How to Remove Your Contact Lenses

If you have never worn contact lenses before, it is important to get a contact lens fitting to ensure you are wearing coloured contact lenses that are suitable for your eyes. During your contact lens fitting, your eye doctor or optician will also guide you through inserting and removing contact lenses to make sure you can do so safely.

• Ensure your hands are clean and dry before removing your lenses. Use antibacterial unscented soap to wash your hands.
• To start removing your contact lens, look up at the ceiling and pull down your lower eyelid with your middle finger.
• Bring your forefinger close to your eye until you touch the lower edge of your contact lens. Then slide the lens down to the bottom of your eye.
• Gently squeeze the contact lens between your thumb and index finger and remove it. Take care not to pinch it too hard as this may cause the lens to tear.
• Place your contact lens into the storage case before removing the lens from your other eye. (For daily use contact lenses, please dispose of the contact lenses and do not reuse them).
• Repeat for the other eye. For reusable lenses, make sure to store your contact lenses in a case that is clearly marked Left and Right so you can ensure you place them back in the correct eye next time.

It is important to only wear your contact lenses for their intended duration. Daily lenses can only be worn once whereas reusable contact lenses can be worn multiple times. For example, 30 day lenses can be worn for approximately a month from opening. The duration refers to calendar days rather than number of wears. 

Storing Reusable Contact Lenses

To safely store your reusable contact lenses use a sterile contact lens case with an airtight screw top lid. They are available in a range of styles. The key to contact lens storage is to ensure your lenses stay submerged in contact lens solution to prevent the lenses from becoming dry. If your contact lenses do become dry then they cannot be reused. Regularly refresh your contact lens solution during storage to keep your lenses fresh and always check for any signs of build-up or damage before wearing your lenses.

Even for single-use contact lenses, you will need to prepare your contacts by soaking them for at least 2 hours before use in fresh contact lens solution. Please refer to our Inserting Contact Lenses guide for more information about how to prepare your lenses.

There are several tools that can make contact lens removal even easier, especially if you are on the go. For cosplayers attending cosplay events, you may need to be able to quickly put in your contact lens while travelling. This is where a contact lens travel kit will come in handy. Here are some of the tools that will make your experience even easier:

• Contact Lens Insertion Wand
• Contact Lens Tweezers
• Pocket Mirror
• Travel-size Contact Lens Solution
• Contact Lens Case

Using the wand and tweezers, you can easily handle your contact lenses without worrying about sharp nails or other accessories causing damage to your contact lenses. A pocket mirror will help you to see what you are doing on the go, if you find this useful. Make sure you always have fresh solution and a contact lens case with you, just in case you need to remove or clean your contact lenses.

We hope you have found all the information you need to successfully remove and store your contact lenses without worry. If you would like to read more information about contact lens care, visit our other Safety Guide articles.