To store contact lenses overnight, rub and rinse each lens with fresh disinfecting solution, place them in a clean case filled with fresh solution, and let them soak until morning. The process takes about a minute, but the details matter: skipping steps or cutting corners is one of the fastest ways to end up with an eye infection.
Step-by-Step Storage With Multipurpose Solution
Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and dry them with a lint-free towel or fresh tissue before touching your lenses. Residue from lotion, soap with moisturizers, or towel lint can transfer to the lens and irritate your eye the next day.
Remove one lens at a time and place it in the palm of your hand. Apply a few drops of multipurpose solution, then gently rub the lens on both sides with your fingertip. This “rub and rinse” step physically dislodges protein deposits, oils, and microorganisms that soaking alone won’t remove. Rinse the lens with more solution, then place it in your case. Repeat with the second lens.
Fill each well of the case with fresh solution until the lens is fully submerged, then close the caps. The lenses need to soak overnight (or at minimum the time listed on your solution’s label) for the disinfectant to work. In the morning, you can insert them directly.
How Hydrogen Peroxide Systems Differ
Hydrogen peroxide solutions clean more aggressively and work well for people with sensitive eyes or solution allergies. But they require a special case, usually with a built-in neutralizing disc that converts the peroxide into harmless saline over several hours. You place your lenses in the case, fill it with fresh peroxide solution, and wait 4 to 6 hours before wearing them. Cutting that time short means putting unneutralized peroxide directly on your eye, which causes intense stinging and redness.
Never rinse lenses with hydrogen peroxide solution right before inserting them. And never use a standard flat contact lens case with a peroxide system. The special case is what makes the neutralization happen.
Why Fresh Solution Matters Every Time
One of the most common mistakes is “topping off,” which means adding a splash of new solution to whatever is already sitting in the case from the night before. This dilutes the disinfectant concentration and reduces its ability to kill bacteria and other organisms. The CDC specifically warns against mixing fresh and used solution because it undermines the entire point of soaking your lenses.
Every night, dump out whatever is in the case, rinse the case itself with fresh solution (not water), and refill completely. It uses a bit more solution, but the alternative is letting bacteria accumulate in a warm, moist environment that sits right against your eye.
How to Clean and Maintain the Case
The case itself needs attention beyond just refilling it. After you put your lenses in each morning, empty any remaining solution, then rub and rinse the case with fresh solution. Dry it with a clean tissue and store it upside down with the caps off. This air-drying step prevents germ buildup in the damp wells.
Replace your case at least every three months. If you swim regularly, have a compromised immune system, or live in a humid climate, replacing it monthly is safer. Cases stored in bathrooms, where steam and moisture from showers create ideal conditions for microbial growth, may also need more frequent replacement. Many solution bottles come with a new case included, so you’re not buying them separately.
Never Use Tap Water
Tap water is the single biggest “don’t” in contact lens care. It can harbor Acanthamoeba, a microscopic organism found in municipal water supplies that causes a painful and difficult-to-treat corneal infection called Acanthamoeba keratitis. Research has identified highly virulent strains in ordinary tap water in U.S. cities. Swimming, showering, or even washing your face while wearing contacts also introduces this risk.
Water should never touch your lenses or your case. That means no rinsing the case under the faucet, no wetting a dry lens with water in a pinch, and no storing lenses in water overnight. Saliva is equally unsafe.
What to Do Without Solution
If you’re caught without contact lens solution, the safest option is to throw away the lenses if they’re disposable and wear your backup glasses. For lenses you can’t easily replace, you have a few imperfect emergency options.
Distilled water is free of Acanthamoeba, unlike tap water, but it still doesn’t disinfect. It will keep lenses hydrated overnight in a true emergency, but there is still a risk of infection. Homemade saline, made by dissolving half a teaspoon of salt in water you’ve boiled for 15 minutes and then fully cooled, can also serve as a temporary bridge. The salt kills some bacteria but not all of them.
Any emergency substitute is strictly a one-night measure. The next morning, get proper solution, rinse the lenses thoroughly with it, and soak them again before wearing them. If your eyes feel irritated, red, or sensitive to light after using a substitute, take the lenses out and give your eyes a rest.
Common Mistakes That Lead to Infections
- Sleeping in non-extended-wear lenses. Unless your lenses are specifically approved for overnight wear, sleeping in them traps bacteria against your cornea and cuts off oxygen to the eye.
- Reusing yesterday’s solution. Even if it looks clean, used solution has lost its disinfecting strength.
- Skipping the rub step. “No-rub” labels on some solutions are misleading. Rubbing physically removes deposits that soaking alone misses, and the CDC recommends it regardless of what the bottle says.
- Storing the case wet with caps on. A sealed, damp case is a breeding ground. Always air-dry it open and upside down.
- Using expired solution. Disinfectants lose potency after the expiration date. Check the bottle periodically.