Contact lenses provide a convenient way to correct vision, but they require diligent care, and proper storage is a non-negotiable part of this routine. Whether you wear daily disposables or monthly lenses, where you keep them overnight directly impacts your eye health and the lifespan of the lenses. The specialized container and solution are carefully designed to protect your eyes from serious infections.
The Recommended Contact Lens Case
The standard storage solution is a simple, highly engineered plastic case that features two separate, labeled wells. This design prevents the left and right lenses from being mixed up. The cases are typically made of durable, non-porous plastic to ensure a tight seal, which prevents the disinfecting solution from leaking or evaporating.
Maintaining the case is important. Eye care professionals recommend replacing your contact lens case at least every three months, even if it appears clean, because cases can become a breeding ground for microorganisms. After placing your lenses in your eyes, empty the old solution, rinse the case with fresh contact lens solution, and allow it to air dry completely without the caps on. This daily cleaning and air-drying routine significantly reduces the risk of bacterial buildup.
Why Specialized Storage Is Critical
Contact lenses require an environment that is both sterile and chemically balanced. The specialized case holds the disinfecting solution, which is formulated to be sterile, buffered, and isotonic. This means the solution is free of living microorganisms, maintains a stable pH, and has a salt concentration that matches the natural tears of your eye.
The isotonic nature of the solution prevents the lens material and the delicate cells of your cornea from swelling or shrinking due to osmotic pressure. If the storage environment is not properly maintained, the solution’s pH and osmolality can change, which may affect lens parameters and cause discomfort. The case also provides physical protection, keeping the delicate lens material submerged and safe from accidental damage, drying out, or physical deformation.
Unsafe Substitutes You Must Avoid
Using common household items as substitutes for a lens case and solution introduces a high risk of severe eye infection. Items like pillboxes, water glasses, or plastic food containers are not sterile and can harbor chemical residues or bacteria. Even if thoroughly washed, these porous materials cannot guarantee the sterile environment necessary for lens disinfection.
A common and highly dangerous mistake is using tap water, bottled water, or saliva instead of the proper contact lens solution. Water, regardless of its source, is not sterile and can contain Acanthamoeba, a microscopic organism that causes a potentially blinding infection called Acanthamoeba keratitis. Additionally, water is hypotonic, causing soft lenses to absorb water, swell, and change shape, which can physically damage the lens. Saliva, which is full of oral bacteria, should never be used, as introducing these microbes directly to the eye greatly increases the risk of severe bacterial infection. Always use a fresh, commercially available multipurpose or hydrogen peroxide solution, as saline solution alone will hydrate the lens but will not disinfect it.
Handling Storage Emergencies
If you find yourself without your proper contact lens case and solution, the safest course of action is to dispose of your lenses and wear glasses until you can acquire a new pair and a new case. If discarding the lenses is not an immediate option, temporary storage carries a significant risk and must be treated as a measure of last resort. The best temporary container is a brand-new, unused, small, airtight container, such as a sealed travel pod or a clean glass vial.
The container must be filled with fresh, unopened contact lens disinfecting solution, which is the only liquid that should ever touch your lenses. These temporary containers do not offer the same security or sterility as a proper case, so the lenses should only be stored for the shortest time possible, ideally no more than 8 to 12 hours. Before wearing the lenses again, they must be thoroughly cleaned and soaked in a proper case with fresh solution for the manufacturer’s recommended disinfection time.