So How Do YOU Clean Your Scope Lenses?

[CB900F]

Fella's;

The title pretty much says it all. I know some people, in the misguided pursuit of cleanliness, have actually removed lens coatings with harsh solvents or too much elbow grease, or both. OTOH, not cleaning them at all can really affect not only light transmission, but accuracy too.

So, how do you go about this delicate, but necessary, little chore?

900F

 

[mbogo]

I use a LensPen. They cost $10 or so and are widely available online and at camera stores.

mbogo

 

[natman]

Blow as much dust off as possible. Use lens cleaning fluid and lens tissue, available at photography stores.

 

[villemur]

I generally use a LensPen, but if it is really dirty I use cotton swabs dipped in isopropyl alcohol. I start in the center and make increasingly larger circles out towards the edges. I also change the swabs often so that I don't grind dirt into the lens.

 

[Blackrock]

I just wipe them off with my handkerchief most times.

 

[wow6599]

The same stuff my wife buys for the TV and laptop screens.....works great.

 

[KrisKollins]

I use the lens cleaner rag I use for my glasses.

 

[Eyesac]

Some manufactures suggest acetone and a cotton ball...

 

[skoro]

I use a microfiber cloth - same thing I use for my glasses.

 

[Dr T]

I use computer screen cleaner and a microfiber cloth, but mostly I keep the lens caps on all of the time (except when I am shooting) and take care to NOT TOUCH the lens.

 

[ZCORR Jay]

Another one here who uses the microfiber cloth

 

[essayons21]

Lens pen for my scopes.

Spit or a camelbak and a t-shirt for taxpayer issued scopes

Never have seen much difference.

 

[CoRoMo]

I use the lens cloth that came with my scope.

One day, one of those spaces at the front end of a Walmart was opening up to an eyeglass store. I don't wear eyeglasses, but for their grand opening, they had girls standing out at the end of the Walmart registers, handing out product packets that contained a bottle of lens cleaner and a lens cloth. We grabbed a number of them, and now they each ride along with one of my scoped rifles. Pretty handy.

 

[natman]

Some manufactures suggest acetone and a cotton ball...

Really? Please cite one.

 

[Zak Smith]

US Optics.

But they recommend using a Q-Tip, not a cotton ball.

 

[General Geoff]

I use microfiber for all my lenses (rifle scopes, binoculars, camera lenses, sunglasses). Sucks all the greasy residue off the glass like magic.

 

[natman]

US Optics.

But they recommend using a Q-Tip, not a cotton ball.

I would have some reservations about using acetone on lens coatings, but judge for yourself:

http://www.usoptics.com/video/cln1.wmv

 

[Olympus]

For my more expensive scopes, I use microscope cleaning papers. It comes in a little book and it similar to tissue paper. It's inexpensive. A lot of labs use it on their high end microscopes, so it works okay for $5000 microscopes, it should sure do the trick with my $500 scopes.

 

[rcmodel]

Always Blow the dust off first, or use a soft brush like the lens-pin.
Then use a Micro-figer eyeglasses cloth.

Most of the time, I use CAT CRAP Anti-Fog Lens Cleaner though.
It keeps the dirt & dust from sticking in the first place, as well as limits fogging in the winter.

http://www.ems.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3656746

 

[JTHunter]

CB900F - the method you use depends on what is on your lens.
If it is dust or dry grit, gently blow it off first. Then gently brush off anything else. Then, moisten the corner.edge of a soft cotton or microfiber cloth and wipe the lens in agentle circular motion. Turn cloth around and dry lens in the same way.

IF it is WET (rain, splash, etc.) take a corner of your dry cloth and touch the beaded up moisture - do NOT wipe!! If there is any grit, dirt, salt, etc. in that water, you need to remove that moisture first, then clean as stated above.
Good luck!

 

[Ike R]

I use a lens pen in the field, unless its raining, then I use a microfiber cloth to soak up the moisture first.

At home I use q tips and alcohol, then the microfiber cloth.

I also carry a can of presurized air in the truck, so that on dusty days and nights I can blow anything out before I do anything else. I wouldn't hold the can to close and make sure that it is level or you could get some condensation from the contents on the lense, and a truely muddy lense is very hard to get clean again.

 

[JohnBT]

I was told that microfiber makes micro scratches. I won't use paper towels or kleenex on my glasses either. I learned that the hard way 50 years ago.

I usually use a pen or cleaning papers and solution on scopes and binocs. Or my t-shirt. Cotton is much better than paper products made from chopped wood.

 

[barrow]

I always wondered if scope lenses were glass or plastic. Plastic has about taken over the eyeglass world. I have to be really firm to keep mine glass...

 

[pricedo]

Only when they need it I fog the scope lens with my breath & then dab the conspicuous dirt or mud completely off & then & only then gently wipe with ball of clean, soft fiber paper towel (not the industrial grade abrasive stuff) using minimum pressure.

The lens pens & special cloths are fine when you have them but I always carry a roll of soft paper towel in my bush pack for another kind of emergency so when mud or dirt gets on my scope lens I use what I got.

 

[bhk]

Lens paper and lens cleaning fluid (both designed for eye glasses). I rarely have to clean my lenses because I keep good quality lens covers on all of my scopes. Prevention is a key to lens preservation.