Biofinity in the Commode

Momalina2 · #1 (**permalink**) 09-19-2008, 10:51 AM

If you dropped one of your contact lenses in the (recently flushed) toilet, would you retrieve it and try and sterilize it, or would you just write it off as a loss?

#2 (**permalink**) 10-16-2011, 01:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Momalina2

If you dropped one of your contact lenses in the (recently flushed) toilet, would you retrieve it and try and sterilize it, or would you just write it off as a loss?

eeeeeuw are you for real......!?

Id want to wear a brand new lens.

Goliath2001 · #3 (**permalink**) 10-17-2011, 12:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by luvbostonxo2

eeeeeuw are you for real......!?

Id want to wear a brand new lens.

Yeah, I don't think I'd wear that lens again. I'm not normally a squeamish kinda guy (Goliath does not fear toilet water.) but if something has toilet water on it and it's supposed to go in my eye . . . no thanks.

#4 (**permalink**) 10-17-2011, 02:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Goliath2001

Yeah, I don't think I'd wear that lens again. I'm not normally a squeamish kinda guy (Goliath does not fear toilet water.) but if something has toilet water on it and it's supposed to go in my eye . . . no thanks.

toilet water = ancanthamoeba infection

Uhura · #5 (**permalink**) 10-17-2011, 02:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by luvbostonxo2

toilet water = ancanthamoeba infection

Yeah, I've heard of that ancanthamoeba. Nasty bug.

Privateyez · #6 (**permalink**) 10-17-2011, 03:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Momalina2

If you dropped one of your contact lenses in the (recently flushed) toilet, would you retrieve it and try and sterilize it, or would you just write it off as a loss?

Hmmm, tough question.

In general I try to be rational and logical, but when it comes to a contact lens that has been in the commode . . . I don't know if I could ever get it clean enough.

However, wearing it anyway might be the kind of thing I would do just to prove to myself that it's irrational to believe that dropping a contact lens into a "clean" toilet is no worse then dropping it on a "clean" floor. If I were to drop a contact lens on the floor, I'd probably clean it up and use it.

CLSC · #7 (**permalink**) 10-19-2011, 03:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Momalina2

If you dropped one of your contact lenses in the (recently flushed) toilet, would you retrieve it and try and sterilize it, or would you just write it off as a loss?

I'd say that lens was TANKED!

(and I would not wear it!)

CLSC · #8 (**permalink**) 10-19-2011, 03:32 AM

Here's another question for everyone:

If you dropped the cap of your lens case into the sink, would you retrieve it and screw it on the case?

I was scared it might have gotten a tiny bit of water on it, which would then mix into the solution, or get on a lens so I just got rid of the case and am now using a new one.

But I'd like to know: Should I *not* have wasted the case??

BigJim · #9 (**permalink**) 10-19-2011, 10:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CLSC

Here's another question for everyone:

If you dropped the cap of your lens case into the sink, would you retrieve it and screw it on the case?

I was scared it might have gotten a tiny bit of water on it, which would then mix into the solution, or get on a lens so I just got rid of the case and am now using a new one.

But I'd like to know: Should I *not* have wasted the case??

Okay in response to your other "tanked" comment--good one.

If you drop your lens cap in the sink, rinse it with solution and it should be fine. I mean, logically, how bad can a bathroom sink be? I don't know if I'd eat out of the sink, but it's not like dropping the cap into the toilet. Just rinse the cap off with cleaning solution and that should take care of any bacteria that it may have picked up from the sink. No big deal. The solution disinfects what it comes in contact with. That's its job. Besides, it's not like the lens cap is going to touch your eye.

Momalina2 · #10 (**permalink**) 12-12-2011, 05:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigJim

Okay in response to your other "tanked" comment--good one.

If you drop your lens cap in the sink, rinse it with solution and it should be fine. I mean, logically, how bad can a bathroom sink be? I don't know if I'd eat out of the sink, but it's not like dropping the cap into the toilet.

I've never eaten out of the sink, but I have eaten over the sink . . .

luvbostonxo2's · #11 (**permalink**) 12-12-2011, 11:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigJim

Okay in response to your other "tanked" comment--good one.

