[casstony]

I'm in the paranoid corner regarding cleaning of optics, having seen eyepieces damaged from application of pressure. The coatings are damaged after a time in contact with eyelash oils or dandruff so they do need to be cleaned, but I'd advise you to use no pressure whether using a Q-tip or something else.

I use a kleenex tissue tightly rolled then twisted into a pencil shape, then torn in half leaving a soft end for applying the solvent. Dip the tip into the solvent, wipe the coating, and if you're having trouble with residue you can quickly spin the tissue around and use the dry end to absorb the solvent before it dries.

Even if you get impatient you can't apply pressure because the tissue bends. Remember to use a blower and gently brush the surface before the solvent cleaning step.

Sometimes something nasty will deposit on a telescope lens or corrector plate (eg. sap); find the correct solvent to dissolve it rather than applying pressure. Most telescope lens/corrector plate deposits are water soluble while most eyepiece deposits are alcohol soluble. Sometimes acetone is needed to dissolve a deposit that isn't easily removed by isopropyl, but acetone must only touch the glass as it may damage other parts of the eyepiece (need good ventilation too).