Taking proper care of contact lenses can mean the difference between a comfortable day and a day of itchy, irritating eyes. Hydrogen peroxide is one type of cleaner for contacts. It removes minute particles and bacteria that have built up throughout the day. However, cleaning your contacts with hydrogen peroxide requires attention to detail. Not rinsing them off properly can cause chemical burns to the eyes. There are two ways of cleaning your contacts with hydrogen peroxide. The one-step process uses a contact lens holder with a built-in neutralizer disc. The two-step method uses a neutralizing tablet.
Step 1
Wash your hands well with an antibacterial soap. Rinse your hands thoroughly.
Step 2
Place a paper towel over the sink drain. This will catch the contact if you drop it.
Step 3
Place the contact lenses in the appropriate slot of the contact holder with a built-in neutralizer. The contact holder should have labels noting left and right contact lenses.
Step 4
Fill the contact holder to the appropriate level with 3 percent hydrogen peroxide. Contact lens holders will have a fill line, do not overfill.
Step 5
Screw the lids onto the contact holder. Allow the contact lenses to sit for at least six hours. Then, you can wear the contacts, or store them in a saline solution. Rinse the contact holder out with saline solution.
Tips and Warnings
- If you are using the two-step method for using hydrogen peroxide then the steps are a little different. After you have filled the holder with hydrogen peroxide, drop in a neutralizing tablet. This will convert the hydrogen peroxide to water. This process is for soft contact lenses. Hard lenses are now considered obsolete. If you are using hard contact lenses you can follow the same steps above to clean them, just take extra care in the rinsing processes.
- If the contact lenses begin to irritate your eyes then it is time to get a new contact holder. Contact holders made for hydrogen peroxide are only good for about a month. These contact holders have a disc at the bottom that neutralizes the hydrogen peroxide, converting it into water. Do not let hydrogen peroxide touch your eyes. It can damage the cornea of the eye.
Things You'll Need
- Antibacterial soap
- Paper towel
- Hydrogen peroxide, 3 percent
- Contact holder with built-in neutralizer disc or neutralizer tablets
