Contact lenses sit directly on the surface of your eye for hours at a time, so keeping them clean is an essential part of safe lens wear.
But how often should you actually clean them?
Once a day? Every few days? Only when they start to feel uncomfortable?
For most reusable contact lenses, the simplest evidence-based rule is:
Clean and disinfect your lenses every time you remove them before wearing them again.
If you wear reusable lenses during the day and take them out every night, that normally means cleaning them every day.
Daily disposable lenses are different. They are designed for a single wearing period and should simply be discarded after removal rather than cleaned, stored, and reused.
The exact routine also changes depending on whether you wear soft lenses, rigid gas-permeable lenses, Ortho-K lenses, or another specialty design.
Here is what you need to know.
How Often Should You Clean Reusable Contact Lenses?
Reusable contact lenses should generally be cleaned and disinfected every time they are removed.
That includes common:
- biweekly lenses
- monthly lenses
- reusable soft lenses
- rigid gas-permeable lenses
- many specialty contact lenses
One of the most common points of confusion involves replacement schedules.
A lens labeled “monthly,” for example, does not mean that it should be cleaned once a month.
It means the lens itself is replaced according to its monthly replacement schedule.
If you remove that lens every evening, you still need to clean and disinfect it every evening before it is worn again.
The same principle applies to biweekly lenses: replacing them approximately every two weeks does not eliminate the need for cleaning after each day of wear.
Cleaning Frequency by Contact Lens Type
Daily Disposable Contact Lenses
Cleaning frequency: Never for reuse.
Daily disposable contacts are intended to be worn once and then discarded.
You should not:
- clean them for another day
- store them overnight for reuse
- stretch one pair across multiple days
Instead, start each wearing day with a fresh pair.
That may sound obvious, but reuse matters from a safety perspective.
A 2023 case-control study of Acanthamoeba keratitis found that, among daily-disposable wearers, reusing lenses was associated with considerably higher odds of infection.
Daily disposables therefore simplify lens care precisely because there is no storage or cleaning cycle to maintain after use.
Biweekly Contact Lenses
Cleaning frequency: Every time they are removed.
For someone who wears biweekly lenses during the day and removes them before bed, this generally means cleaning and disinfecting them every night.
After cleaning, the lenses should be stored in fresh compatible disinfecting solution for the full time specified by the solution manufacturer.
The lenses themselves should still be replaced according to their prescribed replacement schedule.
Cleaning does not “reset” the life of the lens.
Monthly Contact Lenses
Cleaning frequency: Every time they are removed, usually daily.
Monthly contact lenses follow essentially the same hygiene principle as other reusable soft lenses.
After removal:
- Clean the lenses according to the recommended care system.
- Rinse them when directed.
- Place them in fresh disinfecting solution.
- Allow them to disinfect for the full required period.
Then replace the lenses according to the prescribed monthly schedule.
Again, “monthly” refers to replacement, not cleaning frequency.
What About RGP Contact Lenses?
Rigid gas-permeable, or RGP, lenses are also normally cleaned after each removal or day of wear.
However, their cleaning systems can differ significantly from those used with standard soft lenses.
An RGP care routine may involve separate products for:
- cleaning
- rinsing
- disinfecting
- conditioning
- wetting
That means you should not automatically use a soft-contact-lens multipurpose solution on an RGP lens unless the product is specifically labeled as compatible.
RGP replacement schedules also vary much more widely than those of disposable soft lenses, so replacement should follow the recommendations for the specific lens rather than a universal timetable.
How Often Should You Clean Ortho-K Lenses?
Orthokeratology, or Ortho-K, lenses require a slightly different discussion.
Ortho-K lenses are typically rigid lenses worn during sleep to temporarily reshape the cornea.
Because they are intentionally worn overnight, generic advice such as “never sleep in contact lenses” cannot simply be applied to properly prescribed Ortho-K wear.
However, Ortho-K lenses still need careful hygiene.
