Using contact lenses safely comes down to clean hands, proper technique, and consistent hygiene habits. Whether you’re a first-time wearer or brushing up on best practices, the basics stay the same: wash thoroughly, insert carefully, clean after every use, and never sleep in lenses unless specifically prescribed. Here’s everything you need to know.
Start With Your Hands
Every time you touch a contact lens, your hands need to be freshly washed. Use a fragrance-free soap, lather for 20 to 30 seconds, and pay special attention to your fingertips and palms since those are the surfaces that actually touch the lens. Rinse until all soap is gone, then dry with a lint-free towel. A regular bath towel can leave tiny fibers on your fingers that transfer to the lens and irritate your eye. The whole process should take about a minute.
How to Insert a Contact Lens
Place the lens on the tip of your index finger on your dominant hand. Before it goes anywhere near your eye, check it for rips, tears, or any visible defects. If something looks off, throw it away and open a fresh lens. Also confirm the lens isn’t inside out: it should look like a smooth bowl, not a flat-rimmed saucer with edges that flare outward.
There are two insertion methods, and both work well. The first is to look straight ahead and place the lens directly on the colored part of your eye. The second, which tends to be easier for beginners, involves looking upward while placing the lens on the lower white part of the eye. For either method, use a finger to hold your upper eyelid firmly against the brow bone so you can’t blink reflexively. Use the middle finger of your inserting hand to pull down the lower lid. With both lids secured, bring your index finger toward the eye and set the lens in place. Look down slowly, release both lids, and blink a few times. The lens will center itself.
How to Remove a Contact Lens
Wash and dry your hands again before removal. There are two common techniques for soft lenses.
- Pinch method: Look up, hold your eye open, and gently pinch the lens between the pads of your thumb and index finger. Use your fingertips, never your nails.
- Slide method: Look up, slide the lens down to the lower white part of the eye, then pinch it off from there. This can feel more comfortable because you’re lifting the lens from a less sensitive area.
These methods apply to soft contact lenses only. Rigid gas permeable lenses and scleral lenses require different removal techniques that your eye care provider will demonstrate.
Cleaning and Storing Your Lenses
If you wear reusable lenses, clean them every time you take them out. The gold standard is the rub-and-rinse method: place the lens in your palm, add a few drops of multipurpose solution, and gently rub the lens with your finger for several seconds on each side. Then rinse it with more solution before placing it in a clean case filled with fresh solution. Multipurpose solution handles both cleaning and disinfecting, and roughly 87% of reusable lens wearers use it. Hydrogen peroxide systems are another option but require a specific neutralizing case and longer soak times.
Let your lenses soak for at least six hours before wearing them again. Never top off old solution in the case with new solution. Dump it out, rinse the case with fresh solution (not water), and let it air dry face-down on a clean tissue between uses. Replace the case itself at least every three months. Some researchers recommend monthly replacement, since bacteria can colonize the case surface quickly.
One rule with no exceptions: never use tap water, bottled water, or saline alone to clean or store lenses. Saline can rinse a lens but has zero disinfecting ability, and water of any kind introduces serious risks.
Why Water and Contact Lenses Don’t Mix
Tap water, pools, hot tubs, and showers all harbor a microorganism called Acanthamoeba. If it gets trapped between a contact lens and your cornea, it can cause Acanthamoeba keratitis, an infection that’s notoriously difficult to treat and can result in months of pain and vision loss. The CDC recommends removing your lenses before swimming, showering, or using a hot tub. If water does splash into your eyes while wearing lenses, remove them as soon as possible and clean them thoroughly, or switch to a fresh pair.
How Long You Can Wear Lenses Each Day
Most soft contact lenses are designed to stay in your eyes for 8 to 16 hours at a time. Your specific limit depends on the lens material and your eye’s tolerance, which your provider can help you determine. Reusable lenses still need to come out every night and soak in fresh solution, even if you haven’t hit that upper hour limit.
The material matters here. Silicone hydrogel lenses allow significantly more oxygen to pass through to the cornea compared to older hydrogel lenses. Low oxygen at the cornea contributes to swelling, inflammation, and the growth of tiny blood vessels into the cornea over time. Some standard hydrogel lenses don’t even meet the minimum oxygen threshold needed for safe daily wear, while silicone hydrogel lenses generally exceed it. If you find your eyes feel dry or red toward the end of the day, your lens material may be part of the equation.
Never Sleep in Your Lenses
Sleeping in contact lenses, even for a single nap, increases your risk of a corneal infection by six to eight times. The CDC has documented cases where overnight wear led to corneal ulcers, perforations requiring emergency transplants, and permanent scarring that reduced vision long-term. Even lenses marketed as “extended wear” carry this elevated risk, which is why the FDA classifies them in the same risk category as implantable pacemakers.
The mechanism is straightforward: a closed eyelid already reduces the oxygen reaching your cornea, and a contact lens reduces it further. That combination creates conditions where bacteria, fungi, or parasites trapped under the lens can multiply rapidly. Treatment for the resulting infections often means antibiotic drops administered every hour around the clock and multiple follow-up appointments over weeks or months.
Makeup and Contact Lenses
If you wear cosmetics, always insert your lenses before applying makeup. This keeps powders, creams, and fibers off the lens surface. When removing makeup at the end of the day, take your lenses out first so cleanser and makeup residue don’t get trapped against the eye. Water-based, fragrance-free products are less likely to cause irritation. Avoid applying eyeliner to the inner rim of your lids, where it can migrate directly onto the lens.
Warning Signs to Watch For
Remove your lenses immediately if you notice any of the following: redness that doesn’t resolve, pain in or around the eye that persists after lens removal, sudden blurry vision, increased sensitivity to light, or unusual discharge or watering. These are hallmark symptoms of microbial keratitis, and early treatment makes a significant difference in outcomes. Keep your glasses prescription current so you always have a backup when your lenses need to come out.