Inserting, Removing and Caring for your Contact Lenses

Looking after your Contact Lenses

A contact lens is a medical device and because it comes in direct contact with your eye, it is essential that the proper techniques are practiced to ensure longevity of wear and reduce risk of complications.

Inserting and Removing Soft Contact Lenses

• Always wash your hands with a mild soap and dry with a lint-free towel before handling your lenses.

• Always handle the same lens first to avoid mixing up the right and left lenses.

Insertion

• Put one of the lenses on the tip of the index finger of your preferred hand, i.e. whichever hand you feel most comfortable using. Ensure the lens is not inside out (if it’s inside out, the edges turn out, rather than up. Think ‘saucer’ as the wrong way and ‘bowl’ as the correct way).

• Look straight at your eye in the mirror. Pull down your lower eyelid with the middle finger of the same hand.

• Pull the top lid up with the index finger of the other hand.

• Gently place the lens onto the clear part of the eye – the cornea. The cornea is the clear film that covers the coloured part of your eye and where the contact lens sits.

• Remove your index finger and release your eyelid.

• Look down, closing your eyes gently. The lens will centre itself.

Removal

• Using an eye lubricant, such as AMO Blink Contacts® Lubricating Eye Drops, before removal can sometimes aid in the process. Only use drops that are specifically designed for contact lenses.

• Look up and pull the lower lid down with the middle finger of your preferred hand.

• Place your index finger on the lower edge of your lens, and slide the lens down to the white of your eye.

• Squeeze the lens lightly between your index finger and thumb and remove gently.

• Once removed, if the edges of your lens stick together, place a few drops of multi-purpose solution on the lens and rub gently until the edges separate.

Caring for your Contact Lenses

Contact lenses always need to be stored in an approved disinfecting and storage solution. The latest multi-purpose solutions, such as OPTI-FREE® EverMoist® or AMO RevitaLens® Octuec, offer excellent efficacy against micro-organism without compromising on ease of use and comfort.

Cleaning

• Remove one of your contact lenses and place in the palm of your hand. Cover with multi-purpose solution, aiming for a puddle about the size of a 10 cent piece.

• Rub the lens between your index finger and the palm of your hand, ensuring that both the front and back surface of the lens is thoroughly cleaned.

• Place the contact lens into the appropriate side of your contact lens case and fill with solution, ensuring the contact lens is fully covered.

• Follow the same steps for the opposite contact lens.

• Your contact lenses will now disinfect and rehydrate (min of 4 hours is required).

Putting your contact lenses back on after disinfection

• When putting contact lenses back on, no rubbing is required. Just remove from the case and place onto your eye.

• Once both contact lenses are on your eyes, discard the used solution and let the contact lens case air dry.  

NB: it is essential that new solution is used every time you clean your lenses. Do not ‘top-up’ old solution as this greatly increases your risk of contamination. Contact lenses can stay in the same solution for up to one week if the contact lens case lid is not opened.

Replace your contact lens storage case every month. All multipurpose solution value packs (3 month supply of solution) come with new storage cases. These tips will help guide you, but always follow the advice of your optometrist.