Contact Lens Care Guide: Cleaning, Storage & Replacement
Ninety percent of lens problems trace back to five broken rules. Here is the complete routine — it takes under a minute a day.
The daily routine
- After removal, rub-rinse each lens: a few drops of multipurpose solution in the palm, rub 10 seconds per side with a fingertip, rinse with fresh solution.
- Store in fresh solution — fill the case new every time. Topping up old solution breeds bacteria.
- Air-dry the empty case face-down on a clean tissue while you wear your lenses.
The five rules that prevent almost everything
- Water is the enemy. No tap water, no shower wear, no swimming, no saliva. Water carries microbes soft lenses absorb.
- Never sleep in lenses. Even short naps starve the cornea of oxygen.
- Respect the replacement cycle. It starts when the vial is opened, not when worn — a yearly lens opened in July expires next July regardless of wear count. Full math: cycle guide.
- Replace the case monthly. The case is the most contaminated object in the routine.
- Never share lenses. Not once, not rinsed, not "just for the photo".
When to take a lens out immediately
Redness that doesn't settle, pain, light sensitivity, or sudden blur = remove the lens now and see an eye-care professional if it persists. Comfort tricks and wear-time build-up for new wearers: the safety guide.
Related: insertion steps · removal steps · glasses-to-contacts power chart.
