Should I or should I not use tap water to rinse my contact lens case?

Question

The instructions I got from the doctor/hospital say to rinse them w/ tap water and let air dry after every use, but the instructions w/ the solution (renu multiplus) say to rinse w/ solution and never to use water. And the hospital instructions also say to wash the case and caps w/ hot soapy tap water once a week and air dry.

It's been a week since I got contacts, so I'm wondering if I should wash w/ soapy water.

Answer 1

rinsing contact lenses with tap water is not advisable. depending on your municipality and the source of the tap water, different chemicals and minerals are carried in the water.

contact lenses are fragile and porous, and have the potential to become damaged or even absorb those chemicals and minerals.

follow the directions on the renu solution bottle.

wash your contact lens CASE with hot soapy water after each use. let air dry or wipe dry with a clean cloth.

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soft contact lenses should not be air dried. ever. i once experimented with a contact lens i no longer needed: i left it by itself on a medicine cabinet shelf to dry. after one day, it became stiff and warped. after trying to resuscitate it with contact lens solution, it was STILL stiff and warped.

this change in texture and shape will have a negative effect on the prescription and wearability of your lenses. always keep them moist, either in your eye, or in the case submerged in solution.

Answer 2

tap water has a lot of minerals, fluoride etc in it. so in time it will build up. in a pinch i dont think it will hurt. yes washing your case is ok. i know solution can be costly, even the cheap store brand works fine. good luck  

Answer 3

I wouldn't recommend using tap water to clean your case because tap water has different minerals in it. I rinse my contact lens case with the contact solution. If you do decide to use tap water don't use soap, just water.

Answer 4

Rinsing with tap water is fine.  I've  worn contact lenses for 20 years now and I've always rinsed my case with tap water.  The renu bottle tells you to rinse with solution so you'll use more and thus have to buy more increasing the bottom line for the manufacturer. The same reason shampoo bottles tell you to repeat.  Always follow your health care provider's advice on how to use a product versus a product's manufacturer. Your provider has your best interest at heart, while the manufacturer is more interested in lining their pocket.

Answer 5

you're suppose to get rid of ur solution daily and then rise it with HOT tap water and then let it AIR DRY dont use soap it can irritate and always make sure ur contacts are in solution when in the case becasue it can dry up

Answer 6

use solution.

Answer 7

I have had contacts for over 3 years and this is what I do: I just put solution in the case. A few days later when it's evaporated a bit and I need to put more in, I rinse out the case with tap water and put more clean solution in it. Honestly, cleaning it every few days with either solution or tap water is fine. But I don't recommend using soap, it could easily irritate your eyes and doesn't really make a difference. I have had no eye problems using this method. I assume these are soft contacts? If not, just let me know. Thanks!  

Answer 8

I recommend rinsing your case with tap water after you put your contact lenses in your eyes.  Then, leave the case open and allow to air dry.  It is also ok to rinse with hot/soapy water and then let air dry.  

NEVER re-use solution

Answer 9

I use cheep saline solution for rinsing (about 3 bucks for two bottles).  I also rinse my contacts with saline (per dr. orders after cleaning with Opti-Free) and store in Opti-Free.  I also dump the solution every time (though I do wear overnight for 3 days at a time as allowed by doc).

Other than the rinse with saline, allowing air drying and washing the outside of the case; I don't do much more.  I DO replace my contact case every time I finish a bottle of contact solution (they come with the solution) or sometimes when I start with new contacts (monthlies).

But each person is going to do it differently and as you have experienced, there are differing views.