I have a klarus xt11 and a eagletac g25c2. I've tried rubbing alcohol and microfiber cloth but they left streaks on the lens. So how do you clean your AR coated flashlight lens? Are commercial glass cleaning solutions like invisible glass safe for flashlight lens? Thanks.
What's the best way to clean ar coated lens?
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kj2
Flashaholic
Use a microfiber cloth, and under the cooker hood. Cooker hood on highest mode, so dust gets sucked away. And then with a dry cloth, sometimes I use water with very with bit of soap in it.
TweakMDS
Enlightened
Lenspen will work wonders, as will any photography lens cleaning product probably.
I'd like to add a recommendation to that: don't use "hand-friendly" dish soap—many of these leave a thin film behind. I believe the transparent (possibly green) type works best. Dawn seems to be the US equivalent of Fairy (UK), Yes (Sweden) and Dreft (Netherlands).
Edit: Looks like P&G uses different colors in the US, so I can't say for sure which would work best, but I would try unscented Ultra Dawn.
Last edited:
kj2
Flashaholic
Dreft, makes your glass look like crystal
at least, that's what they say in there commercials Dreft, makes your glass look like crystal
I know. In fact, when I still lived in the Netherlands, it was the only brand I would dare to use to clean my hard contact lenses in an emergency. Green (standard) Dreft that is. Apparently Dreft is mainly a laundry detergent outside of the Netherlands.
ARA
Enlightened
- Joined
- Jun 24, 2009
- Messages
- 210
I've tried everything from microfibre to chamois to compressed air. Personally the lens pen seems to be the most efficient. It also does not scratch the glass. YMMV
Xacto
Enlightened
Cyber Clean
http://www.cyberclean.net/cleaning/
I used this once on an Surefire 6P lens, so far with no ill effects. It seems to be available in yellow and blue, in small, homeopathic dosis in model railroad shops (sold via BUSCH) or larger quantities in DIY stores (in Germany).
Cheers
Thorsten
http://www.cyberclean.net/cleaning/
I used this once on an Surefire 6P lens, so far with no ill effects. It seems to be available in yellow and blue, in small, homeopathic dosis in model railroad shops (sold via BUSCH) or larger quantities in DIY stores (in Germany).
Cheers
Thorsten
Robert_M
Newly Enlightened
I also use a lens pen and get great results
Cheapskate
Enlightened
Most of mine have a significant IP rating so I just rinse the dust off the lens and my index finger under a tap, then use a drop of detergent on the tip of the finger to clean any smears from the lens.
If you adjust the tap to a continuous smooth trickle, you can use it to rinse-off in such a way that the surface tension of the stream leaves no drops behind on the lens.
I use exactly the same technique to clean my glasses. Microfibre cloths are great in a pinch, but a significant proportion of all house dust world wide is very finely powdered Sahara desert. Not what you want to be rubbing around on any optical coating - which is why rinsing dust of first is a good idea.
Scotch tape is equally good because it removes both dust and smears in one go without a rubbing action.
If you adjust the tap to a continuous smooth trickle, you can use it to rinse-off in such a way that the surface tension of the stream leaves no drops behind on the lens.
I use exactly the same technique to clean my glasses. Microfibre cloths are great in a pinch, but a significant proportion of all house dust world wide is very finely powdered Sahara desert. Not what you want to be rubbing around on any optical coating - which is why rinsing dust of first is a good idea.
Scotch tape is equally good because it removes both dust and smears in one go without a rubbing action.
The_Driver
Flashlight Enthusiast
Eyeglass wipes are perfect for this (the kind you throw away after one use). Eyeglasses are also just basically ar coated lenses.
U
User3451
Guest
Hi guys I have been cleaning different types of optical lenses for the past 26 years which are then inspected with magnification so I have a good grounding
My recommendation would be NEVER use any type of chemical, even special leans cleaners on the INSIDE or OUTSIDE of any torch lens whether it has an AR coating or not unless you're rinsing them off afterwards which really defeats the purpose!
The reason is if you where to spray this stuff directly on surface and then wipe with a microfiber a thin layer of chemical will always be left behind & in this scenario the heat from the light will eventually react with the chemical and your AR coating will corrode which granted does take time but it will start to look dull and you will lose transparency. In the lab this is done over and over & takes about 3 weeks for the naked eye to see which is the real world may not bother some but when spending top £ or $ on lights this is never great.
Even without an AR coating the lens will become dull and will need cleaning regularly and the more heat the light gives off the more likely you will not be able to clean it because ultimately your burning chemical on to the lens / glass.
Lens cleaners are not inherently bad but are designed for lenses that are not exposed to heat so for reading glasses, camera lenses, touch screens etc they are fine.