In general, reusable specialty lenses such as Ortho-K lenses are cleaned and disinfected after removal, but the exact routine should follow:
- your eye-care professional's instructions
- the lens manufacturer's instructions
- the cleaning and disinfecting system approved for that lens
There is no scientifically supported universal cleaning schedule that overrides the instructions for a particular Ortho-K system.
This is particularly important because specialty lenses may have material and surface characteristics that require specific care products.
What Does “Cleaning” Contact Lenses Actually Mean?
Cleaning a reusable contact lens usually involves more than putting it into solution.
A complete care routine may include several separate steps:
Cleaning removes deposits and contamination from the surface.
Rinsing helps carry loosened material away.
Disinfection reduces viable microorganisms.
Storage keeps the lens in an appropriate environment until it is worn again.
These functions are related, but they are not identical.
For compatible reusable soft lenses, current CDC guidance recommends rubbing and rinsing lenses with disinfecting solution and storing them in fresh solution every time they are removed.
Should You Rub Your Contact Lenses?
For many reusable lens-care systems, mechanical rubbing remains an important part of cleaning.
A 2011 laboratory study evaluated multipurpose lens-care regimens against microorganisms including:
- Pseudomonas aeruginosa
- Staphylococcus aureus
- Serratia
- Fusarium
- Candida
- Acanthamoeba
Researchers compared rub-and-rinse, rinse-only, and no-rub/no-rinse approaches.
The rub-and-rinse regimen produced the greatest overall disinfection efficacy in the experiment.
That is an important reminder that soaking alone does not necessarily remove contamination as effectively as combining chemical disinfection with mechanical cleaning.
Always follow the instructions for your particular lenses and solution, including the specified rubbing time if one is given.
Should You Use Fresh Contact Lens Solution Every Time?
Yes.
Used solution should be discarded after each storage cycle.
Do not add fresh solution on top of old liquid in the lens case—a practice sometimes called “topping off.”
Doing so dilutes the fresh disinfecting solution and can compromise the care process.
Instead:
Empty the case completely, clean it as directed, allow it to dry, and use fresh solution the next time the lenses are stored. Current CDC and FDA guidance both discourage topping off old contact lens solution.
How Often Should You Clean Your Contact Lens Case?
Your lenses are not the only part of the system that needs regular cleaning.
The case can become contaminated too.
After inserting your lenses, the case should generally be:
- Emptied completely.
- Rubbed and rinsed using fresh contact-lens disinfecting solution rather than water.
- Allowed to air-dry with the caps off.
CDC guidance currently recommends replacing the lens case at least every three months.
Research supports taking case hygiene seriously.
In a randomized crossover study involving 40 contact lens wearers, a more thorough case-cleaning method involving rubbing, rinsing, wiping, and face-down air drying resulted in significantly fewer viable bacterial colony-forming units than rinse-and-air-dry instructions alone.
Contamination was still common, demonstrating why the lens case should be viewed as part of the complete hygiene system rather than simply as a storage container.
Can You Clean Contact Lenses With Water?
No.
Contact lenses should not be cleaned or stored in tap water.
The FDA advises against exposing contact lenses to:
- tap water
- bottled water
- distilled water
- lake water
- ocean water
CDC guidance also recommends removing contacts before showering or swimming.
One major concern is Acanthamoeba, a microorganism found naturally in water and soil that can cause a rare but potentially serious corneal infection called Acanthamoeba keratitis.
Most U.S. cases identified by CDC occur in contact lens wearers.
Water exposure has also been directly associated with increased risk.
In a 2023 case-control study, showering while wearing daily disposable lenses was associated with approximately 3.3 times higher odds of Acanthamoeba keratitis among those wearers.
Keeping contact lenses away from water is therefore one of the simplest protective habits a wearer can adopt.
What If You Accidentally Shower or Swim in Your Contacts?
Remove the lenses as soon as practical.
If you were wearing a daily disposable, discard it.
