How to Care for Your Reusable Lenses

Reusable contact lenses are a great option for people who prefer to wear contact lenses full-time. These are lenses that are worn for up to 1 month before being replaced. They are removed at the end of the day and stored in a solution overnight when they are not being worn. It is important to take extra care with these lenses to ensure they feel fresh until the last day of wear.

What solutions can I use to store my contact lenses?

Multipurpose solutions

Multipurpose solutions combine ingredients and preservatives that both remove deposits, debris, and reduce the growth of bacteria on the surface of the lens. This is the solution you use to both clean the lens and store them overnight. There are many different brands and solutions to choose from; some examples include:

• Optifree Puremoist (Alcon)
• Renu Fresh (Bausch and Lomb)
• Biotrue (Bausch and Lomb)
• Menicare plus (Menicon)

How do you use a multipurpose solution?

1. Wash your hands thoroughly and dry them before handling your lenses.
2. Your case should be clean and dry from removing the solution earlier in the day; fill it with solution until it is about ½ full.
3. After taking out your lenses, place them in the palm of one hand, add a few drops of solution, and rub them gently for around 20 seconds.
4. Rinse the lens with more solution before placing it into the case, ensuring it is fully submerged.

Neutralization solutions

These are strong disinfecting solutions that are preservative-free and are ideal for more sensitive eyes. They involve a cleaning agent that requires the contact lenses to be submerged for a minimum amount of time (usually 6 hours) to neutralize the solution, allowing the lenses to be safely worn. This solution is very harmful to the eyes if it is not neutralized, so extra care must be taken. Examples of these include:

• Aosept
• Oxysept

How do you use neutralization solutions?

1. Wash your hands thoroughly and dry them before handling your lenses.
2. Remove each lens and place it into each basket of the case and close it, then rinse each side of the basket case with a saline solution.
3. Fill the case with the disinfecting solution up to the line indicated on the case (depending on the choice of solution, at this point you can place a neutralizing tablet into the solution).
4. Insert the basket with the contact lenses within them into this case and seal it shut. These must be sealed for at least 6 hours for most solutions.

Top tips for care

• Mechanical rubbing when using the multipurpose solution is essential to lift dirt and debris from the lenses as the solution does not do this on its own.
• Replacing contact lens cases is also important for hygienic reasons. It is recommended that these are replaced every 3 months. The number of cases you receive with the purchase of your contact lens solution should indicate the replacement frequency.
• If you are having issues with discomfort after using your lenses after they have been soaking in a multipurpose solution, you may have an incompatibility with one of the ingredients. Contact lens solutions are just like contact lenses; you may need to trial a different solution to find better suitability.