How to clean your contact lens case

We all know we’re supposed to clean our contact lenses, but what about our lens case? To help keep your contacts fresh and your pretty little peepers healthy, you should clean your case after every use. Did we just say every use? Yes, but hear us out. It’s important for your eye health (for reasons we’ll describe below), and it’s so easy you’ll forget it wasn’t part of your nightly routine.  

Hint: Don’t have a contacts case? You likely wear daily contacts, which are meant to be disposed of at the end of the day instead of stored away with contacts solution. Daily contacts are the healthiest for your eyes, so, consider this a virtual high-five from us.  

 How to clean a contact lens case 

When you don’t follow the proper steps to clean a case, it can become a breeding ground for bacteria, even transferring to your lenses and causing an infection. But if you’re new to contacts or you just don’t know how to properly clean your contact lens case, don’t worry. Here’s how to do it in five simple steps: 

1. After you put in your contacts, empty all solution from the case (never re-use solution). 
2. Rinse the case with clean contact lens solution and rub the inside with your clean fingers. You can also disinfect the case with scalding hot water first, wait for it to dry, and then use cleaning solution. 
3. Allow the case to air dry upside down without the caps (or lids) on until you’re ready to store your contacts again. If your case has silver nitrate lining (which helps prevent bacteria buildup), keep the caps on so it can work its magic.
4. Make sure to replace your case every three months with a brand new one. Most contact lens cases aren’t meant to last years and years, so make sure you switch them out regularly. Good thing every order from 1-800 Contacts includes a free case (except dailies, of course.).
5. When you get a new case, don’t give it a cute name like Steve or Casey (Case-y, get it?). Just makes it all that much harder when it’s time to part with it in three months.  

Other helpful cleaning tips: 

• Want to make sure your case is extra clean with minimal effort? You can put the contact lens case in the dishwasher occasionally to disinfect it. Alternatively, you can place the case in boiling water for five minutes to sterilize it. 
• Only use fresh solution in your contact lens case. Don’t use water, homemade solution, or anything else not recommended by your eye doctor. Swap out your contact lens solution at the end of its shelf life according to the manufacturer’s recommendations, even if you don’t use it every day. 
• Just like we say about contacts, never share your contact lens case. 

• If you don’t wear your lenses every day, consider daily contacts instead. Daily contacts are ideal for casual wearers because it ensures a safer experience while keeping your costs low. You won’t need to worry about how long your lenses have been soaking in solution or whether your solution is old. 

Seems easy enough, right? Now that you know how to properly clean your contact lens case, make sure to incorporate it into your daily lens routine so you can keep your eyes healthy for years to come. And if you prefer to learn visually, we summed it all up for you in this handy graphic below. 

Original published date: 1/24/2020

Updated: 9/6/2022