Why preservative-free saline?

The bowl bathes your cornea all day; preservatives trapped against the surface irritate it. Single-use vials or approved multidose PF bottles only.

My vision fogs by afternoon — is the lens wrong?

Not necessarily. Occasional fogging responds to a midday refill; recurring fog is a fit-and-surface question we solve by adjusting clearance, landing or your dry eye plan.

How long do the lenses last?

Typically a year or more with good care; warpage, scratches or a changing eye shorten that. We check the lens at every visit.

How do you clean scleral lenses?

Every night: take the lens out, rub and rinse it with the cleaning system we dispense, and store it in fresh solution. Never top off old solution, which raises the risk of a lens complication. Rinse the case with fresh solution, never tap water, and let it air-dry every day; we replace scleral cases monthly. In the morning, fill the lens only with sterile preservative-free saline.

Medically reviewed by Dr. Brandon Cohenmehr, OD Last reviewed October 24, 2026

Scleral Lens Care & Handling

Five unhurried minutes a day keep the lens invisible for the other sixteen hours.

Scleral lenses reward routine. Fill, insert, blink, forget; remove, clean, store, sleep. This page is the routine we teach in the chair, written down for the kitchen counter.

Book appointmentOr call 310-828-2010 Accepted insurance

A scleral lens on a plunger, saline bottle beside it

Fill with: Preservative-free saline only
Clean with: The system we dispense
Never: Tap water, saliva, shortcuts
Replace: On the schedule we set

The routine

Morning in, evening out.

01
Fill to a dome
Overfill the bowl with preservative-free saline until it mounds; bubbles get in the way of clear vision.
02
Insert over a mirror
Face down, chin to chest, lens on the plunger or tripod fingers; lean onto it and blink.
03
Remove with the small plunger
Land it low on the lens, tilt, and lever off. Never drag straight out.
04
Clean and store
Rub-and-rinse with your dispensed system, store in fresh solution, air-dry the case daily, replace it monthly.

Midday fog?: Usually debris in the bowl or a landing that lets tears pump under. A refill at lunch is the quick fix; a persistent pattern means our Los Angeles optometrists adjust the fit — tell us rather than tolerate it.
Red flags: Pain, deepening redness, light sensitivity, a white spot, or vision that stays blurry after removal: lens out, call 310-828-2010, or go to an emergency room when we're closed.

Non-negotiables

The three rules that protect your eyes.

Only preservative-free saline in the bowl
No tap water near lens or case, ever
Hurting or red? Lens out first, call second

Call with any doubt

Common questions

Scleral lens care, answered.

Anything else, call the office at 310-828-2010.

The bowl bathes your cornea all day; preservatives trapped against the surface irritate it. Single-use vials or approved multidose PF bottles only.
Not necessarily. Occasional fogging responds to a midday refill; recurring fog is a fit-and-surface question we solve by adjusting clearance, landing or your dry eye plan.
Typically a year or more with good care; warpage, scratches or a changing eye shorten that. We check the lens at every visit.
Every night: take the lens out, rub and rinse it with the cleaning system we dispense, and store it in fresh solution. Never top off old solution, which raises the risk of a lens complication. Rinse the case with fresh solution, never tap water, and let it air-dry every day; we replace scleral cases monthly. In the morning, fill the lens only with sterile preservative-free saline.

Scleral lens care near you

12222 Wilshire Blvd, on the Santa Monica border.

West Los Angeles Brentwood Santa Monica Westwood Beverly Hills Culver City Pacific Palisades West Hollywood Marina del Rey Newport Beach

Also consider

Next step

Handling trouble, fogging, or a lens that is slowing down?

Bring lens, case and solutions to a care visit; small adjustments fix most of it.

Book a lens check Or call 310-828-2010