Lens Cleaning - Ethanol?

[andrew1306]

I work in a lab for the moment (scientific, not photo!) and have ready access to ethanol (ie the kind of alcohol in spirits...) and wanted to ask if anyone had experience using it to clean their lenses? I realize there are lots of products out there to take the liquid role in cleaning, but are they in general just Ethanol (or Ethanol based) anyways?

Or if it might cause a problem - I'm thinking dissolving some lens coatings...

Anyone know?

thanks,

Andrew

 

[POAH]

peronsally I'd not use it on a lens. the sensor swabs use medical methanol but I'd not use that either. I just use a lens pen which works fab.
--
PhD Student and photographer

 

[zmihalic]

I wouldn't recommend usage of ethanol. If you feel you have to use alcohol, methanol and/or isopropanol would be much better choices.

Regards

 

[andrew1306]

Quick question - Why would you prefer these two over ethanol?

Andrew

I wouldn't recommend usage of ethanol. If you feel you have to use
alcohol, methanol and/or isopropanol would be much better choices.

Regards

 

[POAH]

methanol or isopropanol are less corrosive bu are still not nice.
--
PhD Student and photographer

 

[Pyogenes]

methanol or isopropanol are less corrosive bu are still not nice.

It's been years since I've taken a college level chemistry course, but I'm fairly certain methanol is more corrosive than ethanol.

 

[Pyogenes]

I wouldn't recommend usage of ethanol. If you feel you have to use
alcohol, methanol and/or isopropanol would be much better choices.

Unless the lens coating has chemical properties that makes it more susceptible to damage from ethanol, then there's no real basis for this statement.

Ethanol is generally not used due to the fact that consumable ethanol is highly regulated. To make it not consummable, either an extremely bitter additive in added to deter people from drinking it, or it is mixed with methanol which is very toxic (often a bitter additive is still added). Either way, you can't use it for cleaning optics because the additives leaves residues.

Methanol is more corrosive, is more toxic (the cure for methanol poisoning is feeding the victim ethanol), and is more flammable. Also the flames tend to be invisible under bright lights making it even more dangerous since it reduces reaction time to handle a fire.

 

[PeaceFrog]

So far my experience has been quite good with ethanol. Just make sure that you only apply a small amount to the cloth so none gets inside of the lens.

Greg

--



http://www.pbase.com/dadas115/

 

[PeaceFrog]

I am curious why you think that methanol and isopropanol would be much better choices than ethanol?

Thanks,

Greg

--



http://www.pbase.com/dadas115/

 

[PