Quote:
Originally Posted by icytailmark
it has alot of streaks and smudges will that degrade the performance of the scope?
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Short answer, no, not really. Slightly longer answer, the smudges would slightly increase scattered light and so reduce contrast but probably not so much that you'd actually notice. In the long term some types of contamination can accelerate the aging of optical coatings but we're talking time scales of years not weeks so don't panic about that.
If you do want to get rid of the smudges I really suggest you put away your spray and the demineralised water (and the Windex!), they're not the right tools for the job.
Water alone will not shift smudges, as others have also said what you need is isopropanol/isopropyl alchohol (same thing), either neat or slightly diluted. This is a gentle solvent that will shift oily marks but not damage coatings, we use it in our labs for cleaning optics all the time. Don't use domestic cleaning products, they may contain acidic/caustic/abrasive ingredients that will cause damage.
When cleaning optics you should use the smallest amount of fluid you can, the more you use the more likely you are to get residues left behind when it dries (or get fluid getting into places you don't want it like inside the tube). So, don't directly wet the corrector, instead lightly dampen a lens tissue/microfibre cloth/cotton ball and then drag that across the surface with zero or almost zero downwards pressure, moving it radially outwards from the centre. If you get the amount of fluid right the surface should dry behind you within seconds. Don't press hard and don't rub in circles. Repeat, replacing and re-wetting tissue/cotton balls as required, until clean.
Edit: And by the time I'd typed this you'd done it already, good on you.