Contact lenses are medical devices requiring a highly controlled, sterile environment for storage to protect eye health. Improper storage quickly transforms them into a source of serious infection. Wearers who neglect proper storage routines are up to three times more likely to experience eye infections. Maintaining a clean, sealed, and dedicated storage system is the most important step in preventing complications like microbial keratitis.
Immediate Actions When the Case is Missing
If your contact lens case is missing, the safest course of action is to acquire a new, factory-sealed case immediately. Locate the nearest 24-hour pharmacy, convenience store, or optometrist’s office to purchase a travel-sized contact lens kit. This step eliminates the need for risky, temporary storage methods and ensures your lenses are placed in a sterile, medical-grade environment.
If purchasing a new case is impossible, assess the risk of improper storage versus wearing the lenses longer than advised. It is safer to keep the lenses in your eyes for a few extra hours until you can secure proper supplies, or to dispose of them entirely, especially daily disposables. Attempting to use a non-sterile substitute, even for a single night, introduces a high probability of serious infection.
Why Common Household Items Are Dangerous
Common household substitutes like bottle caps, pill boxes, or small food containers are dangerous because they are not made from medical-grade materials and cannot be reliably sterilized. The porous surfaces of many plastics harbor bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms that are invisible to the naked eye. These surfaces can become breeding grounds for pathogens, including the highly concerning Acanthamoeba.
Household items also often contain non-medical grade plastics that can leach chemicals into the contact lens solution. Even if the container is thoroughly washed, soap residue can remain and irritate or damage the lens material. Furthermore, these containers lack the secure, airtight seal of a dedicated case, increasing the risk of the specialized disinfecting solution evaporating or becoming contaminated by airborne particles.
Storing lenses in non-sterile containers drastically increases the risk of Acanthamoeba keratitis, a rare but potentially blinding eye infection caused by a microscopic organism found in water and soil. The amoeba can adhere to the lens and become trapped against the cornea, leading to severe pain and permanent vision loss. Avoiding any item that cannot be guaranteed to be sterile is paramount to eye health.
Last-Resort Emergency Storage Protocols
If all other options fail and you must use a temporary container, select a non-porous item, such as a small, clean glass vial with a tight-fitting lid. This measure of last resort must be followed by stringent sanitation protocols to minimize risk. The container must first be sterilized by boiling it in water for several minutes to kill most bacterial and fungal organisms.
After boiling, the container must be allowed to air dry completely without being wiped with a towel, as lint and fibers can introduce new contaminants. Once dry, fill the container with fresh, unexpired multipurpose disinfecting solution specifically designed for contact lenses. This temporary storage should not exceed a single night, and the lenses must be thoroughly re-disinfected in a proper case as soon as possible.
Contact Lens Solution vs. Other Liquids
The liquid used for storage is just as important as the container, and substituting contact lens solution with other liquids is extremely dangerous. Contact lens solutions are complex, sterile formulations containing specific disinfecting agents, wetting agents, and buffers. These components work together to kill pathogens, maintain the lens’s shape, and keep it hydrated without causing eye irritation.
Tap water, bottled water, or distilled water must never be used, as they are not sterile and contain microorganisms like Acanthamoeba. Water also lacks the necessary saline balance, causing soft lenses to absorb water and swell, which changes the fit and can lead to microscopic corneal abrasions. Homemade saline solutions also lack the necessary antimicrobial agents and are not a safe substitute.
Saliva is particularly hazardous, as the human mouth is naturally filled with bacteria that can cause severe eye infections if transferred to the lens and then the cornea. Saline solution alone is only for rinsing and does not contain the necessary disinfecting agents. Only fresh, unexpired multipurpose or hydrogen peroxide-based solution should ever be used to store contact lenses.