Cleaning contact lenses takes about 30 seconds per lens and follows a simple pattern: wash your hands, rub and rinse each lens with solution, then store them in a case filled with fresh solution. Skipping any of these steps, or cutting corners with water or old solution, is the fastest path to an eye infection.
The Rub and Rinse Method
Start by washing your hands with soap and water, then drying them with a lint-free towel. Paper towels and cloth towels that shed fibers can leave particles on your fingers that transfer directly to the lens.
Place one lens in the palm of your hand and apply a few drops of your contact lens solution. Gently rub the lens on both sides using your index finger in a back-and-forth motion (not circular, which can tear softer lenses). Most solution manufacturers recommend about 20 seconds of rubbing per side, though you should check your specific product’s label. After rubbing, rinse the lens thoroughly with more solution to wash away the loosened debris, then place it in a clean case filled with fresh solution. Repeat with the other lens.
This physical rubbing step matters more than most people realize. Even “no-rub” solutions work better when you actually rub the lens first. The mechanical action breaks up protein deposits, oils from your skin, and microorganisms that soaking alone won’t fully remove.
Choosing the Right Solution
Two main types of contact lens solution exist: multipurpose solution and hydrogen peroxide-based systems. They work very differently.
Multipurpose solution is the most common choice. It cleans, rinses, disinfects, and stores lenses all in one product. You can use it at every step of the process described above, and lenses are ready to wear as soon as you take them out of the case in the morning.
Hydrogen peroxide systems use a 3% peroxide solution that’s a stronger disinfectant, which makes them a good option for people with sensitive eyes or allergies to preservatives in multipurpose solutions. The catch: peroxide must be neutralized before the lens touches your eye, or it will cause intense stinging and burning. These systems come with a special case containing a neutralizing disc. You fill the case, drop in your lenses, and wait at least six hours (usually overnight) for the peroxide to convert into saline. Never pour a hydrogen peroxide solution directly into your eye or use it as a rinse.
Why Water Is Never Safe
Tap water, distilled water, bottled water, and saliva should never touch your contact lenses. This is one of the most common mistakes contact lens wearers make, and it carries real consequences.
Tap water contains Acanthamoeba, a microscopic organism found in household plumbing, dust, and soil. When it gets trapped between a contact lens and your cornea, it can cause Acanthamoeba keratitis, a painful infection that’s notoriously difficult to treat and can permanently damage vision. Tap water also harbors bacteria like Pseudomonas and Serratia, which live in plumbing biofilms and cause their own set of serious eye infections.
Distilled water might seem like a safer alternative, but it offers no disinfection. Its only benefit would be physically rinsing loose microbes off the lens surface. If you store lenses in distilled water overnight, zero disinfection occurs, meaning anything on the lens or in the case simply sits there and multiplies. The same goes for bottled water and homemade saline. Only commercially prepared contact lens solutions contain the antimicrobial agents needed to kill pathogens between wears.
This also means you should avoid showering, swimming, or using a hot tub while wearing contacts. If water exposure is unavoidable, switch to daily disposable lenses for those activities so you can throw them away immediately after.
How to Care for the Case
Your lens case is the most overlooked part of contact lens hygiene. Bacteria form biofilms on the plastic surface over time, creating colonies that regular cleaning solution cannot fully eliminate.
After inserting your lenses each morning, dump out all the old solution from the case. Rinse both wells with fresh contact lens solution (not water), then leave the case open and face-down on a clean tissue to air dry. Moisture sitting in a closed case is an ideal breeding ground for bacteria and fungi.
Replace the entire case every three months. The plastic degrades and develops microscopic cracks where bacteria hide. If you swim regularly, live in a humid climate, or store your case in the bathroom (where steam from showers adds moisture), replace it every one to two months. After any eye infection, replace the case immediately along with your current pair of lenses and any opened bottles of solution.
Never Top Off Old Solution
One of the riskiest habits is adding fresh solution to whatever’s already sitting in the case from the night before. This “topping off” dilutes the disinfecting power of both the old and new solution, creating a mix that isn’t strong enough to kill the microorganisms in the case. The CDC recommends using fresh solution every single time you store your lenses. Empty the case, rinse it with solution, then fill it completely with new solution before dropping your lenses in.
How Long Lenses Can Sit in a Case
If you don’t wear your contacts every day, they can stay sealed in their case with multipurpose solution for up to 30 days. After that, the solution loses its disinfecting effectiveness. If your lenses have been sitting longer than 30 days, dump the old solution, clean and rinse the lenses with fresh solution using the rub and rinse method, then store them in a freshly filled case for the full recommended soaking time before wearing them again.
For hydrogen peroxide systems, the neutralization process is a one-time chemical reaction. Once the peroxide converts to saline (after about six hours), the resulting liquid has no ongoing disinfecting ability. Lenses stored in a peroxide system should not sit for extended periods without being re-disinfected.
Hand Washing Details That Matter
Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds before touching your lenses. Any standard liquid soap works. Some guides suggest avoiding soaps with added moisturizers because they can leave a film on your fingers, though the American Academy of Ophthalmology notes this isn’t a significant problem in practice. What matters more is rinsing thoroughly and drying with a lint-free towel. Your fingertips carry bacteria whether or not you’ve just washed, so this step reduces the load rather than eliminating it entirely. That’s another reason why the solution’s disinfecting job is so important.
Avoid applying hand lotion or cream right before handling your lenses. Oil-based residues can coat the lens surface, causing blurry vision and trapping contaminants against your eye.