If you drop your lens cap in the sink, rinse it with solution and it should be fine. I mean, logically, how bad can a bathroom sink be? I don't know if I'd eat out of the sink, but it's not like dropping the cap into the toilet. Just rinse the cap off with cleaning solution and that should take care of any bacteria that it may have picked up from the sink. No big deal. The solution disinfects what it comes in contact with. That's its job. Besides, it's not like the lens cap is going to touch your eye.

Eeeeeeuw! If that happened to me would clean the lens case with cleaner and boil the lens case in a pan of hot water to sterilize!

It's soooo easy to contaminate a lens case and if there is any chance of bacteria taking hold I'd throw it out or sterilize by boiling before re-use!!!!

ElaineKramer · #12 (**permalink**) 12-13-2011, 11:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by luvbostonxo2's

Eeeeeeuw! If that happened to me would clean the lens case with cleaner and boil the lens case in a pan of hot water to sterilize!

It's soooo easy to contaminate a lens case and if there is any chance of bacteria taking hold I'd throw it out or sterilize by boiling before re-use!!!!

I agree. You really, really don't want to contaminate a contact lens that you're planning to wear.

luvbostonxo2's · #13 (**permalink**) 12-13-2011, 11:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ElaineKramer

I agree. You really, really don't want to contaminate a contact lens that you're planning to wear.

If ive dropped a soft contact lens as a rule I dont rewear.....more convenient to just open a new lens if your using disposables.

lens cases are the same...if I've dropped in the sink or on floor just use a new one....they really cheap and can be changed frequently.

**Not to scare anyone but I had a patient that developed a severe acanthamoeba infection and it penetrated her cornea requiring hospitilization, and a corneal transplant! Huge rounds of IV antibiotics plus drops for her eyes. Weird thing is she used to use tap water to rinse her soft contact lenses. Luckily we caught it on time and I sent her to a specialist.

Once youve seen a major eye infection on someone you def will be more diligent in the cleanliness required for contact lens wear.

In my practice i give out handfuls of lens cases to promote hygeine and cleanliness.

**who knows maybe in the near future we may have to sterilize our contact lens cases under a UV sterilization device if germs get out of hand.

im just sayn!

pathfinder · #14 (**permalink**) 12-13-2011, 11:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by luvbostonxo2's

If ive dropped a soft contact lens as a rule I dont rewear.....more convenient to just open a new lens if your using disposables.

lens cases are the same...if I've dropped in the sink or on floor just use a new one....they really cheap and can be changed frequently.

**Not to scare anyone but I had a patient that developed a severe acanthamoeba infection and it penetrated her cornea requiring hospitilization, and a corneal transplant! Huge rounds of IV antibiotics plus drops for her eyes. Weird thing is she used to use tap water to rinse her soft contact lenses. Luckily we caught it on time and I sent her to a specialist.

Once youve seen a major eye infection on someone you def will be more diligent in the cleanliness required for contact lens wear.

In my practice i give out handfuls of lens cases to promote hygeine and cleanliness.

Thanks for sharing that scary acanthamoeba story. Hopefully it will help people see that there can be serious consequences if they don't clean their contact lenses carefully.

That was also a very good point about replacing the contact lens case frequently.

BigJim · #15 (**permalink**) 12-22-2011, 01:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by luvbostonxo2's

**Not to scare anyone but I had a patient that developed a severe acanthamoeba infection and it penetrated her cornea requiring hospitilization, and a corneal transplant! Huge rounds of IV antibiotics plus drops for her eyes. Weird thing is she used to use tap water to rinse her soft contact lenses. Luckily we caught it on time and I sent her to a specialist.

Keep those lenses clean, kids, and don't rinse them with tap water.

ElaineKramer · #16 (**permalink**) 12-27-2011, 02:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by luvbostonxo2's

If ive dropped a soft contact lens as a rule I dont rewear.....more convenient to just open a new lens if your using disposables.

lens cases are the same...if I've dropped in the sink or on floor just use a new one....they really cheap and can be changed frequently.

I normally don't like to throw things away, but when it comes to things that should be sterile, it's best to discard it if it becomes contaminated.

sylvia · #17 (**permalink**) 12-27-2011, 03:53 PM

Well it depends on how expensive those lenses were! I wear dailies normally so obv I would just open up a new one--but if I dropped in one of my new Soloticas or Waicons I would have to clean the hell out of it with peroxide solution--maybe a couple of cycles of fresh solution

AllyCat · #18 (**permalink**) 12-27-2011, 04:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sylvia

Well it depends on how expensive those lenses were! I wear dailies normally so obv I would just open up a new one--but if I dropped in one of my new Soloticas or Waicons I would have to clean the hell out of it with peroxide solution--maybe a couple of cycles of fresh solution

Yeah, I guess it would depend on who expensive the contaminated object is; but on the other hand, what are your eyes worth?

sylvia · #19 (**permalink**) 12-27-2011, 04:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AllyCat

Yeah, I guess it would depend on who expensive the contaminated object is; but on the other hand, what are your eyes worth?

