Quote:
Originally Posted by Satchmo
My 2c ....Your process wont cut through the tenacious layer of grease ( a combination of air pollution and eucalyptus oil ) that deposits on mirrors in Australian coastal areas. For that you need a stage of detergent soak and some mechanical action with submerged bunch of cotton wool.
This grease layer if not removed causes lack of contrast and halos around bright stars. Without this step the `cleaning' is really illusory- good for removing loose dust at best . If you can breathe on your mirror and see a blotchy patchy breath pattern then you have a grease layer - when you breathe on it and th ebreathe pattern is smooth and unifrom then the mirror is clean .
Cleaning a silicon dioxide or quartz overcoated mirror is no more delicate than a window in your house and should not be pampered within an inch of its life at the expense of actually getting it clean and getting lovely high contrast images  |
Dammit Mark. Now I have this niggling feel to clean my mirror. That being said when I cleaned my mirror 3 months ago I used detergent and cotton buds. So maybe I don't have to clean it after all.
To keep the large particles off my mirror. I usually give the mirror a good (but quick) blast with compressed air. Keep its looking good.
On a side note. Glen. Consider flocking your lower OTA. So shiny in there around your mirror. Although your cleaning technique might not work very well.