Scope lens is the most important part of your rifle scope that impacts your hunting. Of course, low-quality and unclear lenses will impact your hunting negatively. We frequently hear a question, how to clean scope lenses?
Hence, decided to write today.
To get the best performance from your rifle scope you must use a clear and shiny lens. This will ensure the performance and comfort of hunting.
Even a high-quality lens can perform badly if you don’t wipe your lens before you use it. Using traditional ways to clean a scope lens can take time and damage the lens quality.
The researcher always tries to invent new and clever ways to clean the scope lens. You should use new techniques to clean your lens; this will keep your best rifle scope good in condition.
You don’t need to become an expert to clean your scope and take care of it. You just need to arrange a little time and perform regular cleaning. Here we will discuss some cleaning tips, cleaning equipment, and how to perform the cleaning.
Following this step-by-step guide, you will be able to learn and perform self-cleaning of your scope lenses.
What Are the Rifle Scope Lens Cleaning Equipment?
People use various types of cleaning equipment to clean their scopes. Most of the popular riflescope comes with cleaning kits that you can use to clean the scope lens.
But, if you want to perform extensive and comfortable cleaning, you have to use some cleaning materials. We are listing a few popular cleaning kits and materials that will help you with effortless lens cleaning.
Few cleaning materials you have to purchase from stores and a few are homemade. So, you just have to collect them and use them for regular cleaning. You can use a separate cleaning box to carry your cleaning kits along with you.
This will provide the best comfort in your cleaning.
- Lens tissue
- Microfiber Cloth
- Canned Air
- Lens Cleaning Kit
- Cleaning Pen
#1. Lens Tissue
When you purchase a rifle scope, you will get a tissue lens along with your riflescope. In the first few days’ people use the lens tissue to clean the lens. But after a certain time, they do not perform regular cleaning.
But you should use the lens tissue regularly and keep the scope lens clean. Because this is the recommended method from the scope lens producers. After every use, you should wipe your scope lens to get the best performance from it.
#2. Microfiber Cloth
Few rifle scope sellers offer micro-fiber cloth when you purchase a new rifle scope. Also, you can purchase this type of cloth separately from stores. Micro-fiber cloths provide effortless, quick, and smooth cleaning of any type of lens.
This is the reason many experts suggest using a microfiber cloth to clean the scope lens. If you use any hard paper to wipe the lens, it can produce a scratch on it. Thus they always advise people to use soft clothes like micro-fiber cloth.
#3. Canned Air
You will find canned air that you can use to clean your lens. This process is effortless and easy to perform. Using the pressured air, you can easily remove the dust from your lens. You will find various types of canned air available in the market.
You can purchase a good canned air bottle and carry it along with you. This also helps to remove dust from the inside of your rifle scope. If you are a professional rifle scope user, I recommend you to keep canned air on your hunting.
#4. Lens Cleaning Kit
The researcher invented various types of lens cleaning kits that you can use to clean your scope lens.
This type of cleaning kit is made of special ingredients that clean your lens is really quick. Also, the lens cleaning kit has lens protection equipment on it.
Using this type of kit is also a clever way to clean any lens. If you are not used to canned air, you can keep a lens cleaning kit with you.
Most of the cleaning kit is liquid. So, you have to use lens cleaning tissue. You should perform cleaning in a certain period using the lens cleaning kit.
#5. Lens Cleaning Pen
To ensure comfortable cleaning, you can also use a lens cleaning pen. This type of cleaning pen comes with a lens cleaner with a cap. You can easily carry this type of cleaner anywhere you want.
For its lightweight feature, people love this type of cleaning kit. Though you can perform only light cleaning using this type of cleaning kit. But you should have one if you are not interested in heavy lens cleaning.
#6. Lens Cap
Using a lens cap is preventive care and protects your lens. Your scope lens can get hampered even when you are not using the lens.
So, it is always advised to use your lens cap to protect your lens from scratches. All the lens comes with a lens cap and other protecting gears.
Using this type of cap will reduce your hard work of cleaning the lens before you. Because your carrying bag might contain dust and dirt on it that will make the lens dirty.
#7. Retractable Brush
This is a special type of soft brush people use to clean sensitive equipment and accessories. You can use a retractable brush to clean your lenses. You cannot carry your air blower anywhere and this is the reason you can use a retractable brush.
This type of brush is space-consuming and easy to carry. You can keep a retractable brush on your riflescope carrying bag. Using the brush, you can perform a small cleaning every time you use your scope.
Now, How to Clean a Scope Lens?
#1. Preventive Care
People detach the cap and keep the lens open because they find it irritating. If you are not too interested in regular cleaning, you must use the preventing care method. Using the lens cap is known as preventive care cleaning.
Using a cap on your lens will reduce your hard work a few times more. Because your lens gets dirt when you are carrying or not using it. So, using the lens cap can save both your time and reduce hard work as well.
