Washing hands before handling contact lenses
Clean hands are the first step of lens care, but drying matters too.
A little context: this note is for adults with mild symptoms. Pregnancy, long-term conditions, or reduced immunity can change what is safe. Ask a professional if you’re unsure.
Let’s start here
Clean hands are the first step of lens care, but drying matters too. Build both parts into the routine before opening the case or touching the eye.
A few small things to try
- Prepare supplies before washing
- Wash, rinse and dry hands completely
- Avoid touching other surfaces during handling
Make the safe routine practical
Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water, rinse and dry with a clean cloth before handling lenses. Set out the supplies first so you do not need to touch a phone or cupboard handle halfway through. If you do touch another surface, wash and dry again before returning to the lens.
Follow-through and limits
Avoid applying hand cream immediately before lens handling if it leaves residue on your fingers. Keep lens care separate from makeup or other products that can transfer to the lens. If the environment does not allow clean handling, use glasses until you can follow the routine safely.
Contact lenses are medical devices. Follow your eye professional’s wear schedule and the exact cleaning system instructions, including any full disinfection time. Keep backup glasses available so taking lenses out is practical. Never use water or saliva to clean or store a lens.
A couple of things to skip
- Do not sleep in lenses unless specifically prescribed, or wear them in water.
- Do not share lenses, top up old solution or extend a replacement schedule.
When to ask for help
Remove lenses and seek urgent eye advice for redness, pain, unusual watering, discharge, light sensitivity or blurred vision. Do not put them back in while waiting for advice. Sudden loss of vision, severe pain or an eye injury needs emergency assessment.
If symptoms are severe or rapidly worsening, use your local emergency service. A little more on getting help.
A little further reading
These links provide background and further reading. Citing an organization does not mean it endorses Wellnote or has reviewed this article. Content is AI-assisted and has not received independent clinical review. How these notes come together.
take good care of yourself. ♡