Many binocular lovers who own their own binoculars don’t know how to properly clean them when dust or other contaminants get stuck on their lenses.  Instead of cleaning the binoculars’ lenses with your hands or cloth, you may actually spoil them.  So in this article, I want to share some helpful tips on how to clean binoculars’ lenses.  Helping you keep your binoculars’ optics and their components clean will help them last longer.  

Steps for cleaning binoculars

Step 1: Remove the lens cap and tilt the binoculars at an Angle.  Remove the lens cover from the lens nearest to your eye.  You also need to remove the cap from the objective lens, which is the larger lens.  Then, pick up the binoculars and tilt the eyepiece end at an angle of 130 degrees.  Then clean the surface with air blowing, this step is actually very important, to be very careful, air blowing over the entire lens surface, mainly to remove those hard dust.  If you do not remove this hard dust you do not remove clean, it is easy to scratch the coating in the following steps, causing serious damage.  

Step 2: Wipe the surface of each lens with the bristles of the lens cleaning pen.  Even after you blow clean the surface, your lenses may still have stubborn dirt or debris sticking to the surface.  Since you need to remove these surface stains before wiping the lens, remove the lens cleaning pen and wipe the entire surface of the lens with the end of the soft brush.  The bristles of the lens cleaning pen are designed to be gentle on the most delicate lenses so they won’t scratch your binoculars.  

Step 3: Use a microfiber cloth, as it is made specifically for optical devices.  Your kit may include a microfiber cloth with binoculars.  If not, I suggest you buy one, or better yet, buy the complete optical cleaning kit.  Remove the lid from the lens cleaning fluid.  Spray the center of the microfiber cloth once or twice to make it almost wet.  Since there should not be any dirt particles on the lens, you will now wipe the lens without scratching it.  Take the wet center of a microfiber cloth and gently wipe each lens in a circular motion.  Until you see no more smudges or spots.  

After cleaning your glasses, put the protective cap back on your binoculars when you’re not using them to avoid dust.  Cleaning binoculars properly can be tedious, but it’s easier than you think.  Follow these steps to keep your binocular lenses clean and keep them company.  

FAQ:

What is the best way to clean binoculars?

To clean your lenses, first, brush or blow away the loose dirt with a soft camel hair brush or compressed air. Then lightly spray the lens cloth (never spray the binoculars) with a cleaning solution and gently clean the lenses.

How do you fix foggy binoculars?

Seal the binoculars inside an airtight plastic bag along with some commercial desiccant. The desiccant will absorb the excess moisture, eliminating the source of the fogging.

Why are my binoculars cloudy?

Sometimes you might notice that your lenses are cloudy and foggy on the inside, so you need to learn how to clean binoculars inside. The cause for this could be a leak in the camera, but most often it’s just condensation caused by an instant change of temperature.

Do binoculars deteriorate?

Generally speaking, there are four major causes of binocular failure; Faulty manufacture; Wear and Tear; Accidental damage; Collimation problems. If your binoculars are within their guarantee period, any fault, apart from accidental damage, is probably covered by the manufactures guarantee against faulty workmanship.

Why is the plastic on my binoculars sticky?

Binocular armoring varies in composition depending on the make and model. Some types are more prone to breaking down. A common cause is an exposure to bug spray, so be careful about touching binoculars if you have applied insect repellant to or with your hands.