Eyepiece cleaning

[danny (Daniel)]

Hi all,
Would like some advice on cleaning eye pieces please. My EP's are quite clean and stored away from dust and other nasties, but have now noticed, with age I suppose, spots appearing on some of my older ones. Is there a way of bring them back to being crystal clear optics?

Thanks Danny

[Lee]

I just use a camera cleaning kit - mine has an alcohol based cleaning solution and lens wipes - if they are good enough for SLR lenses, they are good enough for EP's too.

[janoskiss (Steve H)]

Check out Televue's page on cleaning EPs. One thing I'd add is that I would not use acetone because it eats plastics and maybe some cheap coatings too.

[RAJAH235]

A good 'camera/opticians' lens cleaning kit is best, (along with a good quality 'camera lens type' blower brush), as Lee has suggested.
It also sounds a little like you have been putting them away with a bit of moisture present. I would suggest going to your local 'K-Mart/shoe store', & asking them to save/give you, some small bags of 'silica gel'. Every boxed pair of shoes has some. I ended up with a 'shoe box full'. One or two can be placed inside your E/Pc boxes/bolt cases or whatever, to remove the moisture.
Do not put away wet/damp...
HTH... L.
ps. Take them out every so often & let the sunlight & air at them to help kill the fungii that may grow inside them...

[acropolite (Phil)]

Whatever you do, don't don't drench the EP with any sort of cleaning fluid, otherwise it may get between the elements and leave permanent marks...

[Don Pensack]

I clean a lot of eyepieces daily in a shop, and scratch none of them. Here's how: Put a drop of alcohol or lens-cleaning fluid on a Q-Tip (after using a squueze-bulb or canned air to blow all dust off the eyepiece lenses) and wipe the lens in a circular fashion going from the edge of the lens to just past the center of the lens, as you slowly turn the eyepiece around. When all the lens has been wiped, reverse the Q-Tip and repeat the process to mop up the cleaner.
Then, get a second, clean, Q-Tip and continue the process, making sure to eliminate the residual cleaner and the inevitable haze it leaves behind.
The eyepiece lens should look like new. If it doesn't, repeat the process--a couple times if necessary.
I've cleaned binoculars eyepieces that required 5 cleanings to get through the layer of crud built up from years of mascara-laden eyelashes brushing on the lenses.
Typically, the eyelens will need cleaning every couple of outings, but the field lens (the lens farthest from the eye) will only need cleaning once a year or so.
When to clean? A tiny bit of dust will not necessitate a cleaning, but look for oil/grease "dots" and streaks. These should be cleaned off as soon as possible.
Alcohol is not a strong enough cleaner for some residues, so I also use a cleaner with a bit of ammonia for the stubborn dirt.
And the best eyepiece cleaner I've found? It's called ROR (Residual Oils Remover), and it's available on-line from several sources. Try to find the little 1.5 oz bottle with a drip spout instead of the larger spray bottle.
Hope that helps.
Don Pensack

[Dennis]

Hi Don

I'm not sure if you have yet been welcomed to the group, so, Welcome!

Great to have you on board, providing a perspective from the astronomy community in the USA. Thanks for describing your eyepiece cleaning process; mine are looking a little grubby and could do with a clean.

Cheers

Dennis

[danny (Daniel)]

Thanks for the feed back folks.
Hi and welcome down under DonGave all my Eps a good clean, they came up atreat. My old plossl came up well, crystal clear very happy. thanks again all

[astro_nutt]

Hi danny and welcome to the IIC forums!!
When do you clean an EP?...I give mine a dust off with canned air before and after each session...then check for smudges and clean them with the corner of a rolled facial tissue dipped in Isopropyl alcohol and gently wipe across (side-to-side) the EP with just the weight of the tissue...repeat until clear..then finish by using a "Lenspen"
It also helps to wipe the eyelashes with a plain tissue before each session!
Cheers!