Originally published in NKCF Update September 2022.
Contact lenses are a necessity for many keratoconus patients. Aside from taking care of your lenses and cleaning them appropriately (talk with your doctor about care tips), you should also be cleaning your contact lens case. If the lenses are not stored in an appropriately sanitized case, they can become a perfect environment for bacteria to fester & grow, potentially exposing you to eye infections and disrupting your vision.
Cleaning your contact lens case is essential to healthy eye habits. Never use tap water or regular soap to wash your contact lenses or your case – only use fresh contact lens cleaning solution. Tap water contains microorganisms that can lead to infection, making it unsuitable and dangerous to use on your contact lenses or your case. Cases are not designed to last a lifetime. It is recommended that you clean your case regularly and replace your case every three months, or right away if it becomes damaged or contaminated.
Steps to clean your contact lens case:
- Completely empty the solution from the case after each use.
- Rinse the case with fresh solution (not water!). Coat the entire interior of the case. Pour the solution out and lay the case open, with the caps off, to air dry.
- Once the case is dry, put your clean contact lenses inside and add solution to store the lenses (be sure to follow your specific lens solution instructions).
- All done!