You're standing in the bathroom at 11:00 PM. The realization hits like a physical weight: the bottle of solution is bone dry. You squeezed it, shook it, and maybe even tried to pray a few extra drops into existence. Nothing. Now you're staring at your contact lenses, those expensive little slivers of plastic, and wondering if you can just use sink water for one night.
Don't. Honestly, just don't do it.
The search for a contact lens solution substitute usually starts in a moment of mild panic, but the wrong choice can lead to a literal nightmare for your corneas. We aren't just talking about a little redness here. We are talking about microscopic parasites that eat eye tissue. It sounds like a low-budget horror movie, but for optometrists, it's a Tuesday.
Why Your Tap Water Is a Biohazard for Your Eyes
People think "clean" water is safe. It’s fine to drink, right? But your stomach has acid; your eyes don't. Tap water, even the fancy filtered stuff from your fridge, is teeming with microorganisms. The big bad wolf in this scenario is Acanthamoeba.
This tiny amoeba loves water pipes. If it gets on your lens, it hitches a ride directly onto your eye. Once there, it can cause Acanthamoeba keratitis, an infection that is notoriously difficult to treat and can lead to permanent blindness. Dr. Andrea Thau, a former president of the American Optometric Association, has been vocal about the fact that water—be it from a tap, a pool, or a distilled bottle—is never an acceptable contact lens solution substitute.
Water also has the wrong "tonicity." Your eyes are salty. Lenses are designed to sit in a specific balance of salt and minerals. When you put a contact lens in plain water, the lens absorbs that water, swells, and changes shape. It’ll stick to your eye like glue, causing microscopic tears on your cornea when you try to blink or remove it. It hurts. You'll regret it.
The Only Real "Emergency" Alternative
If you absolutely cannot get to a 24-hour CVS or Walgreens, there is exactly one thing you can use that won't immediately put your sight at risk: Sterile Saline Solution.
But wait. There’s a catch. A huge one.
Saline is just salt water. It’s balanced to match your eye's natural pH. However, saline is not a disinfectant. It won't kill the bacteria, lipids, or proteins that have built up on your lenses throughout the day. Using it as a contact lens solution substitute for a night will keep the lenses hydrated so they don't turn into shriveled husks, but it won't actually clean them.
You must ensure the bottle says "Sterile." Do not make your own salt water at home. You can't get the ratios right, and your kitchen table isn't a laboratory. Homemade "saline" is just a petri dish for bacteria. If you use store-bought sterile saline in a pinch, you have to thoroughly clean the lenses with actual multipurpose solution the second you get your hands on some the next morning.
The DIY Myths That Need to Die
You've probably seen some "hacks" online. Most of them are dangerous.
Some people suggest using rewetting drops. You know, those tiny vials of "artificial tears" meant to soothe dry eyes while you're wearing your contacts. Can they work? Sorta. They are sterile and balanced for the eye. But they usually contain preservatives that aren't meant for long-term soaking. Plus, they lack the surfactant cleaners that break down the "gunk" on your lenses. If you use them to soak your lenses overnight, you’re basically just marinating your contacts in the day's bacteria.
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Then there’s the "spit" method.
Never. Ever. Do this.
The human mouth is one of the filthiest places on the planet. It is packed with bacteria that are perfectly happy to thrive in the warm, moist environment of your eye socket. Licking a contact lens is essentially begging for a corneal ulcer. If you're in a situation where it's either spit or nothing, just throw the lenses away. Your eyes are worth more than a $15 pair of monthlies.
What About Hydrogen Peroxide Systems?
If you usually use a red-capped bottle like Clear Care, you already know the drill. That stuff is amazing at cleaning, but it is not a substitute for multipurpose solution in the way most people think. You cannot just rinse your lens with it and pop it in.
If you run out of your neutralizing case but still have the peroxide, you are stuck. You cannot use a regular flat case with peroxide. If you do, the peroxide won't turn into harmless saline, and you will effectively give your eyeball a chemical burn. It is excruciating. If you’ve ever seen someone scream and sprint toward a sink after putting a lens in, they probably forgot to let their peroxide neutralize for the full six hours.
How to Handle the "No Solution" Crisis
If you are stuck at a friend’s house or a hotel and have nothing, here is the professional advice: Take the lenses out and throw them away.
It feels like a waste of money. I get it. But the cost of a new pair of lenses is nothing compared to the cost of an emergency room visit or a lifetime of scarred vision. If you have your glasses, wear them. If you don't have your glasses, stay put until morning.
If you are wearing daily disposables, this isn't even a debate. Toss them. They aren't meant to be reused, and their structural integrity starts to fail after a single day of wear anyway. They are thinner and more porous, meaning they soak up bacteria like a sponge.
The Survival Checklist for Travelers
- Always keep a spare lens case in your travel bag.
- Carry a 2-ounce travel-sized multipurpose solution (TSA approved!).
- Keep a backup pair of glasses in the glove box of your car.
- If you're a frequent traveler, consider switching to daily disposables to eliminate the need for solution entirely.
Understanding the Chemistry of Your Tears
Your eyes produce a complex film of oils, water, and mucus. When a contact lens sits on your eye, it disrupts this film. The lens becomes coated in proteins and lipids. Real multipurpose solution contains specific agents—like polyquaternium or myristamidopropyl dimethylamine—that act like tiny magnets to pull those proteins off the lens.
No home-brewed contact lens solution substitute has these chemicals. This is why "emergency" substitutes always fail the safety test. Even if the substitute is sterile, it leaves the lens "dirty." When you put that dirty lens back in, those proteins can cause Giant Papillary Conjunctivitis (GPC), which makes your eyelids feel like they are lined with sandpaper.
The Real Cost of Cutting Corners
A study published in Ophthalmology highlighted that contact lens-related infections lead to roughly 1 million clinic and emergency room visits annually in the U.S. alone. Most of these stem from "poor hygiene practices," which is doctor-speak for "I used tap water because I was lazy."
Actionable Next Steps
Forget the DIY chemistry. If you're out of solution right now, do this:
- Check if any nearby gas stations or convenience stores are open; most carry travel-sized bottles of Opti-Free or Renu.
- If you can't buy solution, remove your lenses and store them in a clean, dry case if you must, but be prepared to discard them if they dry out.
- If you absolutely must save them and have sterile, store-bought saline, use that only to keep them hydrated, and then soak them in real disinfecting solution for at least 6-8 hours before wearing them again.
- Check your "emergency kit" or old toiletry bags; often there’s a sample-sized bottle hiding in a zipper pocket from your last dentist or eye doctor visit.
- If you end up sleeping in your lenses because you had no way to take them out, do not pull them off dry in the morning. Use rewetting drops to lubricate them first, take them out immediately, and give your eyes a 24-hour "glasses only" break.
Your vision is one of the few things you can't truly replace. Treat it with more respect than a $5 bottle of solution.