Removing Contact Lenses Properly

You managed to get your contact lenses in your eyes without poking them out, but do you know how to remove contact lens properly? In case it's your first time, or you just need a reminder, follow these steps.

1. Wash your hands. This cannot be stressed enough; if you put in your contact lens in the morning and are removing your contact lens in the evening, your hands are likely dirty from the days' activities. Wash your hands to prevent getting any foreign substances in your eye. Aside from the fact that it's unhygienic, it stings. Just do it.
2. Prepare your lens case. Fill about half of the contact lens case with solution. 
3. Separate your eyelids. Use your index finger and thumb to do this, making sure to hold back the your eyelashes. They can get in your way and bat your well meaning other hand away, causing you to drop your contact lens.
4. Tilt your head up slightly. Your gaze should point upward, too. This helps to get over the "something is going in my eye!" paranoia that you likely experienced when putting the contact lens in the first place. It gets easier with time, but I've found this helps alleviate the rapid eye blinking.
5. Place the index finger of your opposite hand against the edge of the lens. To make sure that you've touched the lens, pull your index finger down just slightly. You should feel the lens move. If not, you don't have your finger in the right place. Try again.
6. Use the index finger and thumb of your opposite hand to grip the edge of the lens, and pull away to remove it. This step might take some getting used to, but it's usually pretty easy if you have a good grip on the edge in the first place. Hold firmly, but not too hard.
7. Clean your lens. This step is pretty important, even if you have "self-cleaning" solution. Place the lens in the palm of your hand and spray a little solution onto it. Use the pinky finger of your free hand (pinky fingers place the least pressure on the lens) on the lens, and rub it gently in a circle to remove any debris. Be very gentle with this step so as not to tear the lens.
8. Place the lens into the case. Allow the lens to fall into the case. Be careful that it falls in the actual well when you remove your contact lens, and not on the edge; if it does, when you go to close the case, you could end up tearing it. Torn lenses in your eye do not feel pleasant.
9. Spray the contact lens with solution from the bottle. One final cleaning for good measure. Squeezing a bit hard, use your contact lens solution to clean the lens, filling the case the rest of the way.
10. Repeat steps 1 through 9 with the remaining lens.
11. Store your lens case in a cool place. Room temperature is fine. Don't place your contact lens case in any extreme temperatures, hot or cold, after you've removed your contact lens. It could end up warping the lens.

Remember to periodically clean your lens case and to dump the contact lens solution at least once every other day to ensure that bacteria isn't growing in the case.