Do You Really Need a Contact Lens Cleaner?

Throughout the day, contact lenses collect dirt, protein deposits, and bacteria, which can cause irritation or even infections if not properly removed. A separate contact lens cleaner isn’t always necessary, but keeping your lenses clean is essential for eye health and comfort. Tina Patel, Contact Lens Optician at Feel Good Contacts, says, “Most modern multipurpose solutions can clean, disinfect, and store lenses effectively for everyday use, but a dedicated cleaner can help provide a deeper clean for those with sensitive eyes or heavy buildup. It’s important to consult your optician to determine which contact lens cleaning products are the right match for your eyes and lens type.”

Learn in this guide about contact lens cleaners, the different types available, how to use them properly and whether they should be part of your daily contact lens cleaning routine.

• What is a contact lens cleaner?
• Types of contact lens cleaning solutions
• Frequently Asked Questions

What is a contact lens cleaner?

A contact lens cleaner is designed to keep your reusable contact lenses, such as monthly, two weekly and one weekly, clean and fresh, ensuring comfortable, clear vision with every wear. A contact lens cleaner comes in both manual and automatic versions. While manual contact lens cleaning solutions use the rub-and-rinse method, automatic ones use high-frequency sound waves to clean the lenses. Both these cleaners are designed to keep your contact lenses fresh and germ-free by:

• Removing dirt and deposits
• Breaking down greasy protein and lipid build-up from your tears
• Disinfecting the contact lenses

Automatic contact lens cleaners use methods like ultrasonic waves to clean lenses with minimal manual effort. They can offer consistent cleaning and may be helpful for people who struggle with manual dexterity. These devices can offer consistent results and added convenience, but they are more expensive, require maintenance and still need to be used with a suitable solution. Always check with your optician before using one and only use it if recommended for your lenses and eye care needs.

Types of contact lens cleaning solutions

Contact lens cleaning solutions come in various forms, designed to accommodate different lenses and individual eye requirements.

The most common types of contact lens solutions include:

• Saline solutions: These are sterile mixtures comprising of salt and water and do not contain any disinfectant, hence not suitable for cleaning your contact lenses. Saline solutions are used only to rinse and rewet your contact lenses before putting them in your eyes. They remove any dirt, dust and debris from your lenses, along with any residue of a disinfecting solution.
• Multipurpose solutions: These are all-in-one solutions for cleaning, rinsing, disinfecting and storing your contact lenses. These solutions are often used for soft contact lenses. comfi All-in-One Solution, ReNu Multi-Purpose Solution and Biotrue Multi-Purpose Solution are among the bestselling multipurpose solutions.
• Hydrogen peroxide solutions: These are used for deep cleaning contact lenses and can be suitable for people with sensitive eyes. These solutions can also be used to store your contact lenses overnight; however, your contacts would then need to be neutralised to ensure they are safe to wear.
• Rigid & gas permeable solutions: These solutions are used to disinfect rigid gas permeable contact lenses, ensuring they are comfortable and safe for every wear. Some people may be advised to use an additional contact lens cleaner for a deeper clean.

It is essential to always use a contact lens solution recommended by your optician to ensure safe and effective lens care.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often should you clean your contact lenses?

Reusable contact lenses, such as monthly, two weekly and one weekly, must be cleaned every night after you remove them from your eyes. However, if you use daily disposable lenses, then they must be discarded after every use.

What happens if you do not clean and disinfect your contact lenses?

Not cleaning your reusable contact lenses properly can lead to eye infection, corneal inflammation, redness and long-term vision damage.

Disclaimer: The advice in this article is for informational purposes only and does not replace medical care or an in-person check-up. Please check with an eyecare professional before purchasing any products or remedies. For information on our article review process, please refer to our Editorial Policy.