How to Prepare Sterile Eye Drops

Promote eye health by using sterile eye drops.

While it's easy enough to go out to the pharmacy and buy eye drops, do-it-yourselfers can also easily prepare their own sterile eye drops at home. You likely already have everything you need right at your fingertips, and this will take only minutes, saving you a few dollars and the hassle of having to run out to the store.

Things You'll Need

• Filtered or purified water
• Container
• 2 cook pots
• 1/4 Tsp. salt
• Pinch of baking soda

Instructions

1. Wash your hands with soap and water. Dry your hands with a lint-free cloth or towel.

2. Boil an ounce of water that has been filtered or purified. Avoid using tap water, which contains additives such as fluoride.

3. Sanitize the container in which you will store your solution. Boil the container for about 10 minutes in a cook pot with enough filtered or purified water to cover the container.

4. Add a quarter teaspoon of iodized salt to the ounce of boiling water, along with a pinch of baking soda. Stir the solution with a clean spoon until the salt and baking soda have completely dissolved. If you want straight saline solution, skip the baking soda.

5. Cover the solution to allow it to cool before pouring it into your sanitized container. Close the container and put it in your refrigerator. Use it as needed.

Tips & Warnings

• Eye experts don't recommend using homemade sterile eye drops as a substitute for contact lens solution.

References

• Thrifty Fun: Saline Solution Eye Drops
• Craig's Scrapbook: Making Your Own Saline Solution