Never store contact lenses in water. Even the purest water contains bacteria and microorganisms that can cause eye infections.

Water won’t disinfect your lenses. They’re made of plastic, which becomes a breeding ground for bacteria, fungi, and other pathogens within minutes of contact with water. Water can also cause your contacts to change shape and stick to your eyes, causing pain and blurred vision.

This is the same reason why you should remove your contacts when swimming. It doesn’t matter whether you’re in a pool, lake, or the ocean; microorganisms in the water will go for a ride on your lenses and cause problems later. If you can’t remove your contacts before going for a dip, wear swim goggles to protect your eyes, or dispose of wet lenses immediately after leaving the water.

We can’t stress this enough: water-related contact lens infections can cause permanent eye damage and vision loss, even blindness.  Stick to approved cleaning solutions!