Bear Lane Optics Cleaning Instructions
Care and feeding of binoculars:
Disclaimer: Optics are easy to screw up. We offer these instructions to help you, use them at your own risk. If you feel someone else should be responsible then stop now and take your optics to a professional for cleaning.
The tools of the trade:
Dust and dirt remover. Lenses brush and Dust-Off from camera store. Dust-Off is lubricant-free air in a can. Don't bother inhaling, it won't make your head, or your voice, funny.
Wipers. Oil, lint, and grit free absorbent lenses cloth or paper. Cotton balls - good. Q-tips for the little lenses -good. Commercial lenses cloth - good. Shirt tail - bad. Paper towels - not terrible, I use them, oh so gently.
Cleaning solvent. No spitting! Spitters, and you know who you are, just say no to spitting on optics. Alcohol solution works best and is safest on coated optics. Windex type stuff has ammonia, not good. Get alcohol based ammonia free cleaner. Making your own cleaner is a good option. Recipe here.
Note: Low water content ethanol from say, Absolute, is good for AFTER you are done cleaning your quality optics, not before. Mix with cranberry juice, orange juice, or enjoy over the rocks.
I have my tools, lets clean!
Dust and grit removal first! If you rub the dust and grit around on your lenses you will destroy it! First wipe off the outside of the binocs with a towel so you won't have grime getting back on your hands and cleaning tools. Blow off the lenses with the lubricant-free canned air. Brush lense with your lenses-brush (or VERY gently with cotton ball) and blow again. One of those baby-nose-sucker-outers (ask u momma) can provide unlimited puffs of air if you don't want to buy canned air. Continue until you've eliminated the dust and grit.
Now, wash your hands. If you have Hoppies #9 or cam lube from tuning up your compound on your hands you simply will not get good results.
Using your alcohol based cleaning solution spray the lenses lightly and rub your cleaning cloth of choice across it, not around and around in a circle like a floor buffer. I know the lenses is circular, just try to wipe in gentle arcs to get to the edges. Repeat until it's clean. Use fresh area of your wiper often. Try to avoid using the parts of your wiper that you have contaminated with your hands.
Now you have some nice clean optics, until your hunting buddy fingers them all up again!
You need: Laboratory grade anhydrous (water-free) methanol or 99% isopropyl alcohol. Isopropyl is at the drug store, just watch the label for 97% to 99% pure stuff. No Smoking around alcohol, it burns with invisible flames and you'll be cooked before you know it! Get some distilled de-ionized water and clear dish detergent like Dawn. One maker of telescopes says horse shampoo is best so go raid the stable. Mix 12 fluid ounces of the distilled water with 2 fluid ounces of the alcohol and add a tiny little bit of dish detergent, two to three drops, that's it. Too much detergent and you will have detergent streaks. Buy a brand new pump sprayer from wallyworld or the gardening store, rinse it with distilled water and use it for your fancy new glass cleaner. LABEL it so your wife knows what it is and where it is. You will have to ask her where it is each time you need it. There is a danger that she'll use your cleaner but that's better than not having it at all, so just label it already. It will go bad if you don't use it for months and months so she's really doing you a favor.