Best Ways to Store Contact Lenses Without Solution
Have you ever had a weekend away or stayed over at a friend's house and forgotten your contact lenses solution? Don't worry - you're not the first and probably not the last to do this! But what should you do when you have forgotten your contact lens solution and case and you're unable to get to an opticians or pharmacy to buy some more? All contact lens users must have wondered this at some point. Although, you should know that storing them in the correct solution is the only option that will keep your lenses 100% clean.
Rather than throwing the lenses away and digging out your old pair of glasses, keep reading! OneHOWTO will show you how to store contact lenses without solution, with these easy methods.
Water as the utmost last resort
Some people's first thought when they realize they don't have any solution is to store the lenses in regular water. Ophthalmology experts don't recommend this - normal water doesn't clean or disinfect contact lenses. However, it's better than nothing at all. Check what happens if you leave contact lenses on overnight.If you do so, make sure you previously disinfect the container where you're going to store them. Do this with some 90 degree alcohol and cover the container with cellophane or similar. This is to ensure no air gets in contact with them overnight.
Use saline solution
So, how can you store the lenses without solution? As mentioned above, tap water should never be used as an alternative. This could lead to bacteria proliferation and put the health of your eyes at risk. Yet, from time to time - and only in exceptional cases - you could try some one-off options that shouldn't cause any problems.One alternative is to use saline solution (a sterile salt rinse) and simply store the lenses as you would normally. However, you should only do this in exceptional circumstances and never as a habit. Again, you would be risking the health of your eyes.
Distilled water and salt
Another option is to use distilled water to store the lenses , which is much safer than tap water. However, if you're absolutely desperate, you could mix 240 ml of tap water with a teaspoon of salt. Just make sure you boil the tap water beforehand.In our article: can I store contact lenses in water?, we explain why you should not store them in plain tap water under any circumstances.
Regardless of all our tips and tricks, remember you should never fall into the habit of storing your contact lenses in these alternative liquids. The solution is always the safest option. We repeat: you're playing with your health! So, make sure you store your them correctly in specifically designed solution!If you've found this article useful, don't forget to share it! And if you know of any other ideas, please let us know your preferred methods in the comments!You may be interested in: Best Ways to Remove Contact Lenses Quickly & How to Avoid Red Eyes from Wearing Contact Lenses
This article is merely informative, oneHOWTO does not have the authority to prescribe any medical treatments or create a diagnosis. We invite you to visit your doctor if you have any type of condition or pain.
If you want to read similar articles to Best Ways to Store Contact Lenses Without Solution, we recommend you visit our Diseases & secondary effects category.
Tips
- As these solutions are not ideal for either you eyes or your contact lenses, it is best to purchase a small travel contact lense solution bottle so you can carry around in your bag to make sure you always have an emergency kit.
