1. Be Sterile
There are various methods and means for cleaning modern-day contact lenses, but every procedure starts from the same premise: that your hands are clean. The daily grime, dirt and bacteria of the day collects on your fingers and hands. When you take your lenses out at night, you don't want to transfer any of that to them. Since contact lenses sit so directly on a very tender and vulnerable part of your body, you want to do everything in your power to protect your eyes. Keep your contact lenses clean.
2. Rub a Dub Dub, But Not in the Tub
The traditional method for cleaning and disinfecting your contact lenses is to take an individual lens, put it in the palm of one hand and squirt a steady stream of cleansing solution for 15 to 20 seconds over it. Then, using one finger, rub gently in a circular motion for about 20 seconds on each side. Be very, very careful as you do this: rubbing like this, especially on the flimsy and film-like soft contact lenses, can cause rips and tears in the substance. If you have long fingernails, watch carefully that you don't hook the lens with them. Once they've been cleaned, rinse them again by squirting saline solution over them for 20 seconds each, then store in your overnight disinfectant.
3. There is More Than 1 Way
New substances now include a 1-stop solution that combines the best of saline solutions and disinfectants. Remove the lenses from your eyes and put them on a base unit that fits into a plastic cylinder. Don't rub them on your hand. Position each lens on the unit, and fill the cylinder with the cleansing/disinfecting solution. Put the unit into the cylinder and tighten securely. After the lenses stand for at least 6 hours, you can use them. With this method there is much less chance to damage the lenses.
4. Choosing the Best Solution
Cost and availability determine which solutions you buy. Many stores offer brand name versions, such as Bausch & Lomb, and stock them next to local store brands that essentially are the same solution for a much cheaper price. Be on the lookout continually for any information regarding recalls, such as those that affect Bausch & Lomb and Advanced Medical Optics. Bacterial and fungal infections have been associated with various lens solutions over the years.
5. Follow Your Eye-Care Practitioner's Instructions
When you get contact lenses, you receive direct and personal instructions from your eye care specialist. Follow these words of advice, and read all corresponding literature carefully to make sure that you understand your responsibility in keeping your lenses clean and comfortable.
