how do you clean your micro-cloths

[kawter2]

any issues with residue?

[Gabbana]

I use mild soap and hand wash under the sink, air dry. No problems that I can think of.

[idnarbjm]

Put it in your pants pocket and put it in the washer. Then let it air dry.

[SkipD]

If you leave microscopic sized abrasive particles in a cloth and re-use it on your lens, you are risking scratching the surface of the lens. If you leave soap residue in the cloth and use it on a lens you are going to deposit that on the lens.

For these reasons, I absolutely never re-use a cleaning surface on a lens. I always have and always will use disposable lens cleaning tissues. They were invented as disposable for a good reason.

Even when I am using a tissue, I am very careful to make no more than one pass across the lens with any particular portion of the tissue. I also make sure that no portion of the tissue that I have touched with my fingers ever touches the lens, keeping my body oils off the lens.

I always do my initial lens cleaning with a squeeze-bulb blower to remove as much of the dust (which is usually quite abrasive) prior to any wiping action. Then I use a dampened lens tissue and make one pass across the lens with very light pressure to remove any abrasives that the blower didn't remove. Then, I may make another "wet" pass - with a fresh surface of lens tissue - if there is anything else that needs to be removed from the lens. The final pass is with a dry tissue - again a fresh surface - to dry off the lens.

I have used this basic cleaning process for over 40 years, and all of my old lenses from the 60's have absolutely no perceptible damage to the glass. All of my old lenses are very well used, by the way. They haven't just been tucked away for safe keeping.

[Double Negative]

What Skip said.

If you need to wash MF, do it by hand with dishwash soap, wring dry and hang after rinsing well. If you put it in the wash, it should be the only thing and never use fabric softeners of any kind.

[wolf]

Send them to the dry cleaner with your shirts. http://photography-on-the.net/forum/images/icons/icon12.gif

Your are best off to use disposable tissue such as Pec Pads. You can never tell if your mf cloth has picked up a speck of abrasive material somewhere until it scratches your lens.

[jfrancho]

I hand wash in softened (deionized) water and plain old Palmolive.

[Rumjungle]

I have no need for cleaning cloths as I use L glass which are waterproof. I simply bring them in with me to the shower.;)

Skip, what kind of disposable lens tissues do you use? That sounds like a good idea.

[Double Negative]

They're normal lens cleaning tissue. Meant to be "relatively lint-free," used once and then tossed. I usually fold them over (doubled up) for use. It comes in a little booklet, where you tear out a sheet or two as needed. I keep a pack in a Ziploc bag.

I've never scratched a lens either using the technique Skip mentioned.

[subtle_spectre]

So...what I am discerning from this is that shirt tails and the like may be a bad thing?

[SkipD]

Skip, what kind of disposable lens tissues do you use? That sounds like a good idea.I've been buying Kodak lens tissues for as long as I can remember. Some of what I have I bought more than 30 years ago. I guess I don't need them often, as just blowing dust off the lens with a squeeze-bulb blower does the trick about 90% of the time.

[Member52428]

Another vote for disposables. Save the MF for your RayBans. I had a camera assistant use his shirt tail on my $28k HJ 22ex7.6B Canon HD Zoom on my Sony F-900... once.

[Double Negative]

Another vote for disposables. Save the MF for your RayBans. I had a camera assistant use his shirt tail on my $28k HJ 22ex7.6B Canon HD Zoom on my Sony F-900... once.
Ouch! I cringe when I see people cleaning lenses with shirts, napkins, or whatever's laying around them at the time...

[Jack W.]

This is from the "stuff tips" section on the Really Right Stuff web site:

"Throw away your lens cleaning tissue! Buy 100% sterile cotton padding (comes in six inch wide roll) at the first aid section of your drugstore. Cut off a patch, and wipe away lens cleaning solution. No more smears! Use canned air for cleanup. Don’t use cotton gauze; use absorbent cotton padding."

Haven't tried it; I also use lens tissue.

Jack

[Davinor]

So.....I shouldn't be chucking them in the washer with the dog towels? ;)

David

[vjack]

So.....I shouldn't be chucking them in the washer with the dog towels? ;)

David I wash mine in the washing machine with other items, but I usually hang them to dry.

[Double Negative]

And what if you had sand in your jeans pockets from that trip to the beach the other day? Now it's in the nap of your MF... Eeek.

[vjack]

I think today's lenses are much more durable than we give them credit for. I'm not going to use steel wool to clean them, but I'm not particularly worried about using a micro-fiber cloth that has been through the washer. This kind of reminds me of the folks who say they like the 17-85 IS because they never have to change lenses and risk getting dust on their sensor. If I was going to be that paranoid about a little dirt, I don't think photography would be much fun.

[DocFrankenstein]

I use a special microfiber cloth cleaning cloth. It's specifically designed to remove the microfibers and abrasive particles from the microfiber cloth...

Seriously... I just use my shirt.

[Tsmith]

The disposable lens tissue is one thing I do patronize my local shop for as there only $1.00 a pack.

[ScottE]

So.....I shouldn't be chucking them in the washer with the dog towels? ;)

David
Why not? The dog won't mind. Dogs are very understanding. ;-)

[Bob_A]

I've been buying Kodak lens tissues for as long as I can remember. Some of what I have I bought more than 30 years ago. I guess I don't need them often, as just blowing dust off the lens with a squeeze-bulb blower does the trick about 90% of the time.

I also use Kodak lens cleaning tissues ... and made the mistake of buying what appears to be a lifetime supply of their lens cleaning solution. :lol: I mainly use a blower to get dust off like you said, so the tissues and solution last a long time.

[Bob_A]

The disposable lens tissue is one thing I do patronize my local shop for as there only $1.00 a pack.

I'm so ticked with the prices at my local shop I won't even buy lens cleaning tissues from them. I only visit them to look at gear and to ask the sales people questions to see how uniformed they are about the products. They constantly amaze me ...