How To: Cleaning your binoculars
Found the right pair of binoculars? Great! Now all you need to do is make sure it stays in great shape. A couple greasy fingers or dust on the lenses namely immediately have a negative effect on the light transmission of binoculars. Also, you will be left with a blurred image. Grains of sand and coarse residue can damage the sensitive coating layers if you clean the lenses the wrong way. By cleaning your binoculars you therefore not only maintain the image quality you also extend the life of the pair.
How To: cleaning your binoculars
Step 1: remove sand and dust
If you used your binoculars on the beach or in the woods chances are dirt or dust ended up on the pair. You remove these coarse particles with a soft brush or lens pen. Turn the lens downwards and brush it gently. The result is that the grains will drop and won't be able to leave scratches on the lens.
If your pair is waterproof you can also gently rinse it off with lukewarm water. Never use a micro-fibre cloth, tissues or paper towels. With it you rub the dirt over the lenses leaving behind scratches in the coating.
Step 2: cleaning the lenses
Are you sure there is no dirt left? Continue by removing the fingerprints from the lenses. To clean the lenses you use special cleaning products such as the one from the Swarovski CS cleaning set or the DESQ Pro Cleaning kit.
Add a drop of cleaning fluid on the lens and use a soft micro-fibre cloth to gently clean the lens. You repeat this step three times until you know for sure the lens is clean and dry. Make sure that each time you use a clean part of the micro-fibre cloth. Do you own a pair of which you can easily remove the eye cups? Remove them and clean them with a micro-fibre cloth.
Tips to clean your binoculars
- Never use paper tissues or towels to clean your binoculars! These contain rough wooden fibres that can cause irreparable damage to the lenses.
- Don't use detergents such as acetone or ether. These can damage the coating of the binoculars.
- Use the eye caps and protective covers as often as possible to prevent the pair from becoming dirty. It is also wise to never carry the pair loose in your backpack. It is best if you store it in a special carrier bag. Such a bag will protect your binoculars from falling and impact damage.
- Don't clean your binoculars too often. As you clean your binoculars you namely run the risk of damaging the lenses if dirt is rubbed over it.
