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Whether you wear Freshlook color contacts, Acuvue 2 Colors, Expressions Colors, or custom-made color or special effect lenses, caring for them is exactly the same. All you need is a good contact lens solution, a contact lens case, a pair of soft plastic tweezers and a couple of minutes.

First of all, you should use a proper contact lens solution for cleaning your colored lenses and storing them at night. Never use ordinary water - it is full of bacteria and won’t clean your lenses properly anyway.

The best solution to use is a no-rub multipurpose solution, like Opti-Free Express No-Rub. Most solutions require you to rub your lenses on the palm of your hand to clean them; however, rubbing can damage the color, which is why you need a no-rub solution. It is also a good idea to get a solution marked “for sensitive eyes” - even if your eyes are not sensitive, it can’t hurt. Get a large bottle of solution, if you wear your color contact lenses every day. If you only wear them for special ocasions, though, you are better of with a smaller bottle because, once contact lens solution is opened, it is only good for six months.

The days when you needed a saline solution for storing your lenses and a cleaner for cleaning them are long gone - multipurpose solutions have taken their place. A multipurpose solution can disinfect your color lenses and remove protein build-ups, so all you need to do is to put your lenses in a case with fresh solution overnight. Be sure that you buy solution for soft contact lenses, though: solutions for rigid lenses have a different formulation.

If you use disposable contact lenses like Freshlook Colorblends or Acuvue 2 Colors, multipurpose solution is enough. If you wear more expensive hand-painted lenses that supposed to last for a year, though, you should also use protein removing tablets, to prolong the life of your lenses. This is especially recommended if you wear your color lenses every day. The pills are called enzyme or enzymatic cleaner. Soaking your lenses in this type of cleaner, once a month, will keep the color vivid and bright for many months.

For storing your color contacts you will need a contact lens case. It is best to use a case with screw-down lids, so the solution doesn’t leak. If you have several color lenses, you can label each case, or get colored cases. You should wash your case with soap at least once a week and let it sit for a few minutes in boiled water, to kill bacteria, then let it dry before putting your lenses back in. It might be a good idea to carry an extra lens case, filled with solution, with you all the time - just in case your color lens folds in your eye or dust gets under it. If this happens, you can just pop out your lenses out anytime you want.

Color contact lens care step-by-step

1. Wash your hands with soap and dry them
2. Take your color lens out and thoroughly rinse each side of it with multipurpose solution, by putting some solution on it
3. Fill your contact lens case with fresh solution, place your lenses in, screw the lid on and leave your lenses to soak for at least 6 hours, or overnight. It is important to use fresh solution every time you place your lenses in it; recycling is not a good idea, in this case.
4. When you are ready to wear your contacts, rinse each side again and pop them into your eyes

Simple, isn’t it? Enjoy your beautiful color contact lenses - with a bit of practice caring for them will become your second nature.

Tanya Turner is a color contact lens expert and a founder of Contact Lenses Consumer Guide, which provides you with information about all types of contact lenses including colored contacts reviews and pictures