How To Clean A K&n Motorcycle Air Filter

If you lot observe dust on your lens that you want to clean, use the post-obit cleaning methods to preclude damage.

Dust happens. Information technology's inevitable and you just have to make peace with the fact it's going to terminate up on your lenses. Of course, many other substances like oils from your fingers, the elements, food, or whatever y'all pick up while exterior may somewhen detect its way onto your gear as well. Hither are some basic, just essential, tips for how to clean a camera lens.

Some grit on the front of the lens tin exist harmless and fifty-fifty unnoticeable in your photos. However, grit on the back or oil on either terminate can stand out a lot more than. You should only clean your lens if absolutely necessary and not simply because of some arbitrary schedule.

Skip to our full guide beneath to reference when you need to clean your camera lens.

steps

In the event you notice dust or a stain that you lot want to clean, utilize cleaning methods in the post-obit order to minimize the risk of making the issue worse:

Lens blower
Lens castor
Cleaning tissue, cloth, or pre-moistened wipes
Cleaning fluid + tissue or textile

Clean a Camera Lens, Step one: Use a blower to remove dust

blowers

Using a blower should ever be the first choice for cleaning dust off a photographic camera lens since it's the least probable to brand the problem worse. If you have dust on your lens, sometimes a quick puff of the blower volition be the only thing you need to go it clean.

A natural instinct might be to only use your ain breath simply you should avoid doing this because information technology can introduce saliva and condensation onto the lens no matter how careful you lot are.

Do'southward:

Utilize a blower before whatever other cleaning method.
Articulate the blower of any potential dust get-go by squeezing a few puffs away from the lens.
Hold very close to the lens without touching to prevent blowing airborne particles onto the glass.
Blow a few puffs across the lens surface.

Don'ts:

Don't use your oral cavity since you can blow saliva and condensation onto the lens.
Don't use air compressors—they tin drip oil.
Don't use freon-powered air cans—they cause condensation.
Don't waste product money on a small blower. Y'all will inevitably become back for a larger ane that works better and is easier to use.

Clean a Camera Lens, Step two: Utilize a lens brush if a blower isn't sufficient

brushes

If a blower didn't do the chore, a castor should be next on the list. Brush tips are fabricated of diverse materials but camel hair is a popular option because the fine, soft hairs assistance to prevent damage.

The main reason brushes are riskier than a blower is because they can pick up substances if you aren't conscientious. Don't touch the brush with your fingers to prevent oils from transferring over and make sure the brush stays capped or bagged to stay make clean. Oils can be difficult to remove from lenses merely they are fifty-fifty more difficult to remove from a brush y'all contaminate.

The original lens brush has been popularized by the brand LensPen (2nd from the correct in the photo above). Information technology features a castor that slides out for use, and slides back in to stay clean. The other end is is a carbon-soaked polishing tip, designed to make clean oil from fingertips and diverse sources without damaging the lens. Many competitors now produce the same product also.

Practise's:

Use a brush with soft, fine bristles to avoid scratches; camel hair is a not bad pick.
Gently brush the lens surface to remove grit particles.
Cap the brush after use to prevent contaminations.

Don'ts:

Don't jam the bristles onto the lens surface.
Don't affect the bristles with your fingers or annihilation other than the lens.

Clean a Camera Lens, Stride three: Spray lens using lens cleaning fluid

bottles2

The most potent (and messy) lens cleaning option is a spray bottle of cleaning fluid. Like pre-moistened wipes, these are typically booze-based cleaners that can clean your lens surface without streaking and rapidly evaporate to protect your gear.

Bottles of cleaning fluid typically come in 1 oz, 2 oz, and 8 oz sizes and range about $half dozen-8 per bottle. Cleaning fluid can be used with cleaning tissues or microfiber cloths. Avoid using facial tissues or anything that may be laying around since they can cause scratches.

Some folks dislike this method since it tin can go out streaking and y'all are required to use cloths, which pose their own risks. However, streaking can typically be dealt with past reapplying cleaning fluid and re-wiping the surface.

Do's:

Always utilise a dust-free option like lens tissues or a lens cloth and spray onto those before applying.
Only utilize cleaning fluid made with denatured alcohol.

Don'ts:

Don't spray directly onto the cleaning surface since information technology can get into the lens.
Don't utilise cleaning fluid that's by and large detergent and water–this can make the trouble worse.

Clean a Camera Lens, Footstep 4: Wipe lens using a lens cleaning paper tissue

tissues-only

Lens cleaning newspaper tissues are a prophylactic and inexpensive option for cleaning. Each tissue sheet costs effectually $0.05. Since y'all use them once and then discard, information technology ensures you get-go with a grit and contaminant-free sheet for cleaning each time.

lens-cloths

Microfiber lens cleaning cloths are an effective way to clean smudges. These cloths will cost y'all on average $2-4 dollars each only some cost as much as $10, depending on the make. Microfiber cloths are pricier than lens tissues and are meant to be used for a long time before getting discarded or washed.

They can also be a bit trickier than tissues to maintain. One downside is any oil or crud yous make clean off the lens remains on the material. Additionally, reusing a textile poses the risk of trapping something in the cloth and dragging it across your lens, leaving a scratch. In betwixt uses, you should keep them sealed in a plastic purse to prevent further contamination.

Practise'due south:

Store your cloth in a plastic purse to preclude contamination.
Work the cloth in concentric circles beginning in the center of the lens.

Dont's:

Don't launder these with fabric softener every bit they can leave backside chemicals that leave streaks.
Don't apply t-shirts, tissue paper, or paper towels to clean your lens.

Pre-moistened lens cleaning wipes are the adjacent pace up in terms of lens cleaning authorization. Booze in the wipes help break down and make clean off smudges.

These are usually sold in boxes of 100-200 for around $12. It can be handy to keep a few wipes in your camera bag for particularly stubborn smudges. Wipes are dispensable, and then they are safer and more user-friendly option than a cleaning cloth.

How to clean camera lens filters

It'due south debated whether cleaning these filters cause more issues than they solve only yous can clean camera lens filters with the aforementioned methods as lenses. Start with the least risky method and move down the list if it's still non clean:

Lens blower
Lens brush
Cleaning tissue, material, or pre-moistened wipes
Cleaning fluid + tissue or cloth

Keeping lenses make clean for as long every bit possible

Nosotros've accepted that our lenses and gear get dirty and will have to be cleaned. Ideally, nosotros do what nosotros can to prolong the fourth dimension between cleanings with proper lens care. This includes doing things like using a lens filter, properly storing, and properly switching out your lenses, equally well as by and large avoiding touching the optics with your hands no matter how clean you think your hands are.

If you lot use the blower, brush, tissue/fabric/wipe, and liquid cleaning methods to make clean a lens, information technology should handle most of your grit and smudge problems. Whatsoever really stubborn lens issues should be sent to a professional for cleaning to preclude plush damage to your lenses.

If the dust upshot turns out not to be on the lens, but rather on a sensor, turn to a local professional person or use a mail-in sensor cleaning service. Nobody should e'er attempt to practice this at domicile–the glass on lenses are tough enough to self-service simply sensors are incredibly sensitive to scratches and can exist grit magnets.