Cleaning RGP Contacts

Hi,

What advice would you guys give me in cleaning my Boston RGP contacts?
Currently I'm using Boston cleaner and then Conditioning solution. But
I find this annoying and too much work. Should I try multi purpose
solution and would that be adequate replacement for cleaner?

As well I've been told before that you shouldn't use tap water either
on the contacts or on the case. But in the instructions on the cleaner
by Boston they say to rinse the contacts with tap water. Others have
told me to just rinse it with the conditioning solution. Which is the
right approach?

In article <(E-Mail Removed) .com>,
(E-Mail Removed) wrote:

> Hi,
>
> What advice would you guys give me in cleaning my Boston RGP contacts?
> Currently I'm using Boston cleaner and then Conditioning solution. But
> I find this annoying and too much work. Should I try multi purpose
> solution and would that be adequate replacement for cleaner?

Most Boston-brand RGP plastics (there are quite a few) do best with
Boston solutions, but there are alternatives. But that may not help you
with the "too much work" issue. You *could* try a multipurpose solution
(Boston makes one in the USA), but you will likely need to add a daily
cleaner, at least a few times each week. If it really is too much work
to spend 30 seconds cleaning and 30 seconds rinsing off and storing your
lenses once each day, perhaps you need to think about other methods of
vision correction. But I DO understand that doing it is not the most
pleasant task, but neither is flossing every night. It does get less
objectionable when it becomes a routine thing.

> As well I've been told before that you shouldn't use tap water either
> on the contacts or on the case. But in the instructions on the cleaner
> by Boston they say to rinse the contacts with tap water. Others have
> told me to just rinse it with the conditioning solution. Which is the
> right approach?

Assuming your tap water isn't swarming with bacteria and other
pathogens, and isn't so hard so that pieces of mineral salts are in your
hands, water is fine. Saline solution (like for soft contacts) also
works well as a rinsing agent, Using the Boston Conditioning solution is
OK but a pretty expensive option. (Note that some other brands of
conditioning/storage solutions are not meant to be used in the eye and
therefore to acceptable as rinsing solution prior to insertion.)

And you SHOULD rinse you contact lens case with warm tap water daily and
clean it with, ideally, your cleaning solution and rinse with water
weekly, replacing it as soon as it looks "dirty" and probably every
month or so otherwise.

--LB, O.D.