How to Clean Your Eyelids: An Optometrist’s Step-by-Step Guide

By Nizam Diveli, registered optometrist and founder of BlinkBetter

Cleaning your eyelids properly takes three steps: warm, massage, clean. Hold a warm compress on your closed eyes for 5 to 10 minutes. Then gently massage the lids towards the lashes. Finally, wipe along the lash line with an eyelid wipe or a diluted cleanser. Do this once or twice a day. UK eye-care guidelines recommend this routine as the first thing to try for blepharitis.

Not sure what's going on with your eyelids? Try our free eyelid symptom checker. It takes about a minute.

It sounds simple, and it is. The detail people tend to miss is where to clean. Most of us wipe the skin of the eyelid. The build-up that causes trouble sits on the very edge of the lid, right at the roots of the lashes. Get that part right and the rest follows.

Why bother cleaning your eyelids?

A lot happens on the edge of your eyelid. Your lashes grow from it. Just behind them is a row of tiny oil glands, the meibomian glands. They release the thin layer of oil that stops your tears drying out too fast.

Sometimes oil, dead skin and bacteria build up along that edge. When they do, the lids can turn red, itchy, crusty and sore. That's blepharitis, one of the most common things optometrists see. It's not usually serious, but it can be persistent and annoying.

UK community eye-care guidance, based on the College of Optometrists' clinical guidelines, treats lid hygiene as first-line management for blepharitis. That means cleansing plus gentle massage, with warm compresses to loosen crusts (NHS Scotland Community Eyecare Guidelines). A Cochrane review also found that lid hygiene relieves symptoms in both of the main types of blepharitis (College of Optometrists evidence summary).

You don't need blepharitis to benefit. A regular lid clean is worth doing if you wear eye make-up most days, have dry eyes, get styes, or wake up with sticky lashes.

What you'll need

• Clean hands, with contact lenses out
• A warm compress. This can be a clean flannel and warm water, a microwavable eye bag or a self-heating eye mask
• Something to clean with. Use pre-moistened eyelid wipes, a lid cleanser, or cotton pads with baby shampoo diluted 1 part to 10 parts warm water (one of the options in NHS guidance)
• A mirror and good light, at least the first few times

Step 1: Warm compress (5 to 10 minutes)

Warmth softens the thickened oil in the glands and loosens any crusts on the lashes. It makes the next two steps far more effective.

1. Wash your hands.
2. Soak a clean flannel in hot water, not boiling, and wring it out. Test the temperature on the inside of your wrist.
3. Close your eyes and rest the compress over your lids for 5 to 10 minutes. Re-warm it if it cools. Use a separate compress, or a clean part of the flannel, for each eye.

The College of Optometrists suggests keeping the compress on for five minutes, gently rocking or massaging it as you go (College of Optometrists patient leaflet). Many NHS eye departments recommend 5 to 10 minutes, once or twice a day (Manchester Royal Eye Hospital).

The problem with a flannel is that it cools within a minute or two, so you end up re-dunking it. A heat mask stays warm for longer. One NHS patient leaflet says heated eye masks are preferred for exactly that reason (HSCNI patient information). Our SelfHeat eye mask is designed for this step. It warms up by itself, so there's no microwave and you can use it anywhere.

Step 2: Massage towards the lashes

Do this straight after the warmth, while the oil is still soft.

• Upper lid: keep your eyes closed. With a clean fingertip, roll gently downwards from the brow towards the lashes.
• Lower lid: roll gently upwards, towards the lashes.
• Work across the whole width of each lid, starting at the nose side and moving out.

Keep the pressure light. It should never hurt. The aim is to ease the softened oil out of the glands, not to squeeze hard. Moorfields Eye Hospital has a short lid hygiene video demonstrating the technique; it's linked from their blepharitis leaflet.

Step 3: Clean the lash line

This is the step that makes the difference. Clean the edge of the lid, where the lashes grow, not just the skin above it.

1. Use a mirror. For the lower lid, look up and draw the lid down slightly with a fingertip. For the upper lid, close your eye or look down.
2. Sweep along the base of the lashes, from the inner corner to the outer corner. Be firm but gentle. Don't wipe the inside of the lid, which touches the eye.
3. Use a fresh wipe, or a clean side of one, for each eye.