Eh I doubt any germ could survive multiple rounds in the peroxide, I guess this is more of a case of the heebie jeebies than there being any real danger
After all, don't they say that the average kitchen counter has more harmful bacteria than the toilet seat?

3scompany · #20 (**permalink**) 12-27-2011, 05:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sylvia

Eh I doubt any germ could survive multiple rounds in the peroxide, I guess this is more of a case of the heebie jeebies than there being any real danger
After all, don't they say that the average kitchen counter has more harmful bacteria than the toilet seat?

Thanks for giving me an excuse to copy from the Mythbusters website:

MYTH: Many objects that people touch every day are dirtier than a toilet seat.

Confirmed

Adam and Jamie chose a total of 8 objects to test for cleanliness: toilet seat, money, kitchen sponge, hotel room remote, computer keyboard, light switch, cell phone, and shopping cart. They swabbed each surface for 10 seconds and created Petri dishes from the swabs that incubated overnight. Their first method of measurement was to count the number of microorganism colonies on each dish. They found that the toilet seat sample actually had the fewest colonies, while the kitchen sponge sample had more than they could count:

kitchen sponge (most colonies)
money
light switch
computer keyboard
hotel remote
shopping cart
cell phone
toilet seat (fewest colonies)

Okay, that's the toilet seat rather than the bowl, but I would think the water in the toilet would be dirtier than the seat, wouldn't you?

Isn't it nice to see that your computer keyboard ranks in the middle?

sylvia · #21 (**permalink**) 12-27-2011, 05:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 3scompany

Thanks for giving me an excuse to copy from the Mythbusters website:

MYTH: Many objects that people touch every day are dirtier than a toilet seat.

Confirmed

Adam and Jamie chose a total of 8 objects to test for cleanliness: toilet seat, money, kitchen sponge, hotel room remote, computer keyboard, light switch, cell phone, and shopping cart. They swabbed each surface for 10 seconds and created Petri dishes from the swabs that incubated overnight. Their first method of measurement was to count the number of microorganism colonies on each dish. They found that the toilet seat sample actually had the fewest colonies, while the kitchen sponge sample had more than they could count:

kitchen sponge (most colonies)
money
light switch
computer keyboard
hotel remote
shopping cart
cell phone
toilet seat (fewest colonies)

Okay, that's the toilet seat rather than the bowl, but I would think the water in the toilet would be dirtier than the seat, wouldn't you?

Isn't it nice to see that your computer keyboard ranks in the middle?

On the contrary the seat comes in direct contact with peoples butts over and over again without being cleaned, whereas the bowl is constantly refilled with fresh tap water so the concentration of germs should be less

Tonythetiger · #22 (**permalink**) 12-28-2011, 11:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sylvia

On the contrary the seat comes in direct contact with peoples butts over and over again without being cleaned, whereas the bowl is constantly refilled with fresh tap water so the concentration of germs should be less

Yeah, you're probably right about the water being replaced periodically, but you said something about "the average kitchen counter has more harmful bacteria than the toilet seat," and according to that experiment, everything has more harmful bacterial than the toilet seat, so you're right.
Keep those contacts clean kids, or they might look like this--

Privateyez · #23 (**permalink**) 01-16-2012, 11:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sylvia

Well it depends on how expensive those lenses were! I wear dailies normally so obv I would just open up a new one--but if I dropped in one of my new Soloticas or Waicons I would have to clean the hell out of it with peroxide solution--maybe a couple of cycles of fresh solution

So the more expensive lenses are cleaner and/or more resistant to bacteria, or is it just that you'd feel worse about discarding a more expensive lens? The price shouldn't really matter unless you really think the pricier lenses are intrinsically better.

sylvia · #24 (**permalink**) 01-16-2012, 11:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Privateyez

So the more expensive lenses are cleaner and/or more resistant to bacteria, or is it just that you'd feel worse about discarding a more expensive lens? The price shouldn't really matter unless you really think the pricier lenses are intrinsically better.

annual lenses are thicker and hold up to intense cleaning-and I would have to spend $100 on another pair of Soloticas and wait a month for them to arrive

Really the disposable lenses would probably be just fine if they were to go through a round of clear care peroxide solution but why bother when you replace the every day anyway?

