Just realized my lens cleaning routine was wrecking my coatings

Talked to a guy at a repair meetup in Denver who said alcohol wipes were stripping the anti-reflective layer over time, and I'd been doing it for 3 years without thinking. Has anyone else dealt with this or found a better way to clean front elements?

3 comments

3 Comments

joseph_lewis926d ago

Call that guy in Denver wrong. Alcohol wipes aren't the issue. Cheap wipes with unknown chemicals are. I use isopropyl alcohol on my lenses all the time. Been doing it for years. Never had a single coating peel or fade. The trick is to not drown the glass. Light swipe. Let it evaporate fast. That guy probably let it pool or used something with additives. Stick with pure alcohol and good microfiber. You'll be fine.

the_jenny7d ago

Honestly, I get what that guy in Denver was saying, but rubbing alcohol isn't the real problem for most coatings. It's more about using cheap wipes that have other stuff in them or letting the alcohol sit too long before wiping it off. A quick swab with a bit of isopropyl alcohol and a microfiber cloth is totally fine if you do it right and don't let it pool up. The bigger issue is people using paper towels or those lens cleaning tissues meant for eyeglasses, which have fibers that scratch the coating. tbh, just stick with a little distilled water and a clean microfiber cloth, only use alcohol if you've got grease or something stubborn.

sanchez.blair6d ago

Wait, you're telling me you used those wipes for three years without noticing anything wrong until some random guy at a meetup pointed it out? That's brutal, I would have been kicking myself for months if I'd been slowly wrecking a nice lens like that. At least now you know to stick with distilled water and a good microfiber cloth, those alcohol wipes are just too aggressive for everyday use.