Engaging In Spring Cleaning This Year? Follow These Tips To Protect Your Contact Lenses

Spring cleaning is good for your house but it can be bad for your eyes if you're wearing contact lenses. Dust, chemical cleaners and other irritants can get under your lenses and irritate your eyes. The following tips will help you care for your contact lenses during spring cleaning this year.

Wear Safety Glasses for Dusty Work

Some of the extra dusty spring cleaning activities like cleaning out the attic, taking down old curtains and beating dirty rugs will stir up dust and allergens that can fly through the air around your face. Dust and grit that comes to rest on top of your contacts can scratch the lenses. If the dust gets under your contacts, this can cause eye redness and irritation. To avoid this problem, wear safety goggles when engaging in work that stirs up lots of dust. 

Wash Your Hands Before Touching Your Eyes

During spring cleaning activities, your hands can get simultaneously covered in dirt and coated in chemical cleaning agents. Both of these things can create problems if you touch the area around your eyes or contacts. Avoid bringing your hands into contact with your face until you've washed your hands thoroughly and have scrubbed under your fingernails with a nail brush.

Avoid Using Aerosol Cleaners

Aerosol cleaners create a chemical cloud that hangs in the air for a second or two after being used. These chemicals can easily get on your contact lenses if you put your face in the path of the spray. Chemicals can be difficult to clean off your lenses, and can also cause eye irritation. Whenever possible, avoid using aerosol sprays.  

Watch for Signs of Eye Irritation

At some point during your spring cleaning, you might notice that one or both of your eyes are showing signs of irritation, such as:

• Redness
• Excessive watering
• Burning, itching, pain
• Dryness
• Blurry vision
• A feeling light something is stuck on your eye

These are all signs that you need a break from your lenses. This could be because of contact with dirt or chemicals, or it could be that something is wrong with your contacts. Either way, remove the lenses and give your eyes time to breathe.

Put eye drops in your eyes and wait for the discomfort to go away. While waiting for your eyes to feel better, clean your lenses and inspect them for damage. If the lenses look alright, try reinserting them into your eyes. If the feeling of discomfort returns, remove your lenses and take them to your eye doctor as soon as possible. You may have caused damage while engaging in spring cleaning activities.

For more information about how you can protect your contact lenses this spring, click here for more info.  

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