Taking care of your contact lenses is very important. Properly maintaining your lenses is basically broken down into two categories, and these are disinfection and cleaning. Failing to do either of these things can lead to severe consequences for the health of your eyes. When you clean your lenses, you want to use a special cleaner in order to remove dirt and debris. Disinfecting the lenses will keep them clear of harmful bacteria which can cause your eyes to become infected. To clean your contacts, you will first want to take them out of your eyes and place them onto your hands. Now you want to take you cleaning solution and place small drops on the lenses. After this, take your index finger and rub the lenses lightly so that they are not scratched. When you take the cleaner off the contacts, you want to make sure you use a solution which is recommended by the manufacturer. It is best to avoid using tap water. Tap water contains bacteria which could be very harmful if it gets into your eyes. Once you've done this, your contact lenses will be cleaned, but they also need to be sterilized. To sterilize your contacts, they will have to be placed in a case. The case will then need to be filled with a disinfecting agent. It will typically take four hours for the contacts to become completely sterilized. Because of this, many people sterilize their contacts prior to going to bed. When you care for your contacts, it is also important to remove proteins from the surface of the lenses. If you are wearing contact lenses for the first time, you may be wandering how to tell which way your lenses are facing when you remove them. You can do this by placing the lens on one finger with the cup facing upward. Hold the lens in front of you, and if it is has the shape of a "U", this means it is facing the right side, and is ready to be inserted. Some companies mark their contacts with a laser, and this is another way to determine if they are on the right side. It is important to never share you contact lenses with others. Contacts are medical tools, and as such should only be worn by the person they are prescribed to. They will not fit anyone else, and it is not good hygiene to share them with others. You or those you share your lenses with could get an infection which is dangerous.