Clear Care is a hydrogen peroxide cleaning system that disinfects scleral lenses deeply without the preservatives that irritate sensitive eyes — but it must fully neutralize before the lens touches your eye. Used correctly, it’s one of the best ways to keep scleral lenses clean, clear, and comfortable. Used incorrectly, un-neutralized peroxide causes intense stinging. This guide walks through the safe, step-by-step routine.
The one safety rule you must never break
Let’s put this first because it matters most: never rinse your lens with Clear Care solution and put it straight in your eye, and never use the ordinary flat storage case that comes with other solutions. Clear Care is hydrogen peroxide. It must sit for the full neutralization time (at least six hours) in its own special case — the one with the silver/platinum disc at the bottom — which converts the peroxide into plain saline. Put un-neutralized peroxide on your eye and you’ll feel immediate, severe burning. It won’t cause lasting damage in a brief exposure, but it’s painful and completely avoidable. If you ever feel intense stinging on insertion, remove the lens immediately and rinse your eye with sterile saline.
Why Clear Care works well for scleral lenses
Scleral lens wearers often have sensitive or dry eyes, and many react to the preservatives in multipurpose solutions. Hydrogen peroxide systems like Clear Care disinfect thoroughly and then neutralize into a preservative-free saline, so there’s no residue to irritate the ocular surface. The bubbling action also lifts protein and debris off the large surface of a scleral lens, which helps prevent the midday fogging sclerals are prone to.
Cleaning scleral lenses with Clear Care: step by step
- Wash and dry your hands with a plain, oil-free soap. Clean hands are the foundation of safe lens care.
- Remove the lens and place it in the palm of your hand. Apply a few drops of Clear Care (or a separate daily cleaner if your provider recommends one) and gently rub both surfaces for about 20 seconds to loosen deposits.
- Rinse briefly with Clear Care solution — not tap water, ever — to wash away the loosened debris.
- Place the lens in the special peroxide case basket and fill the case to the line with fresh Clear Care. Use the case that came with the product, with the neutralizing disc. Never top off old solution — use fresh each time.
- Close the case and let it sit for at least 6 hours (overnight is ideal). You’ll see it bubble — that’s the peroxide disinfecting and then neutralizing into saline.
- In the morning, remove the lens and — because the peroxide is now neutralized — fill the bowl with preservative-free saline for insertion.
Important: fill the lens with saline, not Clear Care
Clear Care disinfects your lens overnight, but you should not fill the bowl of the scleral lens with it for insertion. Once the lens is disinfected and neutralized, fill the reservoir with a dedicated preservative-free saline (the kind that comes in single-use vials or a sterile can). This is the fluid that sits against your cornea all day, so it needs to be gentle, sterile, and preservative-free.
Weekly deep cleaning and deposits
Even with nightly peroxide cleaning, scleral lenses can accumulate stubborn protein and lipid deposits over time. Many wearers add a weekly cleaner (such as an abrasive daily cleaner or a specialized product your provider recommends) to keep the lens surface wettable and clear. If your lenses fog quickly, feel filmy, or won’t stay clean no matter what, that’s usually a sign they need a professional cleaning or replacement — bring them in.
Do’s and don’ts at a glance
- Do use the special neutralizing case and fresh solution every time.
- Do give it the full 6+ hours to neutralize before wearing.
- Don’t ever rinse with or store lenses in tap water — it carries Acanthamoeba, a serious infection risk.
- Don’t put un-neutralized peroxide in your eye or fill the lens bowl with Clear Care.
- Don’t reuse the case’s old solution or use a standard flat case with peroxide.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use Clear Care to clean scleral lenses?
Yes. Clear Care is a hydrogen peroxide system that’s popular with scleral lens wearers because it disinfects deeply and neutralizes into a preservative-free saline, leaving no irritating residue. It must be used in its special neutralizing case for at least six hours before wearing.
What happens if I put Clear Care directly in my eye?
Un-neutralized hydrogen peroxide causes immediate, severe stinging and burning. Remove the lens right away and rinse your eye with sterile saline. Brief exposure doesn’t usually cause lasting harm, but it’s painful — always let Clear Care neutralize fully in its special case first.
Do I fill my scleral lens with Clear Care before inserting?
No. Clear Care is only for overnight disinfection. After it neutralizes, fill the bowl of the lens with a dedicated preservative-free saline for insertion — that’s the fluid that stays against your eye all day.
How long does Clear Care take to neutralize?
At least six hours in its special case with the neutralizing disc. Overnight soaking is ideal. Don’t shortcut the time — the lens isn’t safe to wear until the peroxide has fully converted to saline.
Fighting fogging, filmy lenses, or discomfort no cleaning seems to fix? The problem is often the fit, not the cleaning. Dr. Shira Kresch fine-tunes scleral lenses for patients across Metro Detroit at our Southfield office — your first specialty consultation is free. Book online or call (248) 545-2800.
