General rules about cleaning lenses/mirrors

1. Always wear finger cots when handling any lens or mirror to keep finger oils off of the optic.
2. Always handle optics by the edge of the optic. Never touch the coated surfaces.
3. Never rub an optical surface, as this can mar or scratch the coated surface.
4. Avoid using Q-tips or cotton balls to clean an optical surface.
5. Use a high-grade acetone to clean your optic, which should be dispensed by an eyedropper on to lens cleaning tissue.
6. Never put any foreign objects back into the acetone dispenser to avoid contamination of the acetone in the dispenser.

How to clean an optic:
Pull out your mirror/lens from its holder and lay it on a clean work area, or into a holder supplied by the manufacturer. You will need a lens cleaning tissue containing low ash content and no chemical additives. Also, you will need a small dispense bottle which has an eyedropper to apply the acetone.

1. If you do not have an optic holder, lay your optic onto a clean piece of lens tissue.
2. Remember that when lens tissue is dry it is abrasive and can scratch your optical surface.
3. Place a new piece of lens tissue over the optic, completely covering the optic.
4. Fill your eyedropper with 6-8 drops of acetone. You do not want to apply too much.
5. Drip acetone on to the center of the optic until it is saturated to the outside diameter of the optic.
6. Pull the lens tissue slowly across the optic. You will know if you are going too fast if you see residue left behind. At the correct speed, the acetone will evaporate as you drag the tissue across the lens. (If residue remains, you moved to quickly).
7. Repeat this process until you see a clean optical surface, with no marks or smudges. Always use a new piece of lens tissue each time to keep contaminants off of the optic you are cleaning.
8. If after repeated cleaning of the optical surface you still see any spots, pits, or scratches, determine whether or not to replace the optic with a new optic.
9. Replace your optics as soon as possible to keep any airborne particles from getting on the optic.

Lens Disposal (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)

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