Optical Hygiene: A Guide to Contact Lens and Glasses Cleanliness (All about Optically related hygiene but were afraid to ask)

In the realm of visual aids, maintaining optimal optical hygiene is paramount for preserving eye health and ensuring clear vision. Whether you rely on contact lenses or glasses, adopting effective cleaning practices is will spare you headaches down the road. This article delves into the significance of optical hygiene, offering insights into the proper methods for cleaning both contact lenses and glasses.

The Importance of Cleanliness

Cleanliness plays a pivotal role in safeguarding your eye health. Unclean contact lenses or glasses can harbor bacteria, debris, and other irritants that may lead to infections, discomfort, and potential damage to your eyes.

A hazy film or smudges on your glasses can significantly compromise the clarity of your vision. Many anti-glare coatings do have an oleophobic (oil-repelling) component. That said, it can get “overwhelmed.” Once enough oils get deposited on the lens you end up with a very smudged surface that “just won’t get clean.”

Contact Lens Cleaning Tips

1. Wash Hands Thoroughly: Before handling contact lenses, wash your hands with soap and water to eliminate any dirt or bacteria. Dry your hands with a lint-free towel to prevent lint transfer onto the lenses. Avoid soaps that contain moisturizers and weird ingredients. Aim for clear liquid hand soap. While antibacterial soaps offer a little more disinfecting capabilities than regular soap, not all bacteria will be affected. Bacterial resistance is becoming an issue and may not offset potential harm resistant bacteria could cause.

2. Use Recommended Solutions: Clean your lenses using the recommended contact lens solution. Do NOT use tap water, as it may contain impurities, bacteria, and other critters that can adhere to the lenses and cause discomfort or infection. One notorious condition is acanthamoeba keratitis, occurring more frequently in tropical and subtropical areas.
   

3. Rub and Rinse: When cleaning soft contact lenses, rub them gently with the solution to remove any protein deposits or debris. Rinse them thoroughly afterward to ensure a residue-free surface.
4. Storage Case Maintenance: Regularly clean and disinfect your contact lens storage case to prevent the accumulation of bacteria. Replace the case every three months to maintain a sterile environment for your lenses.

Glasses Cleaning Tips

The best thing to do is initially rinse the lenses to remove the bigger particles and then use clear liquid hand soap to lather up the lenses. Try to get in the crevices. Rinse and then use a lens cloth to dry them. It’s important to do this regularly. If you find that the lenses are still smudging, it is likely because there is a reservoir of oil somewhere between the lens and the frame. Sometimes taking out the lenses and cleaning both with a soft brush with soap and water fixes this. Crystal Eyecare offers a free cleaning service to all our patients and if you’d like us to take out the lenses and give the lenses and frame a thorough cleaning, we are happy to do so. Don’t fight your lenses. One last word about soap; Any clear soap like Soft Soap, Palmolive, Dawn, or any clear dish detergent will work. The only issue we find with dish detergents, is that they are very concentrated and thick, requiring a fairly long time to rinse away by comparison to a “Soft Soap” for hand washing.

It is also important to remember to clean your cloth on a regular basis. Doing so will keep make cleaning easier and reduce the chances for scratching. Cloths accumulate particles especially when one cleans glasses with a lens cloth and spray only. Sprays are good for when you are on the go and can’t otherwise use soap and water to clean the lenses.

While using a shirt is usually frowned upon. We take a more nuanced position. If you launder your shirts before you use them and are not working with particles (woodworking, metalworking etc…) it should be fine to use it to dry the lenses after you wash them. Obviously use your best judgement, but the principle is this. Dirty Glasses + Soap & water + clean cotton cloth = clean glasses.

Conclusion

Adopting proper optical hygiene practices is essential for preserving eye health and ensuring clear vision. Whether you wear contact lenses or glasses, consistent cleaning routines can prevent discomfort, infections, and blurred vision. By following these tips, you can maintain optimal clarity and keep your eyes healthy, and it’s fairly easy to incorporate into your daily routine.