What to clean with

• Eyelid wipes. They're pre-moistened and ready to use, with nothing to mix. Our BetterScrub eyelid wipes are a UKCA-registered medical device for eyelid hygiene. They have a soft side for sensitive skin and a textured side for crusts along the lash line. NHS guidance lists lid-cleaning solutions and impregnated wipes as options alongside diluted baby shampoo (NHS Scotland).
• A foaming lid cleanser. Handy if you'd rather do it over the sink or in the shower. Our Eyelid Cleansing Foam is designed to gently cleanse the lids and lashes. Rinse afterwards.
• Diluted baby shampoo. Mix one part shampoo with ten parts warm water and apply on a cotton pad. It works, but some people find it stings or dries the skin over time.

How often should you clean your eyelids?

During a flare-up, aim for once or twice a day, every day. NHS leaflets usually suggest twice a day until things settle, which can take a few weeks (HSCNI). Once your symptoms calm down, once a day or a few times a week is usually enough to keep them away.

Blepharitis tends to be long-term and often comes back if you stop completely (NHS Scotland). It helps to think of lid hygiene like brushing your teeth: a habit you keep, not a course you finish.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Eye make-up during a flare. Eyeliner on the waterline and mascara are the main ones (College of Optometrists).
• A compress that's too hot. Eyelid skin is thin, so aim for warm, never scalding.
• Scrubbing hard or wiping the inside of the lid.
• Sharing flannels, or using the same side of a wipe on both eyes.
• Leaving contact lenses in while you clean.

What about Demodex (eyelash mites)?

Some blepharitis is stubborn and comes with waxy, cuff-like "cylindrical dandruff" at the base of the lashes. If you have that, your optometrist may suspect Demodex, tiny mites that live in the lash follicles. UK guidance mentions tea-tree-based lid scrubs and Demodex-specific wipes as options (NHS Scotland). It's worth getting it checked rather than guessing. There's more in our Demodex guide.

When to see an optometrist or GP

Lid hygiene is safe for most people. Book an eye check if:

• things haven't improved after 3 to 4 weeks of daily cleaning
• you have a lump on the lid that keeps coming back or is getting bigger
• lashes are falling out, growing in the wrong direction, or the lid edge looks notched
• only one eye is affected and it isn't settling

Get help the same day if you have eye pain, a red eye, sensitivity to light or any change in your vision. See an optometrist or call NHS 111, or go to A&E if it's severe. These aren't typical blepharitis symptoms and need checking promptly. If lid hygiene alone isn't enough, your optometrist can talk you through other options (College of Optometrists).

Frequently asked questions

Can I clean my eyelids with just water?

Warm water on a clean flannel is fine for the compress. For the lash line, water on its own doesn't shift oily build-up very well. Use a lid wipe, a lid cleanser or diluted baby shampoo instead.

Is baby shampoo safe for eyelids?

Diluted baby shampoo (1 part to 10 parts warm water) has long been an option in NHS guidance. Some people find it stings or dries their skin over time. If that happens, switch to an eyelid wipe or cleanser.

How long does lid hygiene take to work?

Many people feel more comfortable within a week or two of daily cleaning. Settling a flare fully can take several weeks. Carry on once it improves, because blepharitis often returns if you stop.

Is it better to clean my eyelids in the morning or at night?

Either works. Doing it consistently matters more than the time of day. Lots of people find the evening easiest, and a warm compress before bed is pretty relaxing. During a flare, do both.

Can I wear make-up if I have blepharitis?

Try to skip eye make-up during a flare, especially eyeliner on the waterline and mascara. When you do wear it, take it off fully at night and replace mascara regularly.

Do I need to clean my eyelids if I don't have blepharitis?

Not everyone needs to. It's worth doing if you get dry eyes, styes or sticky lashes in the morning, or wear eye make-up most days.

The routine in 30 seconds

1. Warm: a compress on closed eyes for 5 to 10 minutes.
2. Massage: roll gently towards the lashes.
3. Clean: wipe along the lash line from inner to outer corner, using a fresh wipe for each eye.

Do it once or twice a day during a flare, then keep the habit going.

Shop the routine: SelfHeat eye mask · BetterScrub eyelid wipes · Eyelid Cleansing Foam · or browse the Blepharitis collection

This article is general information and doesn't replace an eye examination. If you're worried about your eyes, see an optometrist. Here's how we write and review our health information. About the author: Nizam Diveli, optometrist.