Storage is where a lot of quiet mistakes happen. The lens looks clean, the case looks clean, and nothing hurts until days later. The rules change a little depending on how long the lens will be out of your eye.
Fill & rinse
Preservative-free saline
Goes in your eye
Sterile and preservative-free only. One vial per fill; throw the rest away.
Disinfect & store
Hydrogen peroxide system
Only after full neutralizing
Only in the case that came with the bottle. Wait the full time. Never fill the bowl with it or rinse with it before insertion.
Disinfect & store
Multipurpose / GP solution
Not for filling the bowl
Use one made for rigid (GP) lenses. Fresh solution every night, never topped off.
Nothing
Water of any kind
Never on lens or case
Tap, bottled, distilled, filtered: none are sterile enough. Not even to rinse the case.
Brands on this page are named as examples wearers use, not endorsements. Your fitter may prescribe specific products for your lens material or coating: their instructions come first.
Three kinds of storage
| Store it in | Watch out for | Before you wear it again | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overnight | Fresh disinfecting solution in a clean case | Saline, water, topped-off solution | The full soak time on the label; rinse and fill with fresh saline |
| Short break (shower, nap, midday) | Fresh multipurpose solution in a separate clean case | Parking the lens in saline or a leftover vial | Rinse with preservative-free saline, fill with a fresh vial |
| Spare or backup pair | Wet or dry, as your fitter directs | Warping, old solution, forgetting what’s in which case | Clean, fully disinfect, and check the fit if it’s been a long time |
Overnight
Every night, the lens goes into fresh disinfecting solution in a clean case: either a hydrogen peroxide system or a multipurpose solution made for rigid (GP) lenses. Discard the old solution every time and never top it off.[2]
Saline is not a storage solution. The FDA says sterile saline is for rinsing only, not for cleaning or disinfecting.[2] A report of Acanthamoeba infections in scleral lens wearers listed overnight storage in saline among the possible risks.[10] Wearers repeat this warning more than almost any other: not the leftover fill vial, not “just for one night”.
With hydrogen peroxide
- 1 · Fill to the line Lenses in the baskets, peroxide to the fill line, cap screwed on. Only in the case with the neutralizing disc.
- 2 · Bubbling = still working The disc turns peroxide into water and oxygen. While it’s fizzing, the solution would burn your eye.
- 3 · Safe after at least 6 hours Then rinse with saline if your fitter says to, fill with fresh saline, and insert.
Never rinse a lens with un-neutralized peroxide before insertion, never fill the bowl with it, never cut the soak short, and use the new case that comes with every new bottle. The red cap on most peroxide bottles is the warning.
Peroxide works only in the case that comes with each new bottle, which has the neutralizing disc built in. An old case may not neutralize the peroxide.[4] For Clear Care, Alcon says to soak for at least 6 hours, or overnight.[5] If you don’t need the lenses the next day, Alcon says they can stay in an unopened Clear Care case for up to 7 days. After that, discard the solution and disinfect them again before wearing.[5] If a lens stings or burns when it goes in, take it straight out: the peroxide may not have been fully neutralized.
Scleral lenses are big. Wearers report lenses squeezed, scratched, or cracked by a standard peroxide basket, and some buy a larger scleral case. Any peroxide case still needs a neutralizer, so ask your fitter which one fits your lenses.
With a GP multipurpose solution
Follow the soak time on the label. Boston Simplus and Unique pH both say to soak for at least 4 hours before wearing.[6][7] Multipurpose solutions contain preservatives, so rinse the solution off with preservative-free saline before you fill, unless your fitter or the label tells you otherwise.[9]
Short breaks
A shower, a nap, a midday refill, a few hours in glasses: the lens still needs a clean case and fresh disinfecting solution. Peroxide doesn’t suit short breaks because the lens can’t go back in until the full soak time has passed. That’s why many wearers keep a second, clearly labeled flat case with a GP multipurpose solution just for breaks, and use peroxide at night. Wearers name Unique pH, Boston Simplus, and Tangible Clean for this.
- Fresh solution every time, even for a short break.
- Rinse with preservative-free saline and fill with a fresh vial before reinserting. Throw away what’s left in the vial.
- Empty the case afterwards. Don’t save the solution for the next break.
Long-term storage of a backup pair
Keeping your last good pair as a backup is one of the most common pieces of advice wearers give each other: lenses break, get lost, or take weeks to replace. How to store that pair depends on the lens, so ask your fitter and write down what they say.
Wet or dry. Many wearers report being told that uncoated lenses can be stored dry after a thorough clean and disinfection, and that coated lenses, such as those with a Hydra-PEG coating, are kept wet in a compatible solution. Tangible Science, which makes the Hydra-PEG coating, says never to store coated lenses dry, and to change the storage solution every 30 days.[1] For uncoated lenses, instructions differ between fitters, which is why the one that counts is yours. Don’t change your storage solution or system without asking your fitter.[4] If you store wet, use a solution approved for your lens: Tangible Clean is made to protect Hydra-PEG coatings, and Menicon lists Unique pH as Hydra-PEG compatible.[8][7]
Before storing: clean, rub, rinse, and disinfect the lenses. Label the case with the date, which pair it is, and which eye is which.
