users of contact lenses commonly ask the question in regards to when they should clean their contacts. It is important to understand the type of contact lenses you have to proceed with the cleaning periods. Daily contacts, for example, don’t require cleaning as you are supposed to throw them out after a day of use. One of the reasons why many people choose daily contact lenses.

Various cleaning periods

There are contact lenses that are designed to be worn for longer periods. For example, types of high-quality rapid gas permeable contact lenses can be worn up to 30 days. For your own safety, even though not required, you can clean these lenses every couple of days.You cannot use any improvised means in this case, you will have to purchase special ophthalmic solutions. Their compositions were developed by scientists, so buying cheap and used solutions with a shelf life means putting their health at risk. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water before each contact with the lenses. Remove and fold the lenses in the container only need plastic tweezers, which comes with lenses.

• Apply a few drops of your contact lens cleaning solution to the outer and inner surfaces of the lens and gently rub them with the index finger of your other hand for 10 to 15 seconds.
• Thoroughly rinse both surfaces of the lens with cleaning solution to remove all traces of deposits.
• Put the right lens into the appropriate compartment of the container, fill the container with cleaning solution and close the cap tightly.

For lens care, follow the care system recommended by your ophthalmologist. If you use a system that uses hydrogen peroxide, you have to neutralize your lenses at the same time.

One of the most popular contact lens types is re-usable soft contact lenses. It is one of the favourites of contact lens users for its comfortable wear compared to hard lenses. However, this type of contact lenses always requires cleaning. They should be taken out every night and put in their special solution.

The most common complaint of those who wear contact lenses for improving vision or beauty is discomfort. Because of this, they are often abandoned in favour of traditional glasses. Although modern correction lenses are so thin, light and elastic, that ideally you don’t notice them in the process of wearing, even at the end of the day. The reason for the discomfort lies in the wrong care.

For correction contact lenses, whose service life exceeds 1.5 months, they are sure to arrange deep processing with the help of enzyme lens pills or enzyme solutions. They are able to remove calcium and protein deposits that a conventional universal solution or mechanical treatment cannot cope with.

Can I wash my lenses with water if there is no solution? In such cases, prepare a substitute independently and at the first opportunity buy a specialized tool. Self-made compositions will not allow the lenses to dry, but will not give any disinfectant effect.

Strictly exclude water from the tap: it contains harmful bacteria, chlorine, which can cause irritation of the sensitive eye shell. Please note that these funds are not for permanent or long-term use, but only if there is no special one, for example, on a trip.

How can you wash the lenses if there is no solution at hand:

• saline from a pharmacy;
• salted distilled water;
• eye drops - substitutes for natural tears
• saliva (not recommended).

Some important tips for maintenance of cleaning of your contact lenses:

• Do not lend your lenses. It’s for personal use only.
• Unless advised by your doctor, do not sleep with your lenses.
• Respect the duration of use indicated by the brand and the ophthalmologist
• Replace any damaged, contaminated or scratched lens immediately.
• When you are not wearing, place the lenses in the correct compartment of the lens storage case and ensure that they are completely inserted into the storage solution. If the lenses are left out for a long time, they may dry out and become harder. If it happens, throw the lenses.