poster said:
It's also known as the rubbing alcohol. I wouldn't suggest drinking it though.

Take care with alcohol intended for use in medicine. I believe some types (e.g. Surgical Spirit here in the UK) contain oil to stop the skin from drying out. Not really what you want on your lens!

Canned air, yikes. Careful with that, many cans of compressed air have dust in them! Good way to scratch up your lenses!

I use canned air and a micro fiber cloth. If its really dirty, then I use IPA and a micro fiber cloth.

dust - rocket blower + Tshirt (most cases) or lens tissue; if the lens is really dirty then I use a cotton stick and IPA cleaner

Thanks for the eye-opener, JorPet. We (rarely) use methanol in the lab to clean samples, and I always thought the gloves were overkill because it was only dangerous if ingested. Now I know (and it's a good thing I follow rules even when I don't understand them, right?).

Yeah I use microfiber cloths and those same Zeiss wipes. You can find them at Walmart in the optical dept.

I just purchased those Zeiss Pre-Moistened Lens Cloths Wipes.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0030GZVMI?ie=UTF8&tag=nikorumo-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0030GZVMI

Never used them before.

The inside of the nice microfiber shirt that I am wearing :-)

I also have a small bottle of isopropyle alchohol about 99% proof which I got from the chemist.

jonnyapple said:
... Do you mean methanol? Either one should be fine, actually. ...

No, methanol would not be "fine" unless you have on rubber gloves and a respirator and are working in an open area with no one else around. You will absorb methanol through the skin very easily and it is very nasty stuff. Have used it for making biodiesel, you want to treat it as a very hazardous material.

Isopropyl alcohol at 97% or higher would be best. Typically used for cleaning electronics.

It's also known as the rubbing alcohol. I wouldn't suggest drinking it though.

kanuck said:
No ethanol for disinfection actually is what I mean. I know ethanol is used for consumption, but I hear that ethanol works wonders for removing spots and smudges on lenses.

Indeed. I always try to find 90% proof one. But usually end up with only 70% one. ethanol plus good microfiber cloth and you are good to go.

No ethanol for disinfection actually is what I mean. I know ethanol is used for consumption, but I hear that ethanol works wonders for removing spots and smudges on lenses.

I am a big proponent of sand paper. It is awesome at removing any spots or dirt from the lens. it also gives me a foggy effect to my pictures. They are so gritty and mystic now. I love it

Ethanol is the drinking kind, kanuck. Do you mean methanol? Either one should be fine, actually. I can only imagine cleaning that front element on the 14-24 (because I can't afford it). I like PEC pads—with alcohol applied to the wipe, not dumped/squirted on the lens.

Am I the only one here who has used my undershirt to clean a lens? Sometimes there's nothing else and it's better than dealing with spots from water droplets or the occasional fingerprint. ;-)

For this reason I have a UV filter on my lenses if I'm going out in the rain.

We could start a seperate tread on how to clean the Nikkor 14-24mm which is LOTS of fun, but generally I like to use the blower and soft lens brush. The micro fiber clothes for lenses also does the job but I find the thicker softer micro fibers work even better. I have heard alcohol which evaporates, works well if applied in very small portions. Only ethanal or disinfectant alcohol not the drinking kind Nikodoby! ^^D

+1 for this thread. I just touched my lens the other night because I forgot I didn't have have the lens cap on. I need to clean it off now. I have a brush but I need to get a cloth for smudges and a blower.

small rocket blower for dust micro-fibre cloth for smudges

Had an small accident with rocket blower where the blower tip flies out. Lucky enough I was blowing the front of my lens (With Hoya HD CPL) instead of the rear elements or the viewfinder...

I use a Nikon microfiber cloth and a lens pen, as well as one of those rubber blower brush things. I was shooting in the rain today, so I have a mess to clean. :(

Lately, I've been using a large rocket blower and Eclipse and Pec-Pads on my front protective filters. That's my home cleaning routine. When I'm out, I use a small rocket blower and a Nikon lens pen/brush on my filters.

Haven't needed to try either routine on on my lens elements yet, save for blowing some air on the back glass.

What is your favorite item to clean you lenses for dust and smudges?