If you were wearing a reusable lens, do not simply put it straight back into your eye. Follow the full prescribed cleaning and disinfection process before wearing it again.
Do not attempt to make the lens “safe” by rinsing it with water.
Can Sterile Saline Clean Contact Lenses?
Sterile saline can be useful for rinsing in some care regimens, but there is an important distinction:
Saline does not disinfect contact lenses.
A reusable contact lens that requires disinfection should still undergo the complete disinfecting procedure specified for the lens and care product.
Saline should therefore not be treated as a replacement for multipurpose disinfecting solution or another approved disinfection system.
What About Hydrogen Peroxide Contact Lens Systems?
Hydrogen peroxide systems offer an alternative method for disinfecting reusable contact lenses.
However, they need to be used exactly as directed.
These systems normally include a special neutralizing case that converts the hydrogen peroxide into a form that is safe for the eye.
CDC describes common systems as requiring approximately four to six hours, although the exact time depends on the individual product.
Never:
- put unneutralized peroxide directly into the eye
- rinse a lens in peroxide and immediately insert it
- use a normal flat lens case instead of the supplied neutralizing case
- shorten the required neutralization time
Follow the instructions for the exact hydrogen peroxide system you use.
Do Contact Lenses Need Extra Protein Cleaning?
Not necessarily.
Older lens-care routines sometimes included regular enzymatic cleaning to remove protein deposits.
Current CDC and FDA consumer guidance does not provide a single universal rule such as “use a protein cleaner every week.”
Whether additional protein-removal treatment is necessary depends on factors including:
- lens material
- deposit buildup
- care system
- replacement schedule
- manufacturer recommendations
- advice from your eye-care professional
If a special cleaner is recommended, use it at the interval specified for your particular lens and product rather than applying a generic schedule.
Is It Dangerous to Sleep in Contact Lenses?
Sleeping in contact lenses is one of the most consistently identified risk factors for serious contact-lens-related infection.
Some lenses are specifically approved for extended or overnight wear.
However, approval for overnight wear does not mean overnight wear carries the same risk as daytime-only use.
A large prospective case-control study reported that overnight wear of any contact lens type was associated with approximately 5.4 times the risk of microbial keratitis.
A more recent Norwegian study published in 2025 also found higher rates of severe contact-lens-related keratitis among people wearing extended-wear lenses both day and night compared with users of daily disposable lenses.
Unless overnight wear is specifically part of your prescribed lens regimen—as with certain extended-wear or Ortho-K lenses—removing your contacts before sleeping is the safer general approach.
Why Consistent Contact Lens Cleaning Matters
Contact-lens-associated microbial keratitis is relatively uncommon, but when it occurs it can threaten vision.
Research suggests that several preventable behaviors contribute substantially to risk, including:
- sleeping in lenses outside the prescribed regimen
- exposing contacts to water
- reusing daily disposable lenses
- poor lens-case hygiene
- inconsistent cleaning and disinfection
- wearing reusable lenses beyond their replacement schedule
An Australian population study found dramatically higher microbial keratitis incidence among overnight soft-lens wearers than among people using soft lenses only during the day.
In that study, annual incidence estimates were approximately:
- 1.2 per 10,000 RGP daily-wear users
- 1.9 per 10,000 daily-wear soft-lens users
- 2.0 per 10,000 daily-disposable users
- 19.5 per 10,000 overnight soft-lens users
- 25.4 per 10,000 overnight silicone-hydrogel users
These numbers come from an Australian study published in 2008, so they should not be interpreted as universal current infection rates.
But the difference illustrates an important principle: how lenses are worn and cared for can matter as much as the lens material itself.
A Simple Contact Lens Cleaning Routine
For most reusable soft lenses, a practical routine looks something like this:
Before handling your lenses
Wash your hands with soap and water and dry them completely.
After removing the lenses
Rub and rinse them using the compatible lens-care solution if directed.
Disinfect
Place the lenses in fresh disinfecting solution.
