Anything that applies pressure to the optical surface while cleaning is asking for trouble - best to let a solvent do the work for you, then use tissue, cotton balls, etc to gently remove the dissolved contaminants.
I don't even use q-tips for eyepiece cleaning since it's possible to apply too much pressure if one becomes impatient. I roll a Kleenex tissue tightly into a pencil shape then tear it in half leaving soft ends on the two halves - I can't apply pressure because the tissue bends. Dip one end in isopropyl, clean the lens then spin the tissue around using the dry end to absorb the solvent before it dries.
|