When your contact lenses are prescribed by an eyecare professional, the office staff will gladly instruct you in how to perform the simple steps of cleaning, rinsing and disinfecting contact lenses. They also will dispense a lens care kit to get you started with the solutions they think are best for you. If you are unclear about proper lens care after you leave their office, call them! They will be happy to answer any questions that arise. Another excellent resource for proper lens care instructions are the manufacturer web sites listed in the site sponsors section of the home page.

Wash your hands!
Always wash your hands thoroughly before handling contact lenses, preferably with an antibacterial and/or non-lanolin soap. Then dry your hands with a lint-free cloth or paper towel. This way you’re not passing along lipids (fats) that can adhere to a contact lens surface and compromise your comfort and vision.

Use fresh contact lens solutions
Use only fresh contact lens solutions to be sure that you’re doing an effective job in cleaning, rinsing and disinfecting your contact lenses. Each solution container bears an expiration date. Discard any out-of-date solutions, and replace them with fresh solutions. And never use tap water or saliva to clean or moisten lenses; that’s inviting potentially harmful bacteria into your eyes.