Brittvid · #25 (**permalink**) 01-16-2012, 12:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sylvia

Really the disposable lenses would probably be just fine if they were to go through a round of clear care peroxide solution but why bother when you replace the every day anyway?

I really don't think that disposable lenses can stand up to a thorough cleaning. Read over this forum and you will find some people who just can't accept the fact that you should throw the lenses a way after wearing them just once. I agree that it's just easier to throw those lenses away and put in a fresh, new sterile pair of lenses in each morning.

3scompany · #26 (**permalink**) 01-18-2012, 04:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sylvia

Really the disposable lenses would probably be just fine if they were to go through a round of clear care peroxide solution but why bother when you replace the every day anyway?

Exactly. That would be like saving your paper napkin for the next day.

Privateyez · #27 (**permalink**) 01-24-2012, 12:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 3scompany

Exactly. That would be like saving your paper napkin for the next day.

Nice closeup of a wadded paper napkin, 3scompany.

Uhura · #28 (**permalink**) 01-26-2012, 12:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tonythetiger

Yeah, you're probably right about the water being replaced periodically, but you said something about "the average kitchen counter has more harmful bacteria than the toilet seat," and according to that experiment, everything has more harmful bacterial than the toilet seat, so you're right.
Keep those contacts clean kids, or they might look like this--

Eeeeeeeeewwww!

Goliath2001 · #29 (**permalink**) 02-03-2012, 03:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uhura

Eeeeeeeeewwww!

Yeah, no kidding. Gross.

UNIT · #30 (**permalink**) 02-03-2012, 03:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tonythetiger

Yeah, you're probably right about the water being replaced periodically, but you said something about "the average kitchen counter has more harmful bacteria than the toilet seat," and according to that experiment, everything has more harmful bacterial than the toilet seat, so you're right.
Keep those contacts clean kids, or they might look like this--

That's pretty good motivation. Here's what a contaminated contact lens looks under an electron microscope:

sylvia · #31 (**permalink**) 02-03-2012, 04:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by UNIT

That's pretty good motivation. Here's what a contaminated contact lens looks under an electron microscope:

True, but when it comes down to it-what isn't covered in bacteria?

The only thing you can do is try to be as careful as possible, but every surface has bacteria and other creepy crawlies on it

Here's an excerpt from an article on eyelash mites:
"Don’t look now, but your face might be home to a group of tiny creatures!

These organisms, called demodicids, or eyelash mites, live on the bodies of even the cleanest of people. Demodicids are tiny parasites that live in pores and hair follicles around the eyelashes. They feast on dead skin cells and oils that accumulate there. The parasites resemble semi-transparent worms, and have four pairs of short legs they can use to get around.

You might not have heard of them, but demodicids are extremely common in humans. Researchers estimate that a small number of mites live on the faces of most adults, and the infestation becomes more and more common with age. In fact, as many as 96% of elderly people are thought to carry these microscopic mites."

Unclelar · #32 (**permalink**) 02-03-2012, 04:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sylvia

True, but when it comes down to it-what isn't covered in bacteria?

The only thing you can do is try to be as careful as possible, but every surface has bacteria and other creepy crawlies on it

Sure, almost everything has bacteria on it, but hopefully not something that's touching your eyeball.

sylvia · #33 (**permalink**) 02-03-2012, 04:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Unclelar

Sure, almost everything has bacteria on it, but hopefully not something that's touching your eyeball.

Well if those mites are on your eyelashes, you can bet they fall into your eyeball

Contacts have bacteria on them, especially if they are not daily disposables.
That is a fact.

Obv if they are dirty and have too much bacteria on them, you get an infection

But it is naive to believe that getting ANY bacteria in your eyeball at all is avoidable

Unclelar · #34 (**permalink**) 02-03-2012, 04:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sylvia

Well if those mites are on your eyelashes, you can bet they fall into your eyeball

Contacts have bacteria on them, especially if they are not daily disposables.
That is a fact.

Don't the lenses get sterilized when you clean them?