Never reuse yesterday's solution or top off the case.
Wait the full required time
Different care products require different disinfection or neutralization times.
Follow the product instructions rather than using a universal number.
Clean the case
Empty it, clean and rinse it with fresh disinfecting solution, and allow it to air-dry.
Replace the case regularly
A good general rule based on CDC guidance is at least every three months.
And then repeat the routine every time your reusable lenses are removed.
The research behind this article summarizes the process simply as clean hands → clean lens → fresh disinfectant → clean, dry case.
When Should You Replace a Lens Instead of Cleaning It?
Sometimes cleaning is not the right answer.
Replace the lens if:
- it is torn
- it is visibly damaged
- you cannot confidently clean it after contamination
- it is a daily disposable that has already been removed
- it has reached the end of its prescribed replacement schedule
Do not improvise by rinsing a contaminated lens in water or saliva.
If you are unsure whether a lens is safe to reuse, replacing it is generally safer than experimenting with an incompatible cleaning method.
When Is an Eye Problem More Than a Dirty Lens?
Not every uncomfortable contact lens simply needs cleaning.
Remove your lenses and seek prompt eye-care advice if you develop symptoms such as:
- significant eye pain
- redness
- light sensitivity
- blurred or reduced vision
- unusual tearing
- discharge
These symptoms can occur with contact-lens-related infections, including bacterial keratitis.
Trying to clean the lens and insert it again can delay appropriate treatment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I clean my contacts every day?
If you wear reusable contacts and remove them every day, then yes: they should normally be cleaned and disinfected after every removal before being worn again.
Daily disposable contacts should instead be discarded after use.
Do monthly contacts need to be cleaned every day?
Yes, if you remove them daily. “Monthly” refers to how often the lens itself is replaced, not how often it is cleaned.
Do biweekly contacts need to be cleaned every night?
Normally yes, if they are removed every night. Clean and disinfect them before the next use and replace them according to their prescribed approximately two-week schedule.
Can I reuse daily contact lenses if I clean them?
No. Daily disposable lenses are designed for one wearing period and should be discarded after removal rather than cleaned for reuse.
How often should I clean my contact lens case?
Clean and dry the case after every use. CDC currently recommends replacing it at least every three months.
Can I wash my contact lenses with tap water?
No. Contact lenses should be kept away from water because of contamination risks including Acanthamoeba.
Is saline enough to clean contact lenses?
Sterile saline can rinse lenses when used as part of an appropriate care regimen, but it does not disinfect them.
How often should Ortho-K lenses be cleaned?
Ortho-K lenses are generally cleaned and disinfected after removal. Because Ortho-K is a specialized overnight lens system, follow the exact cleaning instructions given by your eye-care professional and lens manufacturer.
The Bottom Line
So, how often should you clean your contact lenses?
For most people, the answer depends on one question:
Are the lenses disposable or reusable?
Daily disposables should be discarded after removal rather than cleaned.
Reusable lenses should generally be cleaned and disinfected every time they are removed before they are worn again.
If that happens every evening, cleaning should happen every evening too.
At the same time, good contact lens hygiene involves more than cleaning the lens itself.
Use fresh solution, keep lenses away from water, clean and dry the storage case after each use, replace the case regularly, follow your prescribed lens replacement schedule, and avoid sleeping in lenses unless overnight wear is specifically part of your treatment or prescribed lens system.
Those simple habits address some of the most important preventable risks identified in current contact lens guidance and research.
Sources
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https://www.cdc.gov/contact-lenses/about/about-cleaning-disinfecting-and-storing-contact-lenses.html
CDC — Preventing Eye Infections When Wearing Contacts
https://www.cdc.gov/contact-lenses/prevention/index.html
FDA — Contact Lens Solutions and Products
https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/contact-lenses/contact-lens-solutions-and-products
FDA — Contact Lens Care
https://www.fda.gov/consumers/womens-health-topics/contact-lens-care
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