Taking care of your eye wear

• Lenses and Frames
• Contact lenses
• Dos and don'ts of wearing contacts
• How to care for your contact lenses

Lenses and frames

Here’s some handy advice on how to look after your new glasses.

• Clean your glasses with lens cleaner or use cool soapy water. Wet the glasses first and then wipe clean using your OPSM eye hub lens cloth or a soft, clean tissue.
• Wear your glasses with care. To keep your glasses in their original shape, use both hands when taking them off.
• Carry them in their case. Never place them face down on any surface.

Contact lenses

Here’s how to insert your soft contact lenses.

1. Place the contact lens on the tip of your index finger, which should be no wetter than your eye or the contact lens, and tuck your other fingers away.
2. Look slightly across your nose in the mirror.
3. Drag the bottom eyelid down with your middle finger.
4. Place the contact lens on the sclera (white part of the eye) with the bottom edge of the contact lens touching first (the angle the contact lens is placed on your finger is crucial).
5. Press firmly and then release your bottom lid.
6. Massage contact lens into place through lids or blink a couple of times.
7. Repeat for the other eye.

If you find that your contact lens is folding over then it means you are blinking before the contact lens has settled. Try holding your top eyelid. You may find it easier to practise touching the white part of the eye without a contact lens a few times before inserting the lens.

Here’s how you remove soft contact lenses.

1. Pull the lower lid or your eye down with your middle finger of your hand.
2. Bend your head forward.
3. Place your index finger of the same hand on the contact lens and slide it down onto the exposed sclera (white of the eye).
4. Pinch the contact lens off the eye (don't squeeze too hard) with your thumb and index finger.
5. Clean and store the first contact lens before removing the second.

Dos and don'ts of wearing contacts

Do

• Adhere strictly to the wear advice and wearing schedule recommended by your eye hub optometrist and the contact lens manufacturer’s instructions.
• Consult your eye hub optometrist if your eyes are red, sore or your vision is blurry.
• Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water before handling your contact lenses and dry with a lint free towel.
• Check that the contact lens has not turned inside out before inserting.
• Start with your preferred contact lens first so that they don’t get mixed up.
• Fit contact lenses before applying make-up and take them out before removing make-up.
• Keep your contact lenses wet at all times, either in your eyes, or stored in solution in your contact lens case.
• Clean and disinfect your contact lenses using fresh solution after removing.
• Clean your contact lens case after each use with multi-purpose solution and replace every three months.
• Keep a back-up pair of glasses.
• Have an eye test every 12 months or as otherwise recommended by your OPSM eye hub optometrist.

Don't

• Don’t wear contact lenses if your eyes are red, sore or your vision is blurry - consult your eye hub optometrist promptly if symptoms persist.
• Don’t insert contact lenses if they are damaged.
• Don’t keep disposable contact lenses longer than instructed by your OPSM eye hub optometrist.
• Don’t use contact lens solutions after their expiry date.
• Don’t change contact lens solution types or disinfection procedures without consulting your eye hub optometrist.
• Don’t use medicated drops on contact lenses without your OPSM eye hub optometrist's approval.
• Don’t use tap water or saliva on your contact lenses.
• Don’t rub your eyes when wearing contact lenses.
• Don’t sleep in daily wear contact lenses or wear them more than once.
• Don’t wear contact lenses when swimming unless you’re wearing goggles.
• Don’t wear another person’s contact lenses.
• Don’t forget to have an eye test every 12 months or as otherwise recommended by your eye hub optometrist.
• Don’t place contact lenses on top of the television or any warm or hot appliance.

How to care for your contact lenses

Multi-purpose solutions

Contact lens multi-purpose solutions clean, disinfect and store contact lenses.

Disposable and soft conventional (non-disposable) contact lenses should be soaked in a contact lens disinfecting solution for a minimum of six hours. This means your lenses are properly disinfected.

Contact lens cleaning solutions

Most cleaning solutions are recommended for conventional (non-disposable) contact lenses but can be used with disposable contact lenses. Cleaning solutions are used to remove a build-up of unwanted contact lens deposits, such as oils and proteins. If deposits are left on contact lenses, you may feel discomfort or eye irritation and the life of your contact lens will also decrease.

Contact lens comfort drops

Contact lens comfort drops moisten the lens. This means you’re more comfortable in dry and air-conditioned environments.

Caring for your contact lens case

After use, wipe the case with your multi-purpose solution and leave to “air dry”. Replace the case every three months.