Quote:
Originally Posted by tailwag
... I bought a puffer for that exact reason, however, I did hear somewhere that you could use a cotton swab or bud, with a solution and gently wash the lens. I am not sure what the solution was, maybe alcohol or fingernail polish remover, I just can't remember what I heard or where I heard it.
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Screeds of stuff on the Net about this ... it's isopropyl alcohol (used by many, shunned by a few). Never use ethanol, you drink that. And certanly not nail polish remover, that's ?amyl acetate? which will probably do awful things to your optics.
I think the procedure is: get every speck of dirt/dust off with the blower or a non-greasy camel-hair brush, inspect under a bright, 'harsh' light, and if clear of dust, breathe on the lens (produces distilled water!) and wipe with a micro-fibre cloth (from opticians / camera store?).
If smears remain, use the isopropyl alcohol as a last resort (or expensive proprietary lens cleaning solution which probably contain in addition small amounts of ammonia and a special detergent). Add it sparingly to the cloth, not to the lens.
If a final inspection reveals newly-made scratches, that's the time to look out any ethanol in the house and drink the lot.