CLs rinsed in beer and oil

Alternatives to contact lens solution including baby oil, beer, coke, petroleum jelly, lemonade, fruit juice and butter have been tried by patients, according to research.

A study by Bausch+Lomb showed 20 per cent of wearers had tried their own potions instead of using the correct solutions.

Saliva and tap water were also flagged up in the survey of 2,000 adult contact lens wearers, conducted in August 2011.

Nick Dash, an optometrist from Visual Edge Optometrists, said: 'Although the numbers for the more extreme examples such as beer and baby oil were low, it is most concerning to see the risks people are willing to take when it comes to their eye health.