Embarrasing, but true-Syrup on lens

<p>Hello!</p>

<p>I was hoping someone might have a tip for me on how to clean my lens. I was shooting at a small indoor party last week and a small drop of sugar/honey syrup got onto the front element of my lens (yes, I was not using a filter, I know...) It's now dried, and I'm not sure how to clean it without smearing it over the surface. I'd prefer not to leave it on, and I need this lens for a job coming up this week. One suggestion I got was to take a damp, hot cloth to the spot to start to dissolve the spot, and then clean with lens fluid, but I'm not sure. Any advice?</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

<p>Your idea is sound. I've cleaned up similar "spills" from my glasses using the same method, and have also used it to get sticky fingerprints off of a lens a few years ago.</p>

<p>Lightly, with something like a Q-tip, moistened in water & a little detergent, dab at the drop until it is gone. Then touch up the lens lightly with a lens tissue moistened in isopropyl alcohol. Should be as good as new. I've heard of the sweet spot of a lens before, but your story takes the cake :)</p>

<p>Ditto Stephen's suggestion. Same thing I've done to clean droplets of dried tree sap from lenses and filters. Very common problem here at certain times of year.</p>

<p>Warm up the water and verrrry weak liquid detergent mix (Dawn or similar), not quite hot but warm. Dab with cotton swabs. I usually finish up with lens cleaning fluid and microfiber cloth, but isopropyl alcohol (no rubbing alcohol, tho') would be fine. That's pretty much what's in Zeiss lens cleaning wipes anyway.</p>

<p>Thanks to you all for replying-Very helpful!<br>

I just tried a q-tip dipped in warm water with the excess dabbed off. Put it on the spot for a few seconds and it seemed to work. It looks better; I might go back at it and finish with some alcohol, but I don't really want to push my luck, if I can get away with it. </p>

<p>I feel stupid, but at least I have spared someone else the shame of having to ask this question in future.</p>

<p>Cheers!<br>

-August</p>

<p> </p>

<p>I never use filters unless it's a polarizer. You are worrying over nothing here. Syrup is water soluble. Slightly wet q-tip, taking care no water runs to edge of the lens. If it were mine, I'd just lick it off. (Seriously.) You aren't going to damage the coatings unless you use a wire brush to get it off. Don't worry about.</p>

<p>Kent in SD</p>

<blockquote>

<p>If it were mine, I'd just lick it off. (Seriously.)</p>

</blockquote>

<p>+1. Gives a whole new meaning to the term "sweet spot of a lens":-)</p>

<p>Saliva will leave marks on the coating that aren't easy to clean, so I would certainly not lick it (excepted if you have a pancake lens...)</p>

<p>I would suggest using an alcohol wipe and dried with a lint free lens cloth.</p>

<p>Pull out shirt tail, spit on lens, rub with shirt tail.</p>

<p>j/k</p>

<p>;-)</p>

<p>fire hose.</p>

<p>I had stubborn marks on a lens, and someone on this site advised me to lick them off. I did that, and they were gone. The lick was followed immediately by alcohol on a lens tissue.</p>

<p>I just use a microfiber cloth after a lick. Works like a charm.</p>

<p>Kent in SD</p>

<p>There are two HUGE precautions to using isopropyl alcohol.</p>

<p>First, do not use the common Walmart-grade of iso - it's only about 70% alcohol and the rest is water of uncertain origin and will likely leave a haze behind on the otherwise clean glass. Go to a stand-alone pharmacy and get pharmaceutical grade isopropyl - you may have to ask for it at the prescription counter, and be specific about pharmaceutical grade. An equal alternative would be to get reagent grade iso at a chemical supply company, but it's likely to come in a larger size at a larger price than you'd want.</p>

<p>Second, NEVER pour or drop any form of alcohol onto the lens surface. It is so much thinner than water that it will flow to the edges of the element and then BEHIND and into the lens' interior. Then there's no telling how bad the effects can be. Dampen a suitable lintless cloth with the alcohol and use it to gently wipe the surface of the lens. At this point in the cleaning process, you are not cleaning off the orignal stuff - you are just loosening and removing any residual cleaning materials, so no rubbing is needed or advisable. A simple soft wipe is sufficient. (And "dampen" means using a little alcohol - having enough in the cloth that some liquid squeezes out during use can have the same adverse effects as pouring alcohol on the lens.)</p>

<p>Before I retired, I ran a laboratory that used optical couplings for instruments that used things like light pipes and photomultiplier tubes, and in the American tradition of learning the hard way, I found the difference between cheap and pharmceutical isopropyl for cleaning optical surfaces.</p>

This is easy. Sugar is water soluble. Clean it with a clean soft cloth or lens wipe with water on it, not rubbing but just

letting it soak until it dissolves, then go over it again with an alcohol based lens cleaner that's safe for coated optics. I use

the spray cleaner and wipes that come in a Kleenex like box from Lens Crafters (spray the wipe, not the lens). Works fine,

doesn't leave smudges.