Can you put contacts in water temporarily?

Water, even clean sterile water, can lead to problems when put into contact with lenses. Contact lens wearers often assume that because water is clean enough to drink, it is safe to use with lenses, but that is not the case.

Can you put contacts in water temporarily?

No, you should never store your contact lenses in water. The UK have some of the highest standards for safe, drinkable and purified water, but tap water still contains microorganisms and bacteria that can lead to eye infections. Although rare, there is a risk of contracting infections such as Acanthamoeba Keratitis from swimming, bathing or showering in contact lenses.

Water is also not a disinfectant. It will not clean your contact lenses. It is also not appropriate to use water as a wetting or storing agent either. Letting your contact lenses sit in water overnight may give room for bacteria and other contaminating pathogens to multiply on your lenses. If you then put these lenses into your eye it may transfer the harmful pathogens into your eye. The same applies to bottled drinking water, this should not be used to store or clean contact lenses either.

It is highly recommended that you do not wear contact lenses when you swim. Although, as a general precaution to protect your eyes, you should at the very least wear waterproof googles when swimming. It is also advised that you wear daily disposables and dispose of them after you have swum. Alternatively, you can get prescription goggles, a much safer option.
Water does not match the acidity of your tears and you will likely find that your lenses will lose shape and your vision may become blurry when wearing your lenses. Proper solution does more than just disinfect, it also removes dirt and deposits that affect the clarity of your lenses.

Can I still use my contacts if they dry out?

A common question asked by contact lens wearers is if they can salvage their lenses if they have dried out. It is generally recommended that you avoid such a situation in the first place.

If you wear two-weekly, monthly, or yearly lenses, it is understandable that you may want to rescue a dried-out lens as they are more expensive to replace compared to daily disposables. Overall, the cost of a new lens is far less than putting your eyes at risk and using a potentially faulty lens, so regardless of the cost, it is always recommended to just wear a new lens.

If you feel that a daily cleaning routine is too troublesome for you, we recommend switching to daily contact lenses, this will eliminate the situation where you may end up with a dried-out lens

Can you put daily contacts in solution for a few hours?

Daily disposables should be worn once and thrown away. It is not ideal to store them in contact lens solution. Depending on the brand and manufacturer, some say that daily lenses can be put in solution for a few hours for short term storage.

If you need to take your lenses out temporarily and then put them back in (for example, if you went swimming or to the gym and wanted to have a shower) then you’ll need a contact lens solution and lens case to store them in. A travel pack size may be the most cost-effective option. It is best to purchase a multi-purpose solution like comfi All-In-One solution. If your contact lenses are feeling a little dry, re-wetting them with a multi-purpose solution can also help.