Care · 5 min read
Contact lens care
Contact lenses are safe when the routine is boring: clean hands, fresh solution, the right replacement date, and never water. This is the routine we teach every first-time wearer at the counter.
Wash and dry your hands
Every single time, before your fingers go near a lens or your eye.
Use fresh solution
Fill the case with new solution each night. Never top up what is already there.
Keep to the schedule
Dailies go in the bin at night. Monthlies are replaced on the date, not when they feel old.
Replace the case
A new case every three months. Rinse it with solution, never water, and leave it open to dry.
No water, ever
Tap water, showers, swimming pools and the sea can carry organisms that harm the eye.
Do not sleep in them
Unless a doctor has specifically prescribed lenses for overnight wear.
Do not push through redness
A red, painful or light-sensitive eye means the lens comes out and you see an eye doctor.
Do not share or stretch a lens
A lens past its date or from someone else is an infection waiting to happen.
Got a prescription or a question about your own eyes? Send it to us on WhatsApp and we will reply with a plain answer.
The daily routine
- 01
Morning: hands, then lens
Wash with plain soap, rinse well and dry with a lint-free towel. Take the lens from the case, check it is not inside-out (the edge flares out if it is), and put it in. Then the other. Empty the case, rinse it with fresh solution, and leave it open to air-dry.
- 02
Through the day
Build up wearing time gradually in the first week. If an eye feels gritty or looks red, take the lens out rather than pushing on.
- 03
Evening: rub, rinse, store
Hands washed again. Take the lens out, put it in your palm with a few drops of solution and rub gently for about ten seconds, then rinse it with fresh solution and put it in the case in fresh solution. Dailies skip all of this: they go in the bin.
Why water is the enemy
Replacement schedules
| Item | Replace | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Daily disposable lenses | Every day, after one wear | They are not made to be cleaned or reused. A second day is an infection risk. |
| Monthly lenses | Thirty days after opening, worn or not | Deposits build up even in the case. The date, not the feel, decides. |
| Solution | Fresh every night; discard the bottle by its date | Old or topped-up solution loses its disinfecting power. |
| Lens case | Every three months | Biofilm forms inside a case that no rinsing removes. |
Make-up, sleep and screens
- Lenses in before make-up, out before removing it, so nothing gets trapped underneath.
- Never sleep in lenses unless a doctor has prescribed lenses made for overnight wear. Sleeping in ordinary lenses is one of the biggest causes of infection.
- Screens reduce blinking and dry lenses out. Blink deliberately, and keep rewetting drops made for contact lenses if your eyes get dry.
- Keep a spare pair of spectacles. There will be days your eyes need a rest.
- Never share lenses, and never wear a lens past its date to save money.
Warning signs
Most problems announce themselves. The rule is simple: if in doubt, take it out. Then look at the eye.
Your first pair
First-time wearers at the shop practise putting a lens in and taking it out at the counter, with us, until it feels normal, and go through this routine before the first pair goes home. Solutions, cases and rewetting drops are on the shelf.
Questions people ask
Can I rinse my contact lenses with water if I run out of solution?
No. Water can carry organisms that cause serious infections. If you have no solution, take the lenses out, wear your spectacles, and buy solution before wearing them again.
Can I sleep in my contact lenses?
Not unless a doctor has prescribed lenses specifically for overnight wear. Ordinary lenses starve the cornea of oxygen overnight and greatly raise the infection risk.
How long can I keep monthly lenses if I only wear them sometimes?
Thirty days from the day the pack was opened, regardless of how many times they were worn. Occasional wearers are usually better off with dailies.
How do I know if my lens is inside-out?
Hold it on a fingertip and look at the edge from the side. A correct lens forms a smooth bowl; an inside-out lens flares slightly outward at the rim, like a saucer.
Not sure what applies to you? Ask us. A computerised eye test at the shop takes about 15 to 30 minutes, and we explain what we find in plain language.
This guide is general information from an optician, not medical advice. Sudden changes in vision, pain, flashes or a curtain over part of your sight need an eye doctor (ophthalmologist) straight away.
Find us
Near Sai Baba Mandir, at Jivdani Chowk.
Reading is a good start. A test is better. Walk in for a computerised eye test; no appointment is needed.
Address
Ami OpticsShop No. 1, Mohan Apt., V. S. Marg
Near Sai Baba Mandir, Opp. Radha Krishna Restaurant
Virar (E), Maharashtra 401305
Hours
Mon–Thu, Sat–Sun · 9:30 am – 9:30 pm
Friday · closed
Customers come to us from Virar East, Virar West, Nalasopara and Vasai. Look for the shop opposite Radha Krishna Restaurant, near Sai Baba Mandir, at Jivdani Chowk. Landmarks and a map are on the visit us page. We speak English, हिंदी and मराठी.
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Walk in for an eye test, browse the frames, or just say hello on WhatsApp. We'd love to meet you.