Different contact lenses are taken care of differently. Cleaning and maintaining eye lenses may seem overwhelming at the start, but it gets better when you keep doing it and eventually get the hang of it.
Most common ways of cleaning and maintaining soft lenses include the cleaning, rinsing system, or in some special cases, Hydrogen Peroxide systems can also be used. Here on this page, you can find all the steps involved in maintaining eye lenses, from removal to cleaning and storing of contacts. Let us go through these:
Step-by-step contact lens removal
1. Make sure to wash and dry your hands before coming into contact with them.
2. Always make sure to work with one lens first.
3. After removing the lens, place it in the palm of your hand. Apply the multipurpose cleaning solution and rub the lens for around 20 seconds on both sides.
4. Rinse the contact lenses for about 10 seconds on each side. Do not use tap water to rinse the lenses as they have micro-organisms in them.
5. Now, place the contacts in a clean, dry lens case, and fill it with a multipurpose solution.
6. Repeat these steps with all of your other lenses.
7. You must dispose of your lenses every three months. Overuse can result in eye infections.
8. Rinse off the cases with fresh solutions and allow them to air dry.
I dropped the lenses on the floor and do not have time to complete a disinfectant cycle of the solution. What do I need to do now?
To simply rinse off the contamination is not enough. Floorings have a significant portion of micro-organisms on them.
The corneal surface provides a barrier to infections, but one can never be sure when the barrier can break.
Therefore, the safest way is to apply new contacts. You should also keep a pair of glasses as a backup, just in case of situations where the lenses cannot be worn.
Can I use tap water to store my lenses?
This is a clear no. Tap water consists of micro-organisms, which can cause severe eye infections, which can further result in loss of vision. Tap water is known to cause many eye infections.
Organisms such as free-living amoeba, Acanthamoeba, etc., are very common and can be easily found in water bodies. Therefore, eye doctors suggest avoiding the usage of tap water for lenses. Avoid the use of tap water for rinsing and washing the lens.
In a nutshell
This was a guide on how contact lenses can be removed, cleaned, and stored. Make sure to follow the instructions of your eye doctor, and do keep this guide in check too. Also, keep in mind that your eye lenses do need a lot of care and maintenance, and this should not go compromised as negligence can result in eye infections because of contamination and other reasons.