Contact lenses are designed to sit directly on the surface of your eye, so small hygiene shortcuts matter. Handling a lens with damp hands, rinsing a case under the tap or stretching a monthly lens beyond its replacement date may seem harmless when nothing immediately feels wrong, but these habits can increase the chance of irritation and potentially serious eye infections.
The good news is that proper contact lens care does not need to be complicated. The safest routine is consistent, simple and matched to the exact type of lens you wear. Johnny Goggles offers daily, fortnightly, monthly, extended-wear and specialist contact lenses, so your cleaning and replacement routine should always follow the instructions given for your particular lenses.
Start With Clean, Completely Dry Hands
Every contact lens routine should begin with properly washed and dried hands. Do this before both inserting and removing your lenses, even if you are only touching them for a few seconds.
Drying matters as much as washing. Water should not be transferred from your fingers to the lens or eye, and wet fingers can also make soft lenses more difficult to handle. A clean, lint-free towel is a sensible choice.
Keep your fingernails away from the lens and the surface of your eye when handling it. Short, smooth nails make accidental scratches or lens damage less likely.
Developing the same sequence every day also helps. For example, always insert and remove your right lens first. If your eyes have different prescriptions, that simple habit reduces the chance of mixing them up.
Keep Contact Lenses Away From Water
One of the most important rules of contact lens care is also one of the easiest to overlook: contact lenses and ordinary water should not mix.
That includes tap water, showers, baths, swimming pools and hot tubs. UK professional guidance specifically advises contact lens wearers to avoid exposing lenses to water because water can contain microorganisms capable of causing serious eye infections.
This means you should not:
-
Shower, bathe or swim while wearing your lenses.
-
Rinse a contact lens or storage case under the tap.
-
Use bottled or distilled drinking water as an alternative to lens solution.
-
Wet a lens with saliva if it feels dry or is difficult to insert.
If you regularly swim and need clear vision in the pool, ask your optometrist about alternatives such as prescription swimming goggles rather than routinely swimming in contact lenses.
Match Your Care Routine to the Type of Lens You Wear
A daily disposable lens should not be treated like a monthly reusable lens. Following the correct routine for your specific lens type is more important than following a generic set of cleaning instructions.
Daily Disposable Contact Lenses
Daily disposables are intended to be worn once and discarded after removal. They do not need a storage case or cleaning solution because they should not be saved for another day.
Do not try to make a daily lens last longer by storing it overnight in solution. Once removed, it should be thrown away and a fresh lens used the next time you wear contacts.
This straightforward replacement schedule can be useful for people who prefer to avoid the cleaning and storage routine associated with reusable lenses.
Fortnightly and Monthly Reusable Lenses
Reusable lenses require more attention because anything left on the lens after wear can remain there when it is stored.
Follow the cleaning system recommended by your contact lens practitioner and the instructions supplied with your solution. A typical reusable-lens routine involves:
-
Removing the lens with freshly washed and dried hands.
-
Applying the recommended contact lens solution.
-
Gently rubbing and rinsing the lens as directed.
-
Placing it in the correct side of a clean storage case.
-
Filling the case with fresh disinfecting solution rather than reusing yesterday's solution.
-
Leaving the lenses to disinfect for the full period specified by the solution manufacturer.
Never "top up" old solution with a little fresh solution. Empty the case completely and start again.
Specialist and Rigid Lenses
Rigid gas-permeable, hybrid, scleral and other specialist contact lenses can require different products and handling techniques. Do not assume the solution used for somebody else's lenses is suitable for yours.
Some lens-and-solution combinations are incompatible, so switching care products simply because another brand is cheaper or more convenient is not advisable without checking with your contact lens practitioner.
Do Not Confuse Saline With Disinfecting Solution
Saline and multipurpose contact lens solution perform different jobs.
Sterile saline may be recommended for rinsing certain lenses, but it does not automatically replace a disinfecting and storage solution. The British Contact Lens Association advises that saline should not be used for storing lenses unless specifically directed as part of your prescribed care system.
Similarly, household products have no place in lens care. Washing-up liquid, homemade salt water or other improvised cleaning methods are not safe substitutes for products specifically designed for contact lenses.
When in doubt, use the exact products recommended during your contact lens fitting or aftercare appointment.
Look After the Contact Lens Case Too
For reusable-lens wearers, the storage case is part of the hygiene system. Cleaning the lenses perfectly and then putting them into a neglected case defeats much of the purpose.
After inserting your lenses, discard the used solution. Clean the case using the recommended lens-care solution, then allow the case and caps to air-dry as directed. Do not rinse the case with tap water. Current BCLA advice also recommends replacing a reusable lens case at least monthly.
A useful habit is to replace the case when you begin a new bottle of solution or set a recurring monthly reminder. That is easier than trying to remember how long an apparently clean case has been sitting beside the sink.
