Contact Lens Care: 12 Habits That Protect Your Eyes
Contact lenses are safe and convenient when they are cared for properly, but small shortcuts add up. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), contact lens wear is the biggest risk factor for microbial keratitis, a painful infection of the cornea that can threaten vision. The habits below, drawn largely from CDC guidance, go a long way toward keeping your eyes healthy.
Everyday handling
1. Wash and dry your hands first
Wash your hands with soap and water and dry them well with a clean, lint-free towel before touching your lenses or your eyes. Damp hands can transfer water and germs to the lens.
2. Keep water away from your lenses
Never rinse or store lenses in tap water, bottled water or saliva, and avoid wearing lenses while swimming, showering or using a hot tub. Water can carry microorganisms, including Acanthamoeba, which can cause a rare but very serious eye infection. If you swim with lenses, ask your eye doctor about prescription goggles or daily disposables that you discard immediately afterward.
3. Use fresh solution every time
Fill your case with new disinfecting solution each time you store your lenses. Never "top off" old solution; mixing used and fresh solution weakens disinfection.
4. Use the right solution, the right way
Use the solution your eye doctor recommends and follow its directions exactly, including any rubbing and rinsing steps and the minimum soaking time. Hydrogen peroxide systems must be used with their special case so the peroxide is neutralized before the lenses go back in your eyes; putting unneutralized peroxide in the eye causes painful burning.
Caring for your case
5. Clean and air-dry the case daily
After inserting your lenses, empty the case, rinse it with solution (not water), and leave it open and upside down on a clean tissue to air dry.
6. Replace your case at least every three months
Cases develop invisible films of bacteria over time. The CDC recommends getting a new case at least every three months, and immediately if it is cracked or damaged.
Wearing and replacing lenses
7. Follow your replacement schedule
Replace your lenses as often as your eye doctor prescribed: daily, every two weeks or monthly. Daily disposable lenses are designed for a single use and should be thrown away at night, never cleaned and reused. Stretching lenses beyond their schedule increases deposits, discomfort and infection risk.
8. Do not sleep in your lenses unless your eye doctor says it is OK
Sleeping in contact lenses raises the risk of eye infections, even with lenses approved for overnight wear. Remove them before naps and before bed unless your eye doctor has specifically prescribed extended wear for you.
9. Never share lenses, and avoid non-prescription decorative lenses
Contact lenses are medical devices fitted to your eyes. Sharing lenses spreads infection, and decorative or costume lenses bought without a prescription can cause serious injuries. In the United States, all contact lenses, including colored and novelty lenses, require a valid prescription.
10. Keep a backup pair of glasses
Have an up-to-date pair of glasses so you can give your eyes a rest when they feel tired or irritated, or if you run out of lenses. Our guide on reading your glasses prescription explains why your glasses and contact lens prescriptions differ.
Knowing when to stop
11. If in doubt, take them out
Remove your lenses and call your eye doctor if you notice redness, pain, blurred vision, light sensitivity, discharge or a feeling that something is stuck in your eye. Do not put the lenses back in until you have been checked. These symptoms can signal an infection or a corneal scratch that needs prompt treatment, and continuing to wear lenses can make it worse.
12. Keep up with yearly contact lens exams
Even if your lenses feel fine, your eye doctor needs to check the health of your corneas and the fit of your lenses regularly, and your prescription can change. Plan on a contact lens exam every year; see contact lens exam vs. regular eye exam to learn what it includes.
Extra tips for comfort
- Makeup: insert lenses before applying makeup and remove them before taking makeup off. Avoid applying eyeliner on the inner rim of the eyelid.
- Screens: people tend to blink less when focusing on a screen. Take regular breaks, and ask your eye doctor about rewetting drops that are compatible with your lenses.
- Travel: pack a travel-size bottle of your solution, a spare case, extra lenses and your glasses. Do not decant solution into non-sterile containers.
- Specialty lenses: toric and multifocal lenses follow the same care rules. If you wear them, see contact lenses for astigmatism and multifocal contact lenses.
Common contact lens care myths
"Multipurpose solution means I never need to rub my lenses." Follow the directions on your specific product and your eye doctor's advice. Many care routines include rubbing and rinsing, which helps remove deposits and germs.
"A quick rinse of the case with tap water is fine." It is not. Rinse the case with fresh solution and let it air dry.
"Daily lenses can be worn for two days if I store them carefully." Daily disposables are designed for one use. Reusing them raises the risk of irritation and infection.
"If my eyes feel fine, my lenses are fine." Some problems, such as reduced oxygen to the cornea, cause no symptoms at first, which is one reason yearly exams matter.
Quick checklist
- Clean, dry hands before touching lenses
- No water on lenses or in the case
- Fresh solution every time, no topping off
- Case rinsed with solution, air-dried, replaced every three months
- Lenses replaced on schedule; no sleeping in them unless prescribed
- Glasses as a backup; lenses out at the first sign of a problem
- Annual contact lens exam
Lens solution, cases and contact lenses are generally eligible for HSA and FSA funds; see using your HSA or FSA for eye care.
Bottom line
Most contact lens problems are preventable. Clean hands, fresh solution, a clean case, no water, no sleeping in lenses unless prescribed, and a yearly exam will protect your eyes. And if your eyes are red or painful, take your lenses out and get them checked.
Former Dr. Lu Eye Care patient?
The practice inside Costco Warminster closed effective December 31, 2025. You can request a copy or transfer of your records; see the closure and records page for details.
This article is general health information and is not a substitute for an examination or personal advice from a licensed eye care professional. If you have sudden vision changes, eye pain, or new floaters or flashes, seek care promptly.