#2. Inspect the Scope Lens
Before you start performing the lens, you have to inspect the lens carefully. This will help you understand what type of lens cleaning is required. Depending on debris type experts suggest three major types of lens cleaning.
- Dusting
- Polishing
- Liquid Cleaning
Dusting is the basic level of cleaning that anyone can perform and is essential for regular lens maintenance. Polishing you can perform in a certain period and liquid cleaning is known as heavy lens cleaning. I will discuss all the cleaning processes below.
#3. Dusting
Your scope lens can get dirty in various ways. Not only with the dust, but it can befall on the water. Someone can pour water, oil, or other types of liquid on it. But dust cleaning is all about cleaning dust from your scope lens.
There are a few common steps involved in dusting. Anyone can clean his riflescope lens using the dusting process. This process is easy and suitable for light cleaning.
Here I am adding a few common steps of dusting below.
- Give a little blow on the lens
- Use a retractable brush to clean the lens
- You can use a lens pen to clean
- Ensure dusting tool is clean
- Make sure no oil or liquid on your dusting tool
- Clean your rifle scope carrying box
#4. Polishing
Sometimes a light brush cannot remove all the dirt and debris. This is the reason you need to use the polishing method to clean your scope lens. After a thorough dusting, you can polish your lens to get more effective cleaning.
The method requires clean lens tissue or microfiber cloth. You need lens cleaner liquid or clean water to perform polishing.
Then, add a cleaning reagent on the microfiber cloth and use the cloth to clean your scope. You will find a reusable microfiber cleaning cloth to clean the scope lens.
Few people use the lens pen to clean the spots after the dusting. But this type of pen does not have any liquid on it.
So, the cleaning is not as powerful as polishing. With the wet microfiber cloth, you have to polish the lens in a circular way. Don’t polish vertically or horizontally.
Because this accumulates the debris in a corner that is hard to clean. If you polish and centralize the debris, you can easily remove the dust from the lens.
- Use lens tissue or microfiber cloth for polishing
- Add lens cleaning reagent or freshwater on it
- Polish the lens in a circular way
- Don’t put too much cleaning agent or water on tissue
- Make the lens dry after cleaning
- Add the lens cap after cleaning
#5. Liquid Cleaners
In rare cases, you will require heavy liquid cleaning. To deal with blood, tree sap, glue, and gum, you have to use liquid chemical cleaning for your lens.
The process is sensitive and needs a professional cleaner or someone brave. You will find lens cleaning chemicals available in the market.
Also, an anti-fog solution helps to prevent condensation on your lens. Extreme climate change is responsible for the situation and you have to overcome using liquid cleaners.
If your lens gets affected by any glue or gum, you can use liquid cleaner reagents. Before you perform the method, you have to remove the cap and lens holder from your rifle scope.
This will provide the safety of your scope of equipment and accessories. Also, you will feel comfortable performing liquid cleaning, if you remove the accessories first.
- Don’t pour the chemical on your lens
- Use microfiber cloth on cleaning
- Don’t add high volume chemical
- For non-coated lenses read the manual carefully
- Clean the debris before it gets dry on your lens
- Don’t use metal equipment to clean dry glue, gum, blood or tree sap
Things You Should Not Do with Your Scope Lens
Don’t Use Hard Paper
Using regular paper, newspaper or any type of similar thing can damage your scope lens which may not be repairable.
It will decrease the quality of your lens and impact your hunting. You must use soft tissue or microfiber cloths to clean your scope lens.
This will help with effective cleaning and remove the dirt really quickly. If you use a newspaper or similar paper, it will produce scratches on your lens. This is the reason; you have to avoid using paper cleaning.
Don’t Pour Chemical on Lens
When you are using liquid on your lens to clean gum, glue, or tree sap, you are always advised not to pour any liquid on your lens. Because some cleaning agents can react with the lens glass as well.
This will damage your lens glass and ruin your rifle scope. If your lens gets damaged, it will impact your hunting and can make the rifle scope unusable. So, you have to add a cleaning reagent to your microfiber cloth and use the cloth to clean the lens.
Don’t Open the Lens
People do often ask how to clean the scope lens inside? This happens for purchasing a low-quality rifle scope.
If you open the scope lens, literally you are adding more dust to it. The scope lens production mechanism does not allow you to open the scope lens, however.
If you open it to clean, you will experience more issues with it. So, you are advised to purchase a new scope that is built with sturdy construction.
Don’t Use Hard Brush
You will find a retractable brush that people especially use to clean the lens. You should not use any regular brush or toothbrush to clean your lens.
Because this can also produce scratches on your lens.
Don’t Use Wet Equipment for Cleaning
You should not use any wet or oily accessories to clean your lens. Before you clean your lens, dry the cleaning tools. This will help to remove all the dust and debris properly.
Final Words
Cleaning the scope lens is not hard, but you have to perform a regular cleaning to keep your rifle scope fit and usable.
Protect your scope lens from fog and dust to get the best performance from your rifle scope.