How to Disinfect Glasses and Contact Lenses

August 27, 2021

Wearing contact lenses or prescription glasses makes life easier for many people who suffer from vision problems because it allows them to see everything more clearly and sharply. But what good are they if we don’t keep them well cleaned and disinfected? Well, instead of offering us a good visual quality, they will be uncomfortable and will not fulfill their function 100%. That is, it will hinder our field of vision and create the opposite effect.

Wearing dirty glasses or contact lenses can also cause infections and other complications that can end up affecting the health of our eyes in the long term. In addition, now the Covid-19 has forced us to take even more precautions in the hygiene of glasses and contact lenses to avoid possible infections. So, if you want to know how to disinfect glasses and contact lenses, keep reading because this post will interest you.

Why is it important to disinfect your glasses and contact lenses?

If they are used well, the advantages of contact lenses are many, as are those of prescription glasses, but for that we must make sure that we are making good use of them and that we are following correct hygiene guidelines. What good will it do to keep your glasses and contact lenses clean?

• To avoid eye infections. Throughout the day our eyes are exposed to many microorganisms that we do not perceive with the naked eye but that can be stored in our lenses and cause infections such as conjunctivitis. This is common with prescription glasses. The lenses can easily become soiled and the frame may get tarnished or dirty as well. Therefore, disinfecting glasses is essential to avoid contaminating our eyes.
• To make them last longer. If we take care of them correctly, it is very likely that both your glasses and your contact lenses will last longer with the highest quality. That does not mean that you can extend the period of use of your monthly lenses , for example, but they will surely last until the day you have to replace them in better condition.
• For greater comfort on a day-to-day basis. It does not matter if you are more of glasses or contact lenses , both are very useful to compensate for the different graduations, and if we wear them well clean we will see more clearly and we will not even notice that we are wearing them. So you can practice sports with them, go to work or study without them being an uncomfortable complement.

What steps should I follow to disinfect glasses?

1. It is important to make sure that you have washed your hands with soap and water before you start disinfecting and caring for your glasses.
2. Before deciding how to disinfect glasses, you should look at the type of frame they have:
   • If you have plastic prescription glasses or titanium prescription glasses , you can use water with neutral soap to disinfect them every day, but we should never use alcohol to disinfect glasses because they can damage the surface of the frame.
   • If they are metal prescription glasses, the most practical thing is that you use water and neutral soap every day to remove the dirt that we leave when handling it.

However, another option that is also valid for disinfecting glasses of all types of frames is to use a cleaning spray for glasses helping you with a chamois, which will keep the lenses clean without damaging them. You just have to let them dry for a while and you can put them back on. If the lenses are very dirty, it is advisable to clean them with water and mild soap under the tap. This routine can be used both with your prescription glasses and with your sunglasses and sports glasses depending on the use you give them, since they are also exposed to bacteria and small particles.

If you have chosen to use soap and water to disinfect glasses, you should:

• Wet the lenses of your glasses a little.
• Apply a few drops of soap to both crystals and rub with your fingertips, taking care not to damage the crystals. This is one of the most important steps if you want to know how to clean your glasses so they don’t scratch.
• Reapply water to rinse off the soap.
• Dry the lenses and the frame with a microfiber cloth. It is important that the towel is made of this material so that small threads are not attached that can come off the towel.

And to disinfect my lenses?

You should already know that the procedure to clean contact lenses is totally different from the routine to disinfect prescription glasses , since they are different things that need specific products in each case . To clean your lenses correctly you must:

1. Have clean hands. One of the most important things to do before disinfecting contact lenses, in the same way as with glasses, is to wash your hands with soap and water, since there is no possibility of transferring bacteria and dirt from your hands to your eyes. This way we will avoid possible infections.
2. Once you have removed the lens from your eye, place it on the palm of your hand , taking care not to touch it with your nails so as not to tear it.
3. Apply the contact lens liquid that you usually use to disinfect your lenses, rub the lens with your fingertips and rinse it with it.
4. Store it in the lens case and repeat the same process with the other lens.
5. Fill the lens holder with the contact lens solution that you normally use until you ensure that the lens is completely covered.
6. The next day, you have to repeat the process, taking the lens and rinsing it with the maintenance solution you use before putting them on.
7. Remember that once you have them on, you must empty the liquid from the lens holder, rinse it and let it dry, so that it is completely clean when you need it again.

Frequently asked questions about how to disinfect glasses and contact lenses

1. How often should I repeat the procedure to disinfect glasses and contact lenses?

If you wear reusable lenses, you should repeat this routine every time you remove the lenses at the end of the day and leave them overnight in the lens case with the cleaning solution. On the other hand, if you wear glasses, it is a procedure that you must do every day , but you will notice if they begin to be dirty and then it will be time to disinfect the glasses again.

2. Can I use paper napkins to disinfect glasses?

Although it is a very widespread practice and may seem like a good method to get out of trouble, if we use paper napkins to clean our glasses we will not be disinfecting them and we could scratch the lenses when doing it dry.

3. How can I clean reusable lenses more thoroughly?

A good way to intensify the cleaning of reusable lenses is to use enzyme tablets every one or two weeks to reinforce the disinfection that you already do daily with your maintenance solution, or to use cleaning soap to remove the deposits that remain on the contact lens. For this you should consult with your optometrist since not all monthly lenses are the same. The most important thing is to use contact lenses only during the indicated period of use , never lengthen it, since the lenses deteriorate and we will have a greater risk of infection.

4. Can I use wet wipes to disinfect glasses?

Yes, there are wet wipes that fulfill the same function as the cleaning spray and are used to disinfect glasses, although these are for single use and are less economical.

5. Can I use the glass cleaner that I have at home to disinfect glasses?

You should avoid all products that are not only indicated to disinfect glasses. In this case, glass cleaner and other household products contain chemicals that could damage the lenses of your glasses.

Did you know all the options that exist to disinfect glasses and contact lenses? Now you know all the steps to follow to disinfect glasses and contact lenses and thus be able to ensure good hygiene maintenance and the care of your most important accessories.