For those of you who have made the move to daily wear lenses this article is not for you as you simply wear a new lens every day and dispose of it at days end so there is no need for storage, disinfection and rehydration of your lenses.

 However, for the many contact lens wearers who love their two weekly or monthly wear lenses this article is for you as contact lens care is very much part of the routine to ensure your lenses remain in good condition ready for reuse for the full wearing schedule of 14 or 30 days.

Thankfully the days of boiling lenses in salt water are well and truly gone ! There are now a multitude of convenient contact lens solutions available to help care for your contact lenses, but are they all the same ?

There are a number of elements that a contact lens solution needs to deliver on ;

Disinfection

Solutions need to be effective disinfectants that kill bacteria and mirco-organisms known to cause eye infections that, if untreated, can impact the ability to wear contact lenses in  the future and can even threaten sight.

ReHydration

Wetting agents and other lubricating ingredients are required to help refresh the lens, maintain it, recondition it by replacing and retaining moisture so the lens is soft, supple and comfortable to wear.

Cleaning

The solution needs to effectively clean the lens surface by lifting debris, breaking down protein build up and removing fatty deposits and lipids that attach themselves to the lens surface creating discomfort during wear.  Effective cleaning also keeps the lens clear ensuring clear crisp vision.

Two types of contact lens solutions ; Multi Purpose and Hydrogen Peroxide based solutions. 

While your optometrist will usually recommend the most suitable cleaning solution for your lenses , it also helpful to understand the different options available to you.  This discussion with your eye care professional will ensure that the cleaning solution is not only the best for your lenses but suits your personal requirements too.

If you find your eyes are sensitive and you experience stinging or redness when re-inserting your lenses after they have been in lens solution overnight, then you might like to consider preservative free Hydrogen Peroxide solutions, such as AOSept or a multi-purpose solution where the PH matches your tears, such as BioTrue.

If you find your needing to replace your lenses more frequently than the wearing schedule of 14 or 30 days due to the lens feeling uncomfortable, you might be more prone to protein build up or you may work in a dusty environment where debris enters the eyes and becomes embedded in the lens.  If these circumstances ring a bell with you, a Hydrogen Peroxide solution that offers a deeper contact lens clean may be the best option.

If you are finding that your lenses become dry and uncomfortable during wear you may consider contact lens cleaning solutions that include advanced longer lasting moisture ingredients such as Alcon’s Optifree PureMoist or AOSept Plus, both include the HydraGlyde Moisture Matrix that embeds itself on and in the actual lens material creating a cushion of moisture.

Using A Multi-Purpose Solution

A contact lens storage case usually is provided with lens cleaning solution when you purchase it.  The lens case features dual screw  caps, with L and  R on top, helping you keep track of which lens is which, while being stored.

Prior to placing your lenses in the lens storage case, start by rinsing the inside of the case with lens solution to ensure sterility.   Then after washing your hands, loosen any debris on the lens surface by placing one lens at a time in your palm, add a few drops of cleaning solution and rub the lens gently, rinse with a few more drops of lens solution and pop into the storage case, immersing it in fresh lens solution ready for storage overnight. Please note that water is not suitable for rinsing the case or storing  lenses.

Each time you remove your lenses from the case the solution should be thrown away and the case left to air dry before repeating the process each night.

Once you have finished the bottles of multi-purpose solution the lens case should be disposed of too as it can harbor bacteria.

How to Use Hydrogen Peroxide Cleaning Solution

Hydrogen Peroxide solution is a very powerful disinfectant and provides a deeper clean in comparison to multi purpose solutions with its active bubbling neutralization effect that lifts and removes surface and trapped debris, proteins and fatty deposits.

In saying that Hydrogen Peroxide solution needs to be used carefully with the instructions being followed, it should never come in direct contact with your eyes.

Hydrogen Peroxide solution is also purchased with a with a special screw top case that features two cages. There is a platinum disk on the base of the case that causes a chemical reaction that turns Hydrogen Peroxide to sterile water, cleaning your lenses in the process.

To use this solution, place the lenses in the cages, rinse with Hydrogen Peroxide solution and fill the storage case with it to the specified level, insert the cages and screw the top on. The cleaning and Hydrogen Peroxide neutralization process will take a minimum of 6 hours, once complete remove your lenses from the solution which is now sterile water, and safe to reinsert into your eyes.  Allow your case and cage inserts to air dry before reuse.

Once you have finished the bottle of solution, the case should be thrown away as the platinum disk will lose its neutralization effectiveness in converting the Hydrogen Peroxide into sterile water.

Both Multi-Purpose and Hydrogen Peroxide solutions can be used for all types of soft contact lenses, including silicone hydrogel lenses.  We recommend that you should always speak to your optometrist before you change your contact lens clean solution.

You can purchase contact lens solution with Alcon lenses only from the website, as the warehouse we use stocks both the lenses and the solution at the same location and the freight charge remain the same.  In saying that Contact lens cleaning solutions are readily available at your local chemist or supermarket and often their prices are very competitive.