Contact lens hygiene—7 essential tips for new wearers

Your hands are a highway for infectious microbes and dirt to travel to your eyes. Before touching your lenses, always wash them thoroughly with mild soap and water, then dry with a lint-free towel. “Mild” soap means soap that wasn’t made with oils or fragrances, which can leave residues on your skin that can easily transfer to your contact lenses.

Even if you’re feeling tired or your lenses look clean, the best way to help ensure they’re actually clean is to rub and rinse them. Always follow the directions provided by your eye doctor and the manufacturer. Usually this means rubbing the lens between two and 20 seconds.

You should never wear your contact lenses in or around water. Contact lenses coming into contact with water—whether in pools, lakes, hot tubs, or even your shower—can trap harmful germs and bacteria against your eyes, increasing the chance of infection. If water happens to splash on your eye while you have contact lenses in, remove them immediately.

Your eye care professional will prescribe how often to replace your lenses — daily, weekly, or monthly. These are not suggestions, these are the maximum amount of time you should wear your lenses. If you wear reusable lenses, it may help to set up a reminder for when you need to replace them.