Hobbies And Interests
Things You'll Need
Instructions
Plan on cleaning only the outside portion of the lens, recommends Astro-Tom.com. Removing the lens from the telescope in order to clean the inside part of the lens will require a professional's help to put it back together in a process called collimation. If you are adamant that the inside of the lens is dirty and must be cleaned, take it to a professional.
Use a bulb-type puffer (like the kind you would use to clear a baby's nasal passages) to blow a small amount of air onto the lens. This will blow any loose particles, such as dust, off the lens' surface.
Dampen a Q-tip or a section of facial tissue with Windex to remove any additional debris. Gently sweep the debris off the lens. Be careful not to scrub, as this could scratch the objective lens.
Use the puffer again to blow off any remaining debris. This will also help the lens to dry.
Moisten a second Q-tip or tissue with lens cleaner. The Telescope Bluebook recommends using photography lens cleaner, or making your own by combining one cup of rubbing alcohol, two cups of water and two drops of dish washing liquid. Gently swab the Q-tip or tissue from the center of the lens outward to the rim, turning over a new piece of tissue or cotton with every new sweep.
Repeat the process once if the first attempt doesn't completely clean the objective lens' surface. Do not repeat the process over and over again; over time, too-frequent cleaning can damage or wear away protective coatings on the lens.
Examine the lens to make sure none of the cleaner leaked behind the lens. If this happened, keep the telescope's lens cap off and leave in a warm (but not humid) room until it dries.