Understanding contact lens care

A clean lens protects your eye.

Proper care keeps your lenses comfortable and your eyes infection-free. It's not complicated — but the details matter. Every step exists for a reason.

What's happening

The three enemies: germs, proteins, deposits.

As soon as a lens touches your eye, proteins and oils from tears stick to it. Bacteria, fungi, and amoebas love that biofilm. Without proper cleaning, your "comfortable" lens becomes a microbial farm.

Good care means three things: kill microbes (disinfecting solution), remove deposits (rubbing), and don't introduce new germs (hand hygiene, clean case, fresh solution).

What helps

Here's the plan —
and why it works.

Every removal

Rub + rinse

10-second rub with solution on your palm. Rinse with fresh solution before storing.

Every storage

Fresh solution

Dump old solution. Fill case with new. Never reuse or top off.

Every 3 months

New case

Case biofilm is impossible to fully clean. Swap the whole case quarterly.

Never

Water contact

No tap water, no showering in lenses, no swimming. No exceptions.

Remove lenses immediately if

You have eye pain, redness, discharge, blurred vision, or light sensitivity. Keep the lens for possible culture. Call us urgently — contact-lens keratitis can progress fast.

Common questions

Honest answers to common questions.

Can I use water on my lenses?+

Never. Tap water contains microorganisms — including Acanthamoeba — that cause devastating corneal infections. No water on lenses, no water in the case, don't shower or swim in them.

How often should I replace my case?+

Every 3 months minimum. The case develops biofilm over time that even fresh solution can't kill. Don't rinse the case with water between uses.

Is "no-rub" solution okay?+

A gentle 10-second rub before disinfecting removes 90% of deposits. Even with no-rub solutions, rubbing is better. Takes 20 seconds total.

Can I top off old solution?+

No. Always dump the old solution and use fresh. Topping off dilutes the disinfectant — you lose the germ-killing effect.

What if my lens falls in the sink?+

Toss it. Rinsing with tap water contaminates it with microbes that disinfecting solution can't fully eliminate. A new lens is cheaper than a cornea.