Easy Tips on How to Store Contacts Without Case for Emergencies

April 14, 2025 contact lenses Uncategorized 0

As a contact lens wearer, your contact lens case and contact solution must always be in your bag as you go about your daily activities. However, no one is perfect and there are some days when these things skip your mind. It’s totally okay because we are all human.

Instead of panicking when you forget your contact case and solution, looking for a temporary storage case solution is the proper thing to do. Remember, a contact lens must be stored in a clean contact case to prevent dirt accumulation, contact with debris, and other particles from sticking to the surface.

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Tips On Storage When There’s No Contact Lens Case

If they are not stored properly, it can lead to eye infections, irritation, vision problems, and lens damage. That is why they must always be kept in the contact case for protection. But, when you are in a bind where there is no case to store them, you can try the following:

1. Use a Temporary Case Alternative

Looking for an alternative storage case can be quite frustrating, especially if you are in a place where they cannot be gotten easily, like on road trips, camping, etc. However, you can still find a suitable item as a temporary alternative.

A small, clean, and dry small container, such as a clean shot glass, unused plastic cup, or ziplock bag, can be considered the most likely options to pick from. Whatever option you pick for the emergency contact lens case must be washed thoroughly with soap and hot water. Don’t wipe it with a cloth; air dry it before use or pat it dry with a paper towel.

2. Label Your Contact Lenses

Getting two of the emergency contact cases is the best for labelling them Left (L) and Right (R) so you can easily identify them and make sure that you are using the correct lens for each eye. Improper management of your eye health can cause vision problems or discomfort because each contact lens is designed with a unique strength, so wearing the wrong lens in the wrong eye can lead to blurry or distorted vision.

3. Soak Properly

Fill the emergency case(s) with your fresh contact solution; never reuse old solution to avoid contamination. If by chance you do not have your contact solution, you can use a basic saline solution, although it will not disinfect your lens like a contact solution would. Don’t make your own if you don’t have one; try using a lens rewetting drop instead because the saline solution you make will contain some fine grains of salt that are harmful to the contact lens.

Tap water, bottled or distilled water, is a big no! You don’t want to introduce bacteria into your eyes and cause an eye infection, do you? Hydrophilic material has the ability to absorb water and some of the lenses are made of them so soaking them in water will swell them up and render them useless since you cannot wear them anymore unless you want to experience discomfort.

4. Submerge the Lenses

After solution preparation, proper washing of hands with soap and warm, clean water is next and then dry them with a paper towel. Never touch your contact lens with wet hands and please, remove your contact lens carefully, especially if you fix your nails, so they don’t touch your lens when you are removing it because they can transfer accumulated bacteria to the contact lenses.

If the emergency storage glass or plastic cup is a tall one, carefully drop the contact lenses in it because you don’t want them to get stuck on the sides, right?. Let them be completely submerged; add more solution if needed so they can be covered and not stick out of the solution since you wouldn’t want them to get contaminated.

5. Cover the Solution

Exposing your submerged contact lenses to the atmosphere is a terrible mistake you shouldn’t make so kindly cover the top of the glass or plastic cup with a plastic lid or paper towel when you are done submerging the lenses to ensure that the contact lens solution doesn’t evaporate and it doesn’t get contaminated with airborne bacteria, which will affect the contact lenses in return.

Paper towels are light so you can use a rubber band or a hair tie to keep it in place for it not to get blown away. Keeping the contact lens in an airtight condition so it doesn’t dry out or get contaminated is key because it will render them useless or cause eye problems when worn; hence, you must always prioritize healthy eyes when handling your contact lenses.

6. Disinfect the Lenses

This emergency or temporary contact case doesn’t fully prevent your contact lenses from being contaminated or safely store them, so it is important you disinfect them after removing them. You can use a hydrogen-peroxide-based contact lens cleaner to thoroughly disinfect them before you neutralize them with a saline solution and then wear them. In cases where you don’t have access to these solutions, you can get contact lens cleaners and solutions at any pharmacy or convenience store. They might not be the ones you use for your contact lens brands but they should work out until you have access to yours.

7. Buy A New Contact Case

All these tips are what you can conveniently follow when you don’t have your contact case with you. You can try checking any nearby pharmacy to purchase one before trying these steps and if you can’t get a contact case, you should get a contact solution or saline solution to keep the lenses preserved till you get access to your contact case or buy a new one.

If your emergency lasts longer than a day, getting a contact case is the best solution. The DIY (Do-it-Yourself) tips are meant for just a short period of one night. It is very crucial to get a new one for your contact lens storage in order to keep your lenses clean and avoid risks when putting them in your eyes again. New contact lens cases can be gotten from stores, pharmacies, or by ordering from websites online.

Never Sleep With Your Contact Lenses On

Don’t beat yourself up too much if you forget your contact case; a solution should be acted upon fast so you don’t sleep with your contact lenses on. This can cause suffocation to your eyes because contact lenses can deprive the eyes of oxygen and increase your risk for a corneal infection regardless if your lens type is soft, hard, decorative, or prescribed.

Post-Emergency Storage Care

Once you get access to your contact case and solution, soak your contact lens in it if you used any solution other than fresh solution during the emergency case. Use your medicated or prescribed eye drops after taking the contact lenses out if you wore them after the emergency care.

If you have any eye irritation, discomfort, or redness after these steps, consult your eye doctor for other treatment options so you don’t develop a serious eye problem. If your emergency contact solution is saline, which wouldn’t disinfect your contact lenses, consider getting a fresh pair of lenses as soon as possible, especially if they are daily lenses.

Future Prevention Tips

If you wear daily contact lenses, always go out with a spare in case of emergencies. As a contact lens wearer, if you are using them for vision correction, then make sure your glasses are with you as backup when going out.

You can get a small pouch to fit your contact lens case and solution bottle when going out to avoid being stranded. Also, make sure you regularly change your contact lens case every three months. The most important thing is to prioritize cleanliness while handling your contact lens case because it can directly affect the health of your contact lenses.

Conclusion

All these methods are for temporary storage solutions; make sure you set alarms, reminders, or stick notes on your dressing table or mirrors to remind you to take your contact case along as you go out. As a contact lens wearer, you must store contact lenses without exposing them to environmental risk. Your contact case must be a clean and dry container filled with contact solution for the hydration of the lenses inside.

Dust particles can reduce the quality of your lens and pose a risk to your vision. Keep your lenses clean and maintain a healthy routine of changing your contact solution after removing your contact lenses.