Best Cleaning Gear

[Crater101]

Folks;


I've had a quick search and found threads on cleaning mirrors and camera sensors, but I couldn't find an answer to...what do most people clean their optics with?


I'm talking about those bits of the 'scope that get exposed to the skies when we point them upwards. Dirt, dust, dew...a lot of the external surfaces get exposed to the elements. What does everyone use to clean them?


For my own part, I've had a lot of camera lenses over the years, and I've been using the lens cleaning tissues and lint-free cloth that I'd use to clean a camera lens after each observing session. I was curious as to what other folks might use though. I've heard of compressed air and all sorts of different techniques, so what works best for you to keep the glass clean?
:astron:

[astro744]

Use compressed air with caution (i.e. not recommended). See Tele Vue blog (scroll down) at https://televue.com/televueopticstalk/2018/12/27/tele-vue-scope-renaissance-part-i/

Compressed air can freeze the glass of a lens causing stress and possible shattering.

[RB]

For optics, EPs, camera lenses, scopes, etc, I use a LensPen. (https://lenspen.com/collections/lens-filter-cleaning-original/products/lenspen-black)

Gently brush away any particles on the optic first, then go over the optic from the centre outwards in a circular motion with the 'pen'.

RB

[RB]

PS, Always buy the original LensPen, not the many variant copies from other sources.

[Startrek]

My Televue eyepieces

Hurricane blower first to remove dust specs etc…
Then a light wipe with a high quality microfibre cloth and 2 drops of isopropyl alcohol
I don’t use a circular motion wipe from centre to outside where possible



Newtonian Reflector mirrors 6” 8” 10” and 12”

Hairdryer to remove dust specs etc…
Warm tap water first
Then distilled water using beauty therapists square cotton swabs ( not cotton wool balls )
Remove remaining globs or beads of water with Cotton tips or a tissue rolled into a cone

Cheers

[Crater101]

I must admit, I hadn't thought of using isopropyl alcohol. I;ll file that one away for future reference.


A good point made about the compressed air too.

[Sunfish]

Depends on the problem and the surface.

Many Telescope Lense manufacturers recommend just a rocket blower and resist the temptation. Do not dry wipe. Camera lenses seem more robust coatings but I still think the Giotto liquid lense cleaner is better than a dry wipe.

Or if very bad dew spots, rocket blower and Giotto type lense cleaner on pure natural cotton wool spot clean the sappy spot and then from the centre to the edge in a circular motion if still required. Less micro scratches is the aim which all cleaning creates over time.

If very very dirty and effecting the star image after blower use high grade (pure with no water) isopropyl alchohol with pure natural cotton polished from the centre to the outside wrapped around a cotton bud thrown away after each pass.

Mirrors on edge use running water if possible or a few drops of QV emulsion soap with fingers in water or many pure cotton wool swabs where impossible to immerse then more running water and then litres of distilled water. I am not sure about alchohol on mirrors and definitely not mirrors with attachments unless it is required to spot clean fungus. Less wearing down of the coatings is the aim which alchohol can advance unless the mirror is coating protected and alchohol is recommended . Sure cleans any hint of fungus on an old mirror though and can be diluted on those.

[mura_gadi]

Isopropyl alcohol is at 99%, for evaporation.

Start with the gentlest methods first. Slowly get a little more aggressive in your cleaning. Be prepared to leave stubborn areas!

I tend to submerse the mirror first to try and float away most of the muck. Then a gentle clean with running water from the outside in. If you find something that needs a good rub to get it off, leave it!

Distilled water for the rinse will not leave fluoride and chlorine residues etc... I tend to drip dry mine upright and slightly tipped forward.

If you're cleaning EP's, keep the fluids from running, the coatings are pretty tough, but, liquids can get in between the coatings and the glass very easily. Then you might have little bubbles of lifting like a bad tint job afterwards. Keep the q-tip etc damp not wet.

[Crater101]

It's great to see that there's such a considered approach. I may have to re-think my own methods. Please, do keep the information coming. :thumbsup:

[Sunfish]

[QUOTE=mura_gadi;1563599]Isopropyl alcohol is at 99%, for evaporation.

Some lense manufacturers recommend scientific grade isopropyl alchohol which is as close to 100% as possible for purity and so will leave no residue as it evaporates off the floating dust. Very expensive here though.

Agree with the issue of liquid particularly alchohol getting under the retaining parts and coating edges and leeching out contaminants. Maybe why some lense manufacturers recommend against alchohol and start with spot cleaning.

[mura_gadi]

I was lucky and got an 8" bintel Dob with various ep's in unusable condition for $50.

Been a great buy, anything I want to learn or experiment with, happens with the Bintel first.

Cleaned a bad mirror and learnt how to clean bad ep's prior to playing with any gear I had regard for... Taken a lot of stress out of the learning curve imo.

Ps. My partner got the alcohol at $4 a litre, luckily she need it in bulk, Sydney Solvents has 20l at $80, 5l at $24, also at 100% according to the product.

[Stonius]

It confuses me why camera techs on the film industry use canned air as a standard part of cleaning lenses worth 1/4 million dollars or more. Are they just less prone to shattering? Or are they trained to use the air in ways so as not to damage the lens?


Markus

[mura_gadi]

Being trained in the use and knowing you have a clean air source are two biggies. I know when we blew dust from PC's at work you had to be conscious of DC charge build from prolonged use. For sensor cleaning you do not blow directly at the sensors. Think you essentially use the air wave to pull things away in its wake.

Air and water at increasing force within reason, alcohol/chemical treatments are the final resort as a general rule. Short of a medical supply I wouldn't trust compressed air to be particle free.

[gregbradley]

My cleaning procedure:

1. Hurricane bulb blow off loose dust and particles. I don't use canned compressed air as sometimes they can spit out some particles.

2. Cotton puffs with some Bintel lens cleaner (the best cleaner I have used).
Daub an area, no rubbing or wiping. Change regularly.

3. Wipe a small section at a time with fragrance free white tissues and Bintel lens cleaner. Do a quarter of the area at a time. Turn tissue over once and replace tissues regularly.

4. Wipe the area dry so no sleeks.

This works very well.

Greg.

[appiice]

Hello Guys

For what is is worth I have used First Contact's Polymer Solution with great success, it is a liquid that is painted onto the lens or optical component, allowed to dry then easily peeled off, it sticks to grease ( finger prints ) dust... and takes that all off.

It cleaned my Edge 1100 in one application, took some actually using it as I was reluctant to paint it on but it worked.

I bought it direct, not sure if they have an Australian dist' yet, but it was an easy buy.

Ed