How to Remove Contact Lenses
Removing contact lenses can be difficult at first, but with a little practice in front of a mirror, it'll be second nature! Start by washing and drying your hands so you don't transfer any bacteria to your eyes. Then, add a drop of saline to each eye to help lubricate your contacts. Stand or sit in front a well-lit mirror so you can see what you're doing. Always start with the same eye, so you don't get your lenses mixed up. With your non-dominant hand, pull your eyelids apart to make sure you don't blink. While holding your eyelids open, gently grip the lens with the thumb and forefinger of your dominant hand. When you feel the lens start to come out, lift it away from your eye. Put your contact lens in its case and repeat the process for your other eye.
Wash your hands. Harmful pathogens can enter the eye via the lenses and cause eye infection or conjunctivitis. Use antibacterial soap and warm water to wash your hands. Dry your hands thoroughly with a clean towel. Keeping good hand hygiene regimen not only protects your contacts from harmful pathogens, but also your eyes in general. Add drops of saline to each eye. This will hydrate and lubricate eyes as well as your contacts, making them easier to remove. Ensure that you use a sterile saline solution. Use a mirror. Plenty of good lighting and a mirror will help initially until you get used to the process of removing your contact lenses. Start with the same eye each time. Your contacts are not the same or interchangeable, so you don't want to mix up the two lenses. By starting with the same eye each time, you'll have less opportunity to mix them up by accident. Hold your eyelids open. Look up, and with your non-dominant hand, use your index finger to lift your top eyelid and eyelashes up and away from your eye. Then with your dominant hand, use your middle finger to pull your lower eyelid down and away from your eye. Make sure you keep your eyelashes out of your eyes. Use your index finger and thumb to grip the lens. Without letting go of your eyelids, use the thumb and index finger of your dominant hand to grip the lens. Use the pads of your fingers to squeeze the lens gently (without folding or creasing the lens). Remove the lens. The gentle squeeze should remove the lens from the surface of your eye. From there, pull the lens down and away to remove it completely from your eye. Be careful with the pressure, so you don't accidentally fold or tear the lens. Place the lens in your other palm. Rather than trying to flip the lens over, you'll have an easier time simply placing it on the palm of your opposite hand. This will also make it easier to clean the lens since you'll want to use your dominant hand to do so. Clean your lens case before using it. You should clean your storage case for your contact lenses each day before placing them back in the case. Use a sterile solution or hot water to clean the case and allow it to air dry before replacing your contacts. Let the case air dry upside down with the lids off. You may find it easier to clean the case when after you put your contact lenses in your eyes since this will provide plenty of time for it to dry. Replace your case for your contact lenses every three months. Put new, clean solution in the case. Before you even remove your contact lenses, you may find it helpful to fill the case halfway with new, clean solution. This will make it easier to transfer the lenses directly into the solution rather than trying to fill the case with a lens still in the palm of your hand. Never reuse old solution. Make sure you use sterile solution and not saline solution. While saline will keep lenses hydrated, you can't properly disinfect them without the right solution. Always use your eye-care professional's suggested solution for your type of contact lenses. Clean the lens. With the lens in the palm of your clean hand, wet the lens using the correct solution for your type of contact lenses (as suggested by your eye-care professional). Then softly use the pad of your finger to rub the solution thoroughly along the lens. This helps remove any buildup or microbes on the lens more than simply soaking it in the solution alone. To avoid damaging or scratching the lens with your fingernail, start at the middle and rub to the outer edge, using gentle pressure. Remember to get both sides. You should thoroughly clean your contact lenses daily to reduce the risk of eye infections or other contact-related complications. Place the contact in the case. Rubbing the lens can help breakdown any buildup, but you should use a little more disinfecting solution afterward to help wash it away. Then you can gently place the clean lens into the fresh, clean solution that you already have waiting in the case. Make sure you place it on the side for the corresponding eye. You may need to place more solution in the case after you place the contact lens inside. Make sure the case has enough solution to completely cover the lens. Repeat the process for your other eye. To avoid potentially mixing up your contact lenses, you may find it easier to do the process from beginning to end with one eye at a time. In this case, repeat the process for the opposite eye. Leave your contacts in the solution as directed. To ensure that your contact lenses are completely disinfected, they must sit in the solution for the amount of time indicated on the product. For most solutions, this will be at least four to six hours, so overnight is sufficient. This also gives your eyes time to rest and helps to avoid eye strain. 
Wash your hands. Add drops of saline to each eye. Use a mirror. Start with the same eye each time. Hold your eyelids open. Use your index finger and thumb to grip the lens. Remove the lens. Place the lens in your other palm. Clean your lens case before using it. Put new, clean solution in the case. Clean the lens. Place the contact in the case. Repeat the process for your other eye. Leave your contacts in the solution as directed. 