When preparing to handle contact lenses, drying your hands thoroughly with a paper towel is the most effective and hygienic method. This ensures your hands are clean, lint-free, and ready to safely insert or remove your lenses.
Proper hand hygiene is crucial before touching contact lenses to prevent the introduction of germs, debris, or lint into your eyes, which can lead to discomfort, irritation, or even serious eye infections.
Why Paper Towels Are Best
Based on best practices, paper towels are highly recommended for drying hands when dealing with contact lenses. Here's why they are the preferred choice:
- Lint-Free: Unlike cloth towels, paper towels do not shed lint, which can easily transfer to your lenses and cause irritation or blurry vision.
- Hygienic: Disposable paper towels are single-use, minimizing the risk of reintroducing bacteria or contaminants that might reside on reusable towels.
- Multi-Purpose Use: As per professional recommendations, a paper towel is not only ideal for drying your hands but can also be used for:
- Turning off the tap: This prevents recontamination of your clean hands from a potentially dirty faucet handle.
- Opening your lens case: Using the paper towel to grip and open your lens case avoids direct hand contact with the case's exterior, maintaining sterility.
Step-by-Step Hand Drying Process
Follow these steps for optimal hand preparation before handling your contact lenses:
- Wash Hands Thoroughly: Use a mild, non-cosmetic, non-moisturizing soap and warm water. Lather your hands for at least 20 seconds, ensuring you clean between fingers, under nails, and the back of your hands.
- Rinse Hands Completely: Rinse all soap residue from your hands under running water.
- Grab a Paper Towel: Take a clean, unused paper towel.
- Dry Hands Effectively: Pat your hands dry completely with the paper towel. Ensure no moisture remains, especially on your fingertips.
- Turn Off Tap (Optional but Recommended): Use the same paper towel to turn off the water tap, preventing recontamination of your clean hands.
- Open Lens Case (Recommended): If needed, use the paper towel to open your contact lens case, avoiding direct hand contact with its exterior.
What to Avoid
To maintain lens hygiene and eye health, avoid the following when drying your hands for contact lenses:
- Cloth Towels: They often harbor bacteria and can leave behind lint or fibers on your hands, which can transfer to your lenses and eyes.
- Air Dryers: While they seem convenient, some studies suggest they can blow germs around, and they don't always dry hands as thoroughly as needed for contact lens handling.
- Hand Sanitizers: Alcohol-based hand sanitizers can leave a residue that can irritate your eyes if it transfers to your lenses. Always wash with soap and water if possible.
By consistently using a fresh paper towel to dry your hands, you significantly reduce the risk of eye irritation and infections, ensuring a safer and more comfortable contact lens experience.