On that not if anyone would like some help with what's a good solutions for this type of lens ect please PM me. I'm not a seller but have knowledge of both the UK & US markets and get annoyed as some lens cleanses sold by the big chains are garbage and leave streaks / smears and oddly enough the chemical makeup is dish soap with purified water! Others have alcohol in them which will eventually eat you AR coating!
Apologies if this post sounds like over kill to what is not a massive problem but as I have never seen a details thread on this subject so thought I'd do my bit.
Now the good news and it won't cost you much if anything to get a clean lens : )
This is how to do it to a good standard without special lab equipment and believe me If anyone says they can do a better job there probably missing the lens! This example is if you where just cleaning one side of the lens that's hasn't been removed from your WATERPROOF torch!
If your lens if really dirty run it directly under warm water for around 30 seconds to help soften and wash off debris that may scratch the lens (Sand and builders grit are the worst offenders) once this is done put a tiny drop of dish soap on your clean wet finger and gently rub it on to the lens.
Now RINSE the lens with tap water so no chemical is left behind and shake you torch to help remove water, then take a small microfiber the type that you get from an optometrist (somewhere that sells reading glasses) wipe off the water on the lens once that's done with a dry part of the same microfiber wipe the lenses in a circle motion and your lenses will be very clean, check this by turning your light on to a low mode or you should have a very clean lens and you should see no pink smears!
You can pick up the above microfibers by going to anywhere that sells reading glasses and ask can you have a couple of replacement cleaning cloths (there actually small microfibers) they normally give you them free.
Large microfibers the ones that look like face cloths tend to leave bits behind which you definitely don't want on the inside of your torch head / lens.
If you find the lens is still dirty this is down to a dirty microfiber! Do Not put it in the washing machine) Clean it in the sink with small amount of dish soap and a soft nail brush making sure you rinse all the soap of the cloth otherwise dirt will stick to it and of course you don't want chemical on your lens!
Once the cloth is cleaned allow to air dry and stick in a small clean plastic bar or small container for future use again this might seem over kill but most scratched generally happen during the cleaning process so keep you microfiber clothes clean .
If the lens just has dust sticking to it or a finger print you can just softly wipe the lens with a dry microfiber no need for water etc.
Hope this helps.
My recommendation would be NEVER use any type of chemical, even special leans cleaners on the INSIDE or OUTSIDE of any torch lens whether it has an AR coating or not unless you're rinsing them off afterwards which really defeats the purpose!
The reason is if you where to spray this stuff directly on surface and then wipe with a microfiber a thin layer of chemical will always be left behind & in this scenario the heat from the light will eventually react with the chemical and your AR coating will corrode which granted does take time but it will start to look dull and you will lose transparency. In the lab this is done over and over & takes about 3 weeks for the naked eye to see which is the real world may not bother some but when spending top £ or $ on lights this is never great.
Even without an AR coating the lens will become dull and will need cleaning regularly and the more heat the light gives off the more likely you will not be able to clean it because ultimately your burning chemical on to the lens / glass.
Lens cleaners are not inherently bad but are designed for lenses that are not exposed to heat so for reading glasses, camera lenses, touch screens etc they are fine.
On that not if anyone would like some help with what's a good solutions for this type of lens ect please PM me. I'm not a seller but have knowledge of both the UK & US markets and get annoyed as some lens cleanses sold by the big chains are garbage and leave streaks / smears and oddly enough the chemical makeup is dish soap with purified water! Others have alcohol in them which will eventually eat you AR coating!
Apologies if this post sounds like over kill to what is not a massive problem but as I have never seen a details thread on this subject so thought I'd do my bit.
Now the good news and it won't cost you much if anything to get a clean lens : )
This is how to do it to a good standard without special lab equipment and believe me If anyone says they can do a better job there probably missing the lens! This example is if you where just cleaning one side of the lens that's hasn't been removed from your WATERPROOF torch!
If your lens if really dirty run it directly under warm water for around 30 seconds to help soften and wash off debris that may scratch the lens (Sand and builders grit are the worst offenders) once this is done put a tiny drop of dish soap on your clean wet finger and gently rub it on to the lens.
Now RINSE the lens with tap water so no chemical is left behind and shake you torch to help remove water, then take a small microfiber the type that you get from an optometrist (somewhere that sells reading glasses) wipe off the water on the lens once that's done with a dry part of the same microfiber wipe the lenses in a circle motion and your lenses will be very clean, check this by turning your light on to a low mode or you should have a very clean lens and you should see no pink smears!
You can pick up the above microfibers by going to anywhere that sells reading glasses and ask can you have a couple of replacement cleaning cloths (there actually small microfibers) they normally give you them free.
Large microfibers the ones that look like face cloths tend to leave bits behind which you definitely don't want on the inside of your torch head / lens.
If you find the lens is still dirty this is down to a dirty microfiber! Do Not put it in the washing machine) Clean it in the sink with small amount of dish soap and a soft nail brush making sure you rinse all the soap of the cloth otherwise dirt will stick to it and of course you don't want chemical on your lens!
Once the cloth is cleaned allow to air dry and stick in a small clean plastic bar or small container for future use again this might seem over kill but most scratched generally happen during the cleaning process so keep you microfiber clothes clean .
If the lens just has dust sticking to it or a finger print you can just softly wipe the lens with a dry microfiber no need for water etc.
Hope this helps.
U
User3451
Guest
Double post! Sorry
Last edited by a moderator:
I use a commercially available spectacle cleaner, which i think is basically Isopropyl Alcohol, and those little 2" x 4" squares of soft lint free cloth that optometrists hand out with new specs. Works for me. I have cleaned smo reflectors with same, but i generally dont touch reflectors unless they are visibly dirty!
hoffmyster86
Newly Enlightened
- Joined
- Jul 21, 2012
- Messages
- 115
this sounds like a job for the caamera guys.
yes treeks, because of the other liquids/residues in the actual cleener stuff.
streeks because a tiney skin paricle or dandruff of a weird spec out of the air landed.
the cloth/paper/T shirt is eather not been rinsed well enough and has resins or oils still in the fibre (chuckum in the washer a couple times, works on shammy), or its not lint free.
too actaulay clean depends on how mucky you've been, but, one wipe off chuck it or use a different spot.
the question of removing the coating? ffffff try a dremal! the coating should NOT come off, even if using windoleen..and yes even on a camera lens. if it did the coating will fall off in a few weeks on its own acourd.
there is one sinario you'll not like, plastic lens can go soft with the rong stuff on it.(or they go dull..)
you dont leave the cleaner stuff on it..or it smears about.
get a lens pen, clear debry/large mountains and dust n grime with a brush,(unused brush, or...spead the paint that cleaned out all over it!) or lint free bog paper or some posh stuff, then lens pen it. no need to go silly though..
next best is a desent micro pore cloath, but, be aware the bit you just used is now a greasy smear spot.
ehhhh washing up liquid n rinse but make sure it dries out quickly...or risk the dreaded fungus! (toilet paper..one wipe off..chuck it).
if you've been around candles burning, then hmmm tars about the same to clean off, patients, some windowleen to start, the clean that off then clean the lens narmaly, yu cant clean off mountains and exspect it go in one, wipe once n chuck for best results.
(shhhh theres some top secret stuff called 'spit'...enzaymes in that quite often remove a stuborn bit..wipe it off and chuck, the cloth/tissue not the lens!).
if you need any off the net just shout up..15 quid a tub, free p+p lol.
yeh i know ...debortuary lol.
yes treeks, because of the other liquids/residues in the actual cleener stuff.
streeks because a tiney skin paricle or dandruff of a weird spec out of the air landed.
the cloth/paper/T shirt is eather not been rinsed well enough and has resins or oils still in the fibre (chuckum in the washer a couple times, works on shammy), or its not lint free.
too actaulay clean depends on how mucky you've been, but, one wipe off chuck it or use a different spot.
the question of removing the coating? ffffff try a dremal! the coating should NOT come off, even if using windoleen..and yes even on a camera lens. if it did the coating will fall off in a few weeks on its own acourd.
there is one sinario you'll not like, plastic lens can go soft with the rong stuff on it.(or they go dull..)
you dont leave the cleaner stuff on it..or it smears about.
get a lens pen, clear debry/large mountains and dust n grime with a brush,(unused brush, or...spead the paint that cleaned out all over it!) or lint free bog paper or some posh stuff, then lens pen it. no need to go silly though..
next best is a desent micro pore cloath, but, be aware the bit you just used is now a greasy smear spot.
ehhhh washing up liquid n rinse but make sure it dries out quickly...or risk the dreaded fungus! (toilet paper..one wipe off..chuck it).
if you've been around candles burning, then hmmm tars about the same to clean off, patients, some windowleen to start, the clean that off then clean the lens narmaly, yu cant clean off mountains and exspect it go in one, wipe once n chuck for best results.
(shhhh theres some top secret stuff called 'spit'...enzaymes in that quite often remove a stuborn bit..wipe it off and chuck, the cloth/tissue not the lens!).
if you need any off the net just shout up..15 quid a tub, free p+p lol.
yeh i know ...debortuary lol.
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