Coronavirus: 6 steps to keep contact lenses clean & eyes healthy
If you are concerned about coronavirus (Covid-19) and your eye hygiene, we’d like to reassure you that it’s still perfectly safe to wear your contact lenses. To keep your eyes healthy, you must wear and care for your lenses properly.
Follow these six (really) simple steps to keep your lenses clean and your eyes free from infection.
The basics of contact lens care
How you care for your lenses will depend on the kind of contacts you wear, but there are a few key fundamentals that apply to all types of lenses:
1. Wash your hands
Always wash your hands before touching your lenses to minimise the risk of bacteria entering your eye and causing infection. Wash your hands for at least twenty seconds, use a mild soap and dry with a clean, fluff-free towel.
2. Clean (or throw away) lenses after removal
If you wear daily disposables, remove your lenses (with clean hands) and throw them away after use.
If you wear monthly lenses, begin by squirting a little lens cleaning solution into the palm of your (clean) hand. Place one lens in the solution and rub gently with your index finger to remove any surface build-up. Rinse the lens with fresh solution. Then, rewash your hands and repeat for the other eye. For more detailed information on how to clean your lenses, check out our lens cleaning guide.
As part of our ongoing environmental commitment, we’ve teamed up with TerraCycleUK to offer a free recycling service. Just bring in your old contacts, blister packs and packaging, and we’ll recycle them. Easy for you, awesome for the planet!
3. Never Use Water to Clean Your Lenses
Water carries all sorts of nasty impurities that can contaminate your contacts and cause infection. Keep it clean by using only prescribed cleaning, storing and disinfecting solutions on your lenses.
4. Don’t forget to clean your case
It’s recommended that you clean out your case after every use to avoid bacteria build-up. That means dumping out the old solution, rinsing the case with fresh solution (not water), then leaving it to air-dry. When it’s time to store your lenses, refill the case with fresh solution.
Oh, and don’t forget to replace your case every 2-3 months, even if it looks like it’s in tip-top condition.
5. Use the correct contact lens solution
There’s a huge choice of contact lens solutions available, ranging from hydrogen peroxide and saline solutions to multi-purpose formulas. Not all solutions and contacts are compatible with each other, so it’s important to stick to the lens care products recommended by your eye care professional.
6. Don't forget to clean your glasses
It’s important to disinfect glasses regularly to remove any dirt or nasty bugs transferred from your fingers or face. Be sure to check the disinfectant is safe to use on your glasses before cleaning.
As always, we recommend avoiding contact lens wear if you’re feeling under the weather.
If you have any questions about your lens care routine or would like to discuss solutions, our Clinical Team is always happy to help. Just ask our Opticians or give them a call on 0800 010 6865.