Follow the Wearing and Replacement Schedule Even When Lenses Feel Fine
Comfort is not a reliable way to judge whether a lens should still be worn.
If you have a monthly lens, "monthly" refers to its prescribed replacement schedule—not simply the number of individual days you happened to wear it. Follow the replacement instructions supplied for your particular product and your optometrist's advice rather than stretching lenses to save the remaining pairs.
The same principle applies to daily wearing time.
Do Not Sleep in Lenses Unless You Have Been Specifically Advised To
Sleeping in ordinary contact lenses should be avoided. Some lenses are designed and prescribed for extended wear, but overnight use should only be part of your routine when your contact lens practitioner has specifically advised it and the lens is suitable for that purpose.
Incorrect overnight wear is associated with a greater risk of contact lens-related corneal infection.
Even people who have been prescribed extended wear should follow their practitioner's schedule rather than assuming that "extended wear" means the lenses can remain in continuously whenever convenient.
Make Contact Lens Care Work With Makeup, Travel and Daily Life
Good lens hygiene needs to survive real life, not just mornings when you are standing at your bathroom mirror with plenty of time.
A few routines make everyday wear safer:
-
Makeup: Insert lenses before applying makeup and remove your lenses before taking makeup off. Keep your eyes closed when using hairspray or similar aerosols.
-
Travel: Pack enough lenses and the correct care products for the whole trip, plus spares. Do not decant contact lens solution into an unapproved smaller container simply to save space.
-
Glasses: Keep an up-to-date pair of glasses available. If your eyes become irritated, you should be able to remove your lenses rather than feeling forced to continue wearing them because you cannot see without them.
-
Eye drops: Check that any drops you use are suitable for contact lens wear and your particular lenses. Ask your optometrist if you are unsure.
These small preparations make it easier to make the safe choice when something unexpected happens.
Know When to Stop Wearing Your Lenses
Contact lens wear should not involve "pushing through" significant discomfort.
The BCLA suggests three useful checks whenever you wear lenses: do your eyes feel good, look good and see well? If the answer to any of those questions is no, remove the lenses and seek professional advice rather than continuing to wear them and hoping the problem settles.
Pay particular attention to symptoms such as:
-
A noticeably red eye.
-
Increasing eye pain.
-
Unusual or worsening blurred vision.
-
Sensitivity to light.
-
A persistent sensation that something is in the eye.
A red eye in somebody who wears contact lenses can require urgent assessment. NHS guidance advises contact lens wearers with a red eye to seek an urgent GP or optician appointment or help from NHS 111 because an eye infection may be responsible. Severe pain, significant sight changes or other serious symptoms can require emergency assessment.
Remove the lens and do not resume wearing contacts until you have received appropriate advice.
Keep Up With Contact Lens Check-Ups
Proper home care is only one part of successful contact lens wear. Your eyes, prescription, lens fit and wearing habits should also be reviewed professionally at the intervals recommended for you.
Contact lens aftercare can identify changes that you may not notice yourself and provides an opportunity to check that your lenses, wearing schedule and cleaning system are still appropriate. The College of Optometrists specifically recommends regular follow-up care and assessment of lens hygiene and fit.
Johnny Goggles' eye examination service includes professional assessment of eye health, while its contact lens team can provide guidance on choosing and caring for lenses.
If your current lenses have become uncomfortable or you are uncertain about your care routine, it is better to ask than experiment with a different solution, replacement schedule or wearing pattern.
Conclusion
Looking after contact lenses properly does not require an elaborate routine. It requires doing a small number of important things correctly every time: handle lenses with clean, dry hands, keep them away from water, use the correct solution, maintain a clean case, respect wearing and replacement schedules, and remove your lenses when your eyes do not feel normal.
Most importantly, treat the instructions for your own lenses as the standard. A routine that is appropriate for a daily disposable lens may be completely wrong for a monthly or specialist lens.
As contact lens designs and wearing options continue to develop, that principle will remain important. The safest lens is not simply the newest or most convenient one; it is the lens that has been properly fitted and is worn, cleaned and replaced exactly as intended.
FAQs About Looking After Contact Lenses
Can I shower while wearing contact lenses?
No. Contact lenses should be kept away from tap water, including when showering or bathing. Remove them before getting into the shower.
Can I rinse contact lenses with tap water?
No. Use only the lens-care products recommended for your lenses. Tap water should not be used to rinse lenses or their storage case.
Can I sleep in my contact lenses?
Only if you have been specifically advised by your contact lens practitioner to wear a lens designed for overnight or extended wear. Otherwise, remove your lenses before sleeping.
Can I use saline instead of contact lens solution?
Not as a general substitute. Saline may be suitable for rinsing certain lenses but does not replace the disinfecting and storage system recommended for reusable lenses.