Although lenses enhance the beauty of people's eyes, using them is pretty inconvenient as they need to be stored in special cases. This is quite understandable because they will directly contact the eye surface. Careless storage can cause damage to eyes or even eye infections.
However, people don't always have these lenses, and sometimes they lose, break or forget to bring them. Therefore, more and more people wonder "how to store contacts without a case?". So what is the answer? Scroll down for more details!
Wash And Dry Two Drinking Glasses
When you store your contact lenses, the most important thing is to keep them clean. The lens will contact your eyes, so the environment where you intend to store it must be as clean as possible. You can wash the glasses you plan to store your contact lenses carefully with normal soap.
- Don't forget that you'll have to reach deep inside the cup to get your contact lenses out, so prioritize small glasses over large ones.
- You will have to use special water to preserve the lens, not plain water. Therefore, do not forget to completely dry the surface of the cup, avoiding the meeting of the lens and water.
Sometimes we can forget which lens is for the right and left eyes. It's best not to be subjective; note "L" and "R" on the cup. They should be big enough for you to read.
Note: Only use plastic cups when you have no glass or porcelain cups left. Avoid using paper cups as they can dry out your contact lenses.
Put Contact Lens Solution In The Disinfected Glasses
According to most optical experts, contact lenses should be soaked in a special solution created to preserve them. However, if you don't have this solution, you can use a basic saline solution instead. But do not forget that its sterilization capacity will not be optimal.
As mentioned above, absolutely do not immerse contact lenses in plain water, including purified bottled water and distilled water.
These types of water all contain bacteria that contaminate the lens surface, even causing the lenses to swell when exposed to water. The result is damage to the eye when the contact lens is put in.
Remember that using a saline solution is only a last option. However, rest assured because it can prevent your eyes from getting infected.
It is best to use the available saline solution. Never mix it yourself because it can contain grit that might damage lenses and eyes.
Wash Your Hands Before Taking Out Your Contacts
Keeping your eyes safe is a top priority. So be sure to wash your hands with warm soapy water and dry them with a tissue before touching your contact lenses.
Drop Your Lenses Into The Solution
After removing contact lenses from your eyes, quickly place them into the glasses of the solution you prepared in advance. Don't forget to put in the correct vial every time. Misplacing will sometimes cause cross-infection.
Don't forget to make sure your contact lenses are completely submerged in the saline or preservative solution. Sometimes too much or too little water causes the contact lens to float to the solution's surface, leading to lens infection.
Cover The Tops Of The Glasses With Plastic Or Paper
Cover the cup you're holding your contact lenses in, trying to seal as tightly as possible. This action will keep the contact lens solution inside from evaporating and limit bacterial contamination from the air.
If you're wondering what should be used to seal the glass, a paper shower cap should be a good idea. It's pretty tight, so you don't have to work at all to seal the cup. Or in case you don't have this type of cap, you can cover the cup lid with paper and tie it with an elastic band.
Buy A New Case If You're Going To Be Away Longer Than Overnight
Using temporary cases for more than one night is a no-no. You should buy a new case of contact lenses if you have to go out more than one night.
Remember that DIY cases are just a temporary solution for you to buy proper contact lens cases. You can find them in many places, such as drugstores, lens stores, or even grocery stores.
Can You Store Contacts In Solution?
Contact Solution
The answer is yes, contact solution was born to preserve lenses. Specifically, it can disinfect and clean contact lenses. So your eyes will be protected one hundred percent.
There are various solutions of plenty of brands available, but they are all capable of safely cleaning the lens from surface contaminants. In addition, they also ensure the moisture of the lenses when applied to the eyes.
However, nothing can be preserved forever, not even a contact solution. Reusing the solution for many days can make it a breeding ground for bacteria, making it no longer sterile.
This is very dangerous. If the bacteria that grow in the solution enter the eyeball through the lens, it can cause eye diseases. So do not forget to change the solution regularly.
Saline Solution
As mentioned above, you should only consider this as a last option. The saline solution does not have a strong disinfecting ability for the lenses, nor does it have active ingredients that help to nourish the eyes.
In addition, it also does not have the effect of wetting contact lenses when worn. Therefore, you should not use this solution to preserve contact lenses for a long time.
It would be best to use this solution only to clean contact lenses, not completely replace the contact solution. Also, do not make your saline solution at home as unsterilized salt particles can cause serious infections and scratch lenses and eyes.
How Long Can You Keep Contacts in Solution?
It depends on the type and the replacement schedule of the contact lenses you are using. Many lenses can be stored in closed, pure cases for up to 30 days. However, for eye safety, storing lenses is generally not recommended.
If you haven't worn contact lenses for a long time, it's still best to throw them away and replace them with new ones.
Don't forget to wash your stored glasses thoroughly and disinfect them with fresh solutions. Remember to pay attention to the health of your eyes. If you feel any abnormality, immediately remove it.
The above are a few general principles about the care of contact lenses. You should consult the instructions from the manufacturer and your ophthalmologist to ensure the safety of your eyes.
Conclusion
It can be seen that preserving contact lenses with DIY cases is not recommended. This is quite understandable because preservation is still quite risky for the eyes. However, if this method is only applied for a short time, it is still acceptable.
Above is all information about temporary cases. We hope you have answered the question "how to store contacts without a case?" now. Thanks for reading!
