Contact lenses are a great, reasonably affordable method for improving your vision.  Although most contacts are disposable and moderately affordable to replace, they should be cared for properly (not to mention they go in your eyes, obviously you want them in tip top shape!).  Taking a few extra minutes a day to thoroughly clean your lenses can add weeks or even months to the lives of your lenses.

So when you shop for contacts and especially when you buy soft lenses always do so with a readiness to work to keep these lenses in good shape.  The maintenance of the contacts has a very important constituent of keeping the contacts clean.  Your soft lenses are very vulnerable to dust and microorganisms that can cause decay and damage to the lens material.  Thus it becomes very important to clean the contacts so as to extract the best possible service from them.  Over time protein can also build up the in contacts.

Here are simple step by step instructions on how to properly clean your contacts:

1. Wash your hands.
2. Remove the contacts from your eyes into the lens case.
3. Next take one contact lens from the case and then place this lens onto the palm of recessive hand (left for right handler and vice versa)
4. Buy a good quality contact lens solution;  and use this solution to wet the lens on the palm of your hand.
5. Use the index fingertip of your opposite hand to gently rub the solution- dipped lens back and forth. DO not rub in CIRCULAR MOTION.
6. Repeat the above with the other lens.

The soft contacts have the flexible property of being flipped inside out and thus buying soft lenses eases the process of cleaning.  Also you must be careful to check the expiration date when you buy the contact solution.  You must be careful not to use too much of contact solution as the lens might be submerged in it, making a complete mess of things.

The rubbing done should be extremely gentle, as there is always a risk of tearing or damaging the soft lenses if done vigorously.  Also when buying soft lenses online you must also buy a contact solution that is the right match for the contacts.  If you tear your lens DO NOT put it back in your eye.  This can lead to eye irritation and a serious eye infection.

If these precautionary steps are kept in mind and the cleaning process duly and regularly followed, the lenses will serve you very well and you shall be able to increase the life of your lenses too.  I know lots of people that use daily disposables for weeks at a time!  Proper care really goes a long way.