The human eye is very sensitive to bacteria and debris, so wearing contact lenses is a liability for many people. It’s easy to ignore the necessary precautions regarding contact lenses.

Our eyes are not as invincible as we like to think, and because of this misunderstanding, many people have to deal with eye infections every year.

To help you protect your eyes, here are five common contact lens blunders that you should avoid.

Avoid Going Into Water With Your Contact Lenses On

Any body of water can have some bacteria and amoebae in it that can be potentially damaging to your eyes.

It doesn’t matter if it is the bathtub or the public swimming pool—don’t wear your contacts when going into water.

Make Up & Contacts Don’t Mix

Don’t under any circumstance allow for makeup to remain on your contact lens.

If you accidentally get makeup on your contact, take the lens out and give it a proper cleaning or you risk irritating your eyes.

Don’t Put Contact Lenses In Your Mouth

Believe it or not, licking your contact lenses does not “clean them off,” it does the opposite. Our mouths are a haven for bacteria that have no business being near your eye.

Avoid Rubbing Your Eyes

If you find yourself rubbing your eyes a lot (with or without contacts), you are putting your eyes at risk of infection.

Bacteria that is on your hands could transfer to your eyes, and you could develop a condition called keratoconus—this occurs when your cornea goes from being a rounded shape to a cone-like shape. This leads to blurred vision and potentially the need for a corneal transplant to repair the damage.

Do Not Reuse Contact Lens Solution

Contact lens cleaning solution is a pretty effective disinfectant—that is until you leave it sitting around in the open for bacteria to flood in. Bacteria can overpower the disinfectant in the cleaning solution.

Reusing the same contact lens solution over and over puts your eye at risk of bacteria that can cause eye infections, which could lead to much more serious eye complications that might require surgery.