Contact lens cleaner, as the name suggests, is used to clean and care for contact lenses. Since there are various types of contact lenses, there are now also many different types of cleaners, in which the lens and the cleaner are matched. In addition, the cleaner is now available in many different filling sizes.
What is a contact lens cleaner?
Cleaning solutions ensure that contact lenses are thoroughly cleaned of bacteria, dirt and debris before and after each wear. Contact lens cleaner is needed to clean and maintain contact lenses. Since contact lenses now come in a wide range of variations, the selection of different types of cleaners is also now quite large. The right cleaning solution ensures that the contact lenses are thoroughly cleaned of bacteria, dirt and debris before and after each wearing; and thus prevent, among other things, inflammation, irritation and diseases of the eyes. Since the contact lens cleaner can lose its effectiveness over time, depending on its composition, most manufacturers recommend using it up within six weeks of opening the package or replacing it by then at the latest. Exceptions are care systems in tablet form – but these are also usually used together with cleaning and care solutions.
Forms, types and styles
Since today there are not only soft and hard lenses, but also daily lenses, monthly lenses, annual lenses and permanent lenses, the selection of cleaning solutions offered is now also large. There are special surface cleaners for hard contact lenses, cleaning solutions for soft lenses and, in addition, convenient all-in-one systems, pure storage solutions (such as saline solution) and special enzyme cleaners, among others. Today, all-in-one solutions are preferably used for monthly or annual lenses, for example – although enzyme cleaning must be performed regularly for annual and permanent lenses. Manufacturers recommend that this thorough cleaning should be done once a week on average. This is because, while ordinary cleaning solutions and all-in-one solutions remove a large portion of the deposits and bacteria from the lenses, they do not remove all of them. Provided the lenses are only worn for a short period of time and then replaced, this poses no health risk. In the case of annual or permanent lenses, however, the lenses must be handled carefully. In addition, stubborn deposits, as they would usually occur after a longer period of wear, affect the wearing comfort.
Structure and mode of operation
While wearing contact lenses, a wide variety of deposits are formed on their surface, including by external influences, but also by the body – such as dirt, dust, makeup, tear fluid and bacteria. Therefore, the lenses should be cleaned at least once a day, but also before each new insertion. Depending on the solution present, the lenses must be rinsed briefly for this purpose or placed in the contact lens case for several hours. During this time, a composition that is adapted to the requirements of the contact lens at hand acts specifically on possible deposits by dissolving them, removing them and killing bacteria. In addition, the ingredients of the cleaners also take care of the surface and material of the lens, so that it is preserved longer and remains comfortable to wear. For this reason, it is essential to rely on the right cleaning system. Soft lenses have a different composition than hard lenses. Accordingly, a cleaner intended for soft lenses cannot and must not be used with hard lenses. In addition, the cleaner must also be considered whether it is irritating to the eyes or not. The former is mainly the case with very thorough and aggressive cleaners and disinfection systems. Really strong solutions, such as those that should be used after inflammations and diseases of the eyes, for example, are not freely available in specialized stores. Corresponding cleaning can therefore only be carried out by an optician and takes at least one day. Commercially available solutions irritate the eyes in the worst case when they come into contact with them. This can be prevented by neutralizing the solution after cleaning with special tablets.Another option is to rinse the lenses thoroughly with a neutralizer or other solution (such as saline) before inserting them. Again, however, it depends on the cleaner: Some solutions need to be neutralized, while for others it is sufficient to rinse the lens with saline before insertion.
Medical and health benefits
Contact lens cleaners remove debris, preventing bacteria and germs from spreading on the surfaces of the lenses – and thus reaching the eye when inserted. Monthly lenses or, in some cases, annual lenses should be replaced completely if bacteria have formed or collected on them. Another benefit of cleaning lenses is maintaining comfort and clear vision. Deposits, as they occur in the course of wearing, would already after a few days more and more impair the vision and the wearing experience. And: Deposits can irritate or even damage the surface of the eye in the long run. This is another reason why regular cleaning or replacement of the lens, if it is too dirty or damaged, is essential.
