Though it is not recommended to use saline solution for your contact lenses in daily life; regular homemade salt water is a great rescue when you run short of your disinfectant whilst hunting wildlife or when busy gazing stars at a field out during travelling.

What is Saline Solution?

Saline solution is a salt+ water solution that is either made of boiled water or distilled water. It is capable of meeting sudden emergencies & can tackle abrupt situations. Unfortunately salt water is not effective enough to kill the bacteria your contact lenses might have accumulated during the course of the day. Saline solution does not break down protein & lipids; therefore relying merely on saline solution for cleaning your contacts may lead to serious ocular infections. Experts recommend to carry travel size no rub disinfectant but again there are unseen circumstances that can make you lose your disinfectant bottle or what worse you can accidentally spill all of it. During such unfortunate happenings, all you need to do is to fetch a packet of salt & some water. Yes we understand that water is also extremely rationed but don’t worry only a little of it will do.

How to Prepare Saline Solution  for Cleaning Contact Lenses outside Home?

You might have lit a bonfire already. Spark it even more by tossing off your used wet wipes. Since wet wipes contain alcohol; your fire will stay alive longer than you can think.

Fetch a packet of salt and a pan from your backpack to boil about 1/4 cup of water with ¼ tsp of table salt for 10 minutes. Boiling kills the germs & bacteria, particularly acanthamoeba that is linked to corneal devouring in humans. Boiling water without salt won’t make any commendable difference. Addition of salt acts as an analgesic & helps fight against discomfort caused by bacteria. Let the solution cool down before using since heat can shrink soft contact lenses.

Keep in mind that the life of saline solution is no more than a night. If you are away from home for a couple of nights, prepare a fresh saline solution every day. Keep trying your best to get a no rub solution for contact lenses to prevent the risk of infections. No rub solutions can also be used s eye drops during the day to relieve puffiness & tired eyes.