Before wearing again: clean the lenses and run a complete disinfecting cycle, whether they were stored wet or dry. If they’ve been stored for many months, or your eyes have changed since, ask for a fit check. Wearers describe old spares that had warped, or no longer suited their eyes.
Keep spares away from heat and cold. Boston Simplus says not to freeze it.[6] Wearers report lenses distorted after freezing in a cold car or going through a washer and dryer. If that happens, have your fitter check the lens before you wear it.
Looking after the case
Your case needs the same care whichever kind of storage you use. Empty it after use, rinse it with fresh solution, never water, and let it air-dry.[2] Replace it every 3 months or as your eye care professional directs, and start the new peroxide case with each new bottle.[3][4] The full routine is in looking after your lens case.
Two things wearers add:
- After an eye infection, replace your cases and tools and wait for your doctor to clear you before wearing the lenses again.
- Let plungers and tools dry in the open. Sealed away wet, they can grow mold. If you wipe tools with alcohol, let them dry completely. If your lenses have a Hydra-PEG coating, ask your fitter how to clean tools: Tangible Science says coated lenses must avoid solutions containing isopropyl alcohol.[9]
Travel storage
- Keep solutions in their original bottles. The FDA warns against pouring them into smaller travel containers: it can affect sterility and lead to using the wrong solution by mistake.[2] Buy travel sizes instead.
- A screw-top flat case with multipurpose solution is what many wearers switch to for flights and day trips, because vented peroxide cases can leak when tipped.
- Pack more than you think you’ll need, plus a spare case, plunger, and your glasses. See traveling with scleral lenses and your emergency kit.
- Work over a towel, not an open sink, in hotel bathrooms.
What wearers report
- Clear Care and other peroxide systems. Many wearers like how clean lenses come out. The complaints are cases too small for larger lenses, stiff baskets, and foaming when cleaner residue wasn’t rinsed off first.
- Boston Simplus. Popular for short breaks and storage. Some find it thick and hard to rinse off, or notice a dried film in the case wells.
- Unique pH. Liked for short breaks; its case has deep wells that suit sclerals.
- Tangible Clean. Thinner and easier to rinse off, according to wearers and its maker.[8]
Storage rules that keep lenses safe
Do
- Store in fresh disinfecting solution in a clean case, every time.
- Use the new peroxide case with each new bottle, and wait the full soak time.
- Keep a separate, labeled case for short breaks.
- Clean and fully disinfect a stored spare before wearing it.
- Replace your case every three months, or as your fitter says.
Don’t
- Store lenses in saline or in the leftover fill vial, even briefly.
- Use water of any kind on lenses, cases, or tools.
- Top off or reuse yesterday’s solution.
- Put peroxide in a regular flat case.
- Leave spare lenses where they can freeze or overheat.
Mistakes that come up again and again
- “Just for an hour” in saline. It’s the most common storage shortcut, and the one wearers warn each other about most.
- Grabbing lenses early from a peroxide case. If you need them sooner, that’s what a backup pair or a short-break case is for.
- Forgetting a spare in old solution. Solution left for months can go bad, and wearers describe lenses that distorted after long soaks.
- Stretching a case or peroxide disc. Replace on schedule, not when it looks worn.
- Mixing up which case is which. Label your peroxide case, your break case, and your spare-pair case.
- Wearing a lens that sat dry by accident without disinfecting it first.
Common questions
Should I store my lenses wet or dry?
Overnight and between wears, always wet, in fresh disinfecting solution. For a spare pair you won't wear for a while, it depends on the lens and whether it has a coating. Many wearers say their fitter lets uncoated lenses be stored dry after cleaning and disinfecting, and keeps coated lenses wet in a compatible solution. Ask yours, and write the answer down.
How long can lenses stay in a Clear Care case?
Alcon says lenses can stay in an unopened Clear Care case for up to 7 days. After that, discard the old solution and disinfect the lenses again before you wear them.
Can I put my lenses in saline while I shower or take a nap?
No. Saline is for rinsing and filling, not for storage: it doesn't disinfect, and germs can grow in it. Use a clean case with fresh multipurpose solution, even for a short break, then rinse and refill with fresh preservative-free saline before you put the lens back in.
Can I reuse the solution in my case after a short nap?
No. Discard the solution every time the lenses come out, even after a short soak, and start with fresh solution next time. Never top off.
I forgot to put solution in the case and my lens sat dry overnight. Is it ruined?
Wearers who've done this usually found the lens was fine, but it needs a full clean and a complete disinfecting cycle before it goes back in your eye. If it's coated, or you see any damage, check with your fitter.
Can I wear a backup pair that's been in a drawer for months?
Clean and disinfect it fully first. If it's been many months, or your eyes have changed since that pair was made, ask your fitter to check it on your eye before you rely on it. Wearers report old spares that had warped or no longer fit well.
My lenses don't fit in the peroxide case. What do people do?
Larger scleral lenses can be squeezed or even cracked in a standard peroxide case basket. Larger cases made for scleral lenses exist, but a peroxide case still needs a neutralizer. Ask your fitter which case they recommend rather than improvising.