Hygiene Rules for Wearing Contact Lenses

If you’ve ever been on the wrong end of an eye infection due to a dirty contact lens, you know first-hand the importance of obeying contact hygiene rules. Even if you don’t get an infection, a tiny speck of grit can make it feel like you have something in your eye that just won’t go away. Obey some basic, but proven hygiene rules when you wear contacts and you should keep your eyes healthy and keep seeing clearly.

Clean Hands

Clean hands are a must, whether you use top of the line Acuvue contacts, or some discount pair you found online. Since you handle them before they go in your eyes, if your hands aren’t clean, some of that dirt could find its way into your eyes.

What you need to do is take the time to wash your hands thoroughly in warm, soapy water and then dry them well before you start handling your contact lenses. There’s no doubt that you’ll encounter instances when the last thing you want to do is wash your hands before you pop the contacts out for the night, but these are the times when it’s especially important.

Go Lint-Free

Since you’re taking the time to wash your hands so well, don’t add any lint to the equation when it’s time to dry them. Make the effort to use a lint-free towel for drying, so none will get onto your hands and potentially onto your contact lenses and into your eyes.

Follow Instructions

Different brands of contact lens will often have different instructions for solution times and processes, and it’s imperative that you follow them very closely. Trying to exceed recommended wearing times, or soaking your contacts for less time than is recommended can lead to trouble.

Keep in mind, the contact manufacturers do a great deal of research into their products and they want you to have the best experience possible. Following the instructions they include is one of the easiest ways to do that.

Try Disposable

If you really can’t get on board with the discipline required for contact lens hygiene, you can always give disposable contacts a try. As the name suggests, disposable contact lenses are disposable, meaning you can wear them for one day and then throw them out. The next day, you just open up a new package and start over. You’ll still have to give your hands a good wash and dry before putting them in, but there are no soaks or solutions to worry about at the end of the day.