Wearing contact lenses comes down to clean hands, correct technique, and consistent care. Whether you’re putting in your first pair or refreshing your routine after a break, the process gets easier with practice. Most people become comfortable within a week or two. Here’s everything you need to know, from insertion to storage.
Start With Clean, Dry Hands
Wash your hands with soap and water before touching your lenses, every single time. Dry them with a lint-free towel. Regular bath towels leave behind tiny fibers that stick to the lens surface and irritate your eye once the lens is in place. A microfiber cloth or paper towel works well. Skip moisturizing soaps or those with added lotions, which can leave a film on the lens.
Check That the Lens Isn’t Inside Out
A contact lens has a right side and a wrong side, and the difference is subtle enough to miss if you’re not looking for it. Place the lens on your fingertip and hold it up at eye level so you can see it from the side. A correctly oriented lens looks like a small cup with edges pointing straight up. If the edges flare outward like a rimmed bowl, the lens is inside out.
If you’re not sure, try the “taco test.” Hold the lens between your thumb and index finger and gently squeeze it as though folding it in half. When the edges curve inward toward each other (like a hard-shell taco), the lens is right side in. If the edges flare outward toward your fingers, flip it.
Some lenses also have tiny laser-etched markings, often the numbers “123” or a brand abbreviation. If the numbers read correctly, the lens is oriented properly. If they appear backward, flip it. A few brands include a colored tint along the edge, usually blue or green, to make orientation easier to spot.
How to Put Contacts In
Place the lens on the tip of your index or middle finger on your dominant hand. Use your fingertips, never your nails. With your other hand, hold your upper eyelid open. Then use the remaining free finger on your dominant hand (your middle or ring finger) to pull down your lower eyelid. This gives you a wide, unobstructed opening.
An alternative that some people find easier: use the thumb and fingers of your non-dominant hand to hold both your upper and lower eyelids wide open, freeing your dominant hand to focus entirely on placing the lens.
You can look straight ahead into a mirror or up toward the ceiling while you bring the lens to your eye. Gently place the lens on the colored part of your eye. Once it makes contact, slowly release your eyelids and blink a few times. The lens should center itself. If it feels off or your vision is blurry, close your eye and gently roll it around. The lens will usually shift into place on its own.
If you’re blinking reflexively and can’t keep your eye open, that’s completely normal for beginners. The reflex fades as you practice. Try focusing on a fixed point rather than watching your finger approach your eye.
How to Take Contacts Out
Look up or to the side and use your index finger to slide the lens down onto the white part of your eye. It should stick lightly to your fingertip, allowing you to slide it out. As it comes free, softly squeeze it between your finger and thumb to pull it away.
If you have longer nails or find the slide method awkward, try the pinch technique instead. Use two fingertips to gently pinch both sides of the lens inward, toward the center. This causes the lens to pop slightly away from your eye, and you can then pull it free. Use only your fingertip pads, not your nails, to avoid tearing the lens.
Cleaning and Storing Your Lenses
If you use daily disposable lenses, toss them after each use. No cleaning needed. But if you wear reusable lenses (bi-weekly or monthly), proper cleaning is non-negotiable.
Most people use multipurpose solution, which cleans, rinses, disinfects, and stores lenses in one step. Rub each lens gently in your palm with fresh solution, then place it in a clean case filled with fresh solution. Never top off old solution with new. Dump the old solution out completely each time.
Hydrogen peroxide-based systems are the other main option, often recommended for people who are sensitive or allergic to multipurpose solutions. These systems come with a special case that neutralizes the hydrogen peroxide, converting it to gentle saline over time. You must use the case that comes with the system. A regular case won’t neutralize the peroxide, and putting in a lens still soaked in hydrogen peroxide causes serious stinging and discomfort. After placing your lenses in the special case with fresh solution, wait 4 to 6 hours before wearing them again. Never rinse lenses with hydrogen peroxide solution right before inserting them.
Replace Your Lens Case Regularly
Even with daily cleaning, bacteria build up on your lens case over time, forming a stubborn film that rinsing alone won’t remove. Replace your case every 1 to 3 months. An easy rule: swap it out at the start of each new season. Between replacements, rinse the case with fresh contact solution (not water), shake out the excess, and leave it open to air dry face-down on a clean surface.
How Long You Can Wear Them Each Day
Standard contact lenses are designed for about 8 to 16 hours of wear per day. Your eye care provider will give you a specific recommendation based on your lens type and eye health, but as a general guideline, taking them out in the evening and giving your eyes a break overnight is the safest routine.
Extended-wear lenses exist and are approved for overnight use in some situations, with replacement periods ranging from one week to 30 days. But sleeping in contacts, even extended-wear ones, increases your risk of infection compared to removing them nightly. If you do sleep in them, follow the schedule your provider gives you exactly.
Contacts and Makeup
Put your lenses in before applying any makeup. This prevents powder, cream, or fibers from getting trapped under the lens against your eye. At the end of the day, reverse the order: wash your hands, remove your contacts first, then take off your makeup. This keeps makeup removers and cleansers away from your lenses and your eyes while the lenses are in.
Keep Your Lenses Away From Water
Remove your contacts before swimming, showering, or using a hot tub. Most water sources, including tap water, contain germs that can cling to a contact lens and cause infection. One particularly dangerous organism, an amoeba called Acanthamoeba, is commonly found in tap water, lakes, and wells. It can cause a severe corneal infection that is extremely painful, difficult to treat (sometimes requiring a year or more of medication), and in rare cases leads to corneal transplant or blindness.
If water does splash onto your lenses unexpectedly, take them out as soon as you can. Daily disposables should be thrown away. Reusable lenses should be cleaned and disinfected overnight before you wear them again. Never rinse or store your lenses in water as a substitute for contact solution.