If you’re one of the 45 million Americans who wear contact lenses, there’s a good chance that you’re using them in an unhygienic way. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 99% of contact-lens wearers practice at least one “contact lens hygiene risk behavior,” including not replacing cases frequently enough and wearing lenses to sleep.
In some cases, these behaviors can lead to doctor’s visits and other health issues — but many of these problems are preventable. Here’s what you should and shouldn’t do with your contact lenses to minimize the risk of infection and discomfort.
13 things you should never do with your contact lenses
Guido Mieth/Getty Images
Use tap water instead of solution
Another risky behavior is using tap water, saliva or another liquid, rather than a sterile contact solution, to clean your lenses or case. The official CDC recommendation is to keep contacts away from water altogether and throw away or disinfect any lenses that touch the water.
While these guidelines may seem strict, there are science-backed reasons behind them. Specifically, water often contains germs, some of which can cause eye infections like Acanthamoeba keratitis, a painful condition that may lead to blindness or require a corneal transplant.
Leave sunscreen on your contacts
As you may know, getting sunscreen in your eyes can be a painful experience. However, it can be even worse if you get it on your contacts because not only will it sting your eyes, but it can also ruin your lenses. If that happens, you’ll want to be prepared with a backup pair of lenses or glasses.
To prevent leaving sunscreen on your contacts, wash and dry your hands before putting them near your eyes. Follow the same process when taking them out.
Shower with contacts in
You should also avoid showering with contacts in, for the same reasons we’ve just mentioned above. Even if you live in an area with clean, drinkable water, wearing contacts in the shower increases your risk of keratitis, a serious eye infection that can lead to permanent vision loss or impairment.
Another common question: Can you wash your face with contacts in? Again, no. Getting your contacts wet — whether while showering or washing your face — can cause them to bend or stick to your eye, potentially scratching your cornea and making them painful to remove.
