Is OK to clean binoculars w/ soapy water?
KingOfTheApes
blower, etc, isn't it better to rinse them in soapy water?
I've followed that method with vision glasses and never had any
visible scratches and not even the need to dry them with paper. So
that's what I did with my WP binos after a kayak outing in sea water.
And fine...
Well one time a pair of marine binouculars quit on me that way. :(
jadel
Soapy water will leave a soap scum, and who knows what that might do
to the coatings?
I use Optyl-7--great stuff. I get it from Sciplus.com. It's more
than worth the few bucks it costs.
J. Del Col
jadel
Sciplus.com now sells Optyl-7 under the name Rexton.
It's the same stuff.
Kodak sells an excellent lens cleaner, too.
J. Del Col
Howard Lester
> Sciplus.com now sells Optyl-7 under the name Rexton.
http://www.sciplus.com/category.cfm/subsection/21/category/188
scroll down about 1/3 the page for item 92930 REXTON LENS CLEANER, 8OZ
KingOfTheApes
It hasn't done so with my glasses. I just rinse it with water and let
it dry.
Of course, I'm not recommending this for all cases, but seems to make
sense for sports like kayaking. Which, by the way, is a hardly
enjoyable view while on the water. Planning to get the ones with
stabilizers.
Thanks!
jadel
> On Jan 12, 3:25 pm, jadel <delco...@ab.edu> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > On Jan 12, 1:39 pm, KingOfTheApes <comandante.ban...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> > > Yeah, leaving all regular products aside, complicated methods, the
> > > blower, etc, isn't it better to rinse them in soapy water?
>
> > > I've followed that method with vision glasses and never had any
> > > visible scratches and not even the need to dry them with paper. So
> > > that's what I did with my WP binos after a kayak outing in sea water.
> > > And fine...
>
> > > Well one time a pair of marine binouculars quit on me that way. :(
>
> > Soapy water will leave a soap scum, and who knows what that might do
> > to the coatings?
>
> > I use Optyl-7--great stuff. I get it from Sciplus.com. It's more
> > than worth the few bucks it costs.
>
> > J. Del Col
>
> It hasn't done so with my glasses. I just rinse it with water and let
> it dry.
Eyeglasses are one thing-- pricey optics are something else.
The only time I'd rinse off binos with soapy water is if they fell in
the mud or were covered with dust.
J. Del Col
Jerry Avins
Thanks for the tip. It's easier than rinsing with Everclear (but not as
tasty). You might like to browse http://www.surplusshed.com/
Jerry
--
Engineering is the art of making what you want from things you can get.
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
KingOfTheApes
>
> - Show quoted text -
Well I pay those tricks with not-so-pricey optics.
I understand we all want to play it safe, but I'd like to hear from
the experts... DO COATS WASH OFF?
Maybe I should stop my practice for glasses too.
Jerry Avins
...
> I understand we all want to play it safe, but I'd like to hear from
> the experts... DO COATS WASH OFF?
I don't call myself an expert, but I've had a fair amount of experience.
MgF, used for single-layer coatings, isn't water soluble, and I don't
think other coatings are either.
> Maybe I should stop my practice for glasses too.
I regularly use soap and water on my eyeglasses.
jadel
There's no need to shout.
I didn't say coatings wash off. I said that soap leaves a scum that
might damage the coating.
I use detergent and water on my eyeglasses, but I'd never use it on my
binos or spotting scope.
Do what you like; they're your glasses and optics.
J. Del Col
KingOfTheApes
Well, I use it in place of ITALICS until we have them.
>
> I didn't say coatings wash off. I said that soap leaves a scum that
> might damage the coating.
"Might"... that's the keyword. I'd like to see the manufacturers
advise against it.
Washing the binos in water may be an easy solution for some people. I
did my second pair and don't notice any scum on it. I put them
sideways and the water just runs down.
>
> I use detergent and water on my eyeglasses, but I'd never use it on my
> binos or spotting scope.
>
> Do what you like; they're your glasses and optics.
I'd still use the good-ol-fashioned way for my Pentax Papilios and any
other binos that require such care.
Oh, by the way, whenever I use the cleaning products (brand x), I get
this funny film that seem to me like they need cleaning again. :(
jadel
Are you using real soap or are you using a detergent? It makes a big
difference.
J. Del Col
jadel
>
> >
> >>
Never happens with Rexton.
It's a good thing you don't use the 'soapy water' treament on
Papilios. You'd ruin them--AFAIK, they aren't waterproof.
J. Del Col
Howard Lester
To clean a telescope mirror (that is overcoated with silicon monoxide), we
soak the mirror in a bathroom sink bath of a solution of liquid Ivory soap
detergent. Take a cotton ball, dipped in the bath, and gently wipe the
surface with the soaked cotton ball, being careful to wipe gently so as not
to scratch the coating.
Rinse with a white vinegar solution to prevent water spots. Stand the mirror
on end and let it dry.
It would seem to me you could, after a thorough dust blowing of the
objectives, use a similarly soaked cotton ball and carefully wipe the
objective lenses as they are pointing down so as not to let any water get
into and around the lenses themselves. Then take a cotton ball soaked in
pure water (not hard water) to get the soap off, then a cotton ball with
vinegar and wipe down the objectives so there's no water spotting.
I've never done any of this, or had a need to. I keep the objective covers
on all my binoculars when they're not in use, and I don't go out during mud
storms. ;-)
KingOfTheApes
I'm using any brand of diswashing liquid. So far so good. Can't
believe it it can damage the coatings. But some invisible scum may be
left behind. And if it's invisible, who cares! ;)
KingOfTheApes
Yeah, I read that label first, but sometimes they get ruined too, like
it happened with a pair of marine binoculars. Luckily Celestron
replaced them promptly.
KingOfTheApes
Mud storms? I get bird droppings on my binocs everyday!
Just kidding. Thanks!
Howard Lester
I'm using any brand of diswashing liquid. So far so good. Can't
believe it it can damage the coatings. But some invisible scum may be
left behind. And if it's invisible, who cares! ;)
--------------
Well, I could see out of my house's windows just fine... and then I washed
them. I found I could see out much better. What's invisible to you may not
be invisible at all. Or are you monkeying around with us on this subject?
KingOfTheApes
Not quite, just having while trying to get to THE TRUTH.
Hey, but you DO make a point. I may be looking at the jungle through a
haze. ;)
Seriously, you think we can get a straight answer from the binocs
manufacturers? My sunglasses seem clear enough to appreciate almost
anything happening out there.
Jerry Avins
You need to take care that water doesn't get into the lens mount by
capillary action. It's hard to wipe the back side of the objective lens.
KingOfTheApes
>
> - Show quoted text -
I've got to "waterproof" pairs that have passed THE TEST: a pair of
porros (which are supposed to be less waterproof) and a pair of roofs,
and the marines that didn't pass a test. Is there a pattern? ;)
Those two and the replacement of the marine binoculars (courtesy of
Celestron) will be seeing a lot of water since they go places. But the
other ones won't. I've got the pressure bottle and the cleaning stuff,
by the book. The Papilio is my baby.
But in the future I want to get a pair of stabilized binos for the
kayak. I guess I'd look for one with a warranty against leaking.