Something just flew into your eye, and your hand is already on its way. Stop right there. Blink a few times, then rinse it with clean water. Don't rub. That's the answer. Sand, dust, a stray eyelash: usually not an emergency, says the American Academy of Ophthalmology. But can't see the speck anymore? That doesn't mean it's gone. Step 3 finds its hiding spot. Five moves, in this order. Stay calm, keep your hands down, and don't skip ahead.

Step 1: hands off. Blink a few times and let your own tears do the work. Step 2: wash your hands, then rinse the eye with eyewash, saline or gently running clean tap water. Step 3, the one nobody tells you: pull your upper eyelid out and down over the lower lid. Let go, then blink. The upper lid is the most common hiding spot for a speck you can't see. Step 4: if you can see it in the corner or under the lower lid, go gentle.

Touch it lightly with a moistened cotton swab or the corner of a damp cloth. Never the colored part. Step 5: still there after all that? Cover the eye with a gauze bandage and go see a doctor. Now, the part your instincts get completely wrong. Myth: rub it hard enough and it'll work its own way out. Fact: every source says the same thing. Don't rub, don't press. Blink, then rinse with clean water. Stuck in there?

Put the tweezers down. Leave it in, loosely cover both eyes, and get medical help immediately. Why so strict? Rubbing or pressing can grind a tiny speck right into the surface of your eye. Blinking and tearing do the opposite. They often clear small objects all on their own. And the lid trick works because your lower lashes can brush the speck out from under the top lid. Here's the line that matters: dust and sand are one thing, metal and glass are another.

Those are more serious, because they can embed in the eye's surface. Not a home job. Metal chip from grinding, or something that hit your eye fast? Call a doctor now, day or night. Bleach or a cleaner? Flush with cool tap water for at least 15 minutes, then medical care right away. Contact lenses? Wash your hands, add several drops of saline, and repeat in about 5 minutes if needed. Speck's out but your eye still feels scratchy?

That's normal, for 1 to 2 hours. Longer than that, blurry vision, or a cloudy spot on the clear front of the eye? Get care right away. Hands off. Blink. Rinse. Lift the lid. Swab only the corner, and never the colored part. And when you grind, handle chemicals or cycle through dust and wind, wear eye protection first. Your eye came with its own wipers and washer fluid. Use them before you use your fingers.