How to Clean Your Binoculars the Safe Way

You’re an adventurous soul who enjoys being connected to nature. That connection is in the details. And what better way to see everything clearly than using binoculars.

The best way to clean your binoculars is to use the right tools. Binoculars are finely tuned, yet simple, tools – you want to make sure you’re not just cleaning them with a paper towel off the roll. We’ll show you a few different ways to make sure you’re cleaning your binoculars the right way!

To guarantee perfect vision, you’ve to clean your binoculars. Otherwise, you’ll have spent your time finding the best binoculars for the money for nothing. Not just nothing, but for a blurry view.

Because we love details as well, we’ll teach you how to clean your binoculars the right way. Don’t worry, it’s simple.

Binoculars Care Tips

As the saying goes, prevention is better than cure. So before you try to clean your binoculars, it’s better to know how to take care of them. These are some tips that should help you get started:

• Avoid leaving them on the ground
• Always keep them in their case
• Never leave them uncapped
• Fingerprints will damage your lenses
• Use silica to reduce moisture
• Read the manual carefully

What to Avoid When You Clean Your Binoculars

A lot of people don’t have a clue about how to clean their binoculars. You’ll notice most of them opt for the easiest way. They blow on their lenses, then rub with a piece of cloth. What’s worse, is wiping them with their sweaty t-shirts.

That’s horror. You can never do that because it’ll cause permanent damage to your lenses. You’ll notice that the image quality will decrease gradually. Unless you’re ready to buy new binoculars often, you must avoid this popular method.

Another method you should avoid is using cleaning products. Your dish soap may look effective to you, but you should never use it to clean your binoculars. You must also avoid using window cleaning products to clean your lenses.

Other products that’ll damage your binoculars are kleenex or any paper towels. They’re good for cleaning glass, but not your lenses. You may not notice the damage at first. Over time, your lenses will be ruined.

Even if you’re in a hurry, you must take cleaning your binoculars seriously. Surely, you’ve spent a lot of money buying them. So don’t let them go to waste.

Basic Steps for How to Clean Your Binoculars

Now that you’re aware of what to avoid when you clean your binoculars, we can move on to the how. These steps are simple, but they’re effective.

Clean the Dust off Your Binoculars

Using a lens cleaning product will only accumulate the dust in certain corners. Unless your binoculars are waterproof, you can’t wash them to get rid of accumulated wet dust.

First, you should start by cleaning the body. Wipe softly and carefully. Only use a microfiber cloth. You may use a blowdryer to clean the dust. Once the body is clean, you can move on to the lenses.

You can use a cleaning brush or a lens cleaning pen. You must choose a brush that’s soft strokes. You need to be gentle and soft with your lenses because you don’t want them scratched.

Once you clean them, you may notice that there are some areas that a microfiber cloth cannot reach. With a slightly damp Q-tip, you can reach and clean those areas easily.

Remember, you must clear off all the dust before you attempt any further steps. If dust isn’t properly cleaned, your lenses may be harmed. The last thing you want is foggy lenses.

Wipe the Lenses with Lens Tissue

Now that your binoculars are dust-free, you can move on to the next step. Cleaning the lenses is a delicate process. You must be patient.

You may be thinking that you’ve just cleaned the dust, what else is there to clean?

Your lenses are the parts of your binoculars that attract most dirt. They may have dust, fungus, oil, fingerprints, or moisture.

To clean all this mess, you must use lens products. Don’t ever use general products that are used to clean glass or windows. Lenses are very sensitive.

You should know your stuff. Use only lens cleaning tissues. You can roll them to create a small brush that’ll reach the corners of your lenses. Use one brush, or two. As long as you don’t apply strong pressure, this should be safe.

Use a Lens Pen to Clean Fingerprints

Sometimes cleaning fingerprints is the hardest. No matter how much you wipe, they just don’t come off. In this case, you should try a lens cleaning pen.

They’re available and affordable. They won’t harm your lenses because the brush at the tip of the pen is so soft. This way, you don’t need to worry about scratches or damaging the coat that’s protecting them.

Or Just Buy a Cleaning Kit

If you’re not sure which product to use, you should try the easiest way. Invest in a cleaning kit. That’ll provide you with all the tools you may need.

People who’ve been using binoculars for so long usually upgrade from the normal tool into a cleaning kit. The tools you’ll find in a cleaning kit are more professional, and they’re safer to use.

The cleaning kit will have tissues, pens, brushes, and cleaning products. You can try to find cleaning products that have no alcohol.

There are cleaning kits that are dry-only. No liquids will be used, which is more efficient, especially if your binoculars aren’t waterproof.

Never Use These to Clean Your Binoculars

• Alcohol – Ruins the coating on the top.
• Detergents – Can dissolve your lens coating and ruin your binoculars.
• The tail of your t-shirt – Contains fibers that can scratch your lens.
• Saliva – Messy and smudgy. Never cleans properly.
• Ammonia – Can gradually destroy your lens coating.

Conclusion

Cleaning your binoculars regularly is not an option, it’s a necessity. If you want to enjoy the details, then you must take good care of them.

We’ve only mentioned cleaning the body and the lenses. You may be advised to clean the insides of your binoculars, but you shouldn’t open them. Unless you’re a professional, you may cause more damage than you think.

Be smart about your products, be gentle with your lenses, and enjoy the beautiful wilderness!