Telescope Reviews: How To Clean Telescope Optics

I think those hard "lens tissues" some use are really dangerously bad. This is independent of the stated tissues mentioned. Im just spouting about lens tissues in general.
Man - they are the last thing Id touch good glass with.

Heres what I do for my lenses...

Alcohol diluted with water - just enough so the stuff doesnt evaporate the moment it touches the glass. I swish around gently [Q-tips only] and wipe off with a nice soft kleenex or toilet paper. If there is a slight blemish or cloud or stain of some type - very gently - yes - buff it. A wipe or two for all my needs makes the glass PERFECTLY like new. I'm careful - Ive never scratched a lens - they never go in my pocket either.

Windex - I stay the hell away from any ammonia based products for any class glass cleaning. I had a pair of Celestron Bino's that had the multi coatings start to lift due to Windex applications. Really folks - do you need to apply ammonia to your lenses? Save it for your house windows and be done with it.

Mirrors...

First a very very diluted detergent solution. It might feel slightly slippery but definately no suds to speak of beyond a little here and a little there. If it looks like a bubble bath - add more water. I should mention I put this in a clean plastic basin - reserved only for that purpose - bought only for that purpose.

Anyway I soak it for a good 20 minutes. After that i gently allow my finger tips to - again - gently trace circles around on the mirror surface loosening anything that might really be stuck - who knows... a bug?

Then i run it under the tap. This is more than rinsing its really the best way to do a general cleaning. And the water is a gentle flow not blasting.

Then I rinse it in distilled water to get off any of the tap water - water.

Then finally - I rinse it in alcohol. Sure ill go through a whole bottle. Doesnt matter. The alcohol helps get rid of water marks staying behind when it drys.

Then i let the mirror stand on end - LOL - SAFELY. I let it all either run off or evaporate. I come back a half hour later.

OK - at this point its dry but careful inspection can often still remove a slight film. This is totally normal. Even for the intensive alcohol rinse.

Then - after some serious close inspection, I get some toilet paper in a generous loose ball and gently buff it away. Really virtually no energy applied here.

Its now sparkeling clean - no film - no watermarks.

I was told by Parks Optical alcohol was fine. If I recall correctly they use another chemical commonly found too, but because ive never used it and its been about 13 years since that phone call I forget exactly what it was.

At the end of the day - if you have questions - call a GOOD optical company. I doubt with extreme surety that they will recommend any ammonia based window cleaner. Infact they might get pretty rattled.

Pete
PS: By the way - if im using my scope a lot - ill clean my primary every six months. For lesser use, once a year. I keep it sealed well when not in use. I also do the best I can to clean the inside of my reflectors tube with compressed air.

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SEEKING LUNAR/PLANETARY NEW ENGLAND OBSERVING NIGHT - all welcome. Contact me at tidalid@aol.com

8" F/9 Parks Reflector
70mm TeleVue Ranger

Previous owner of Parks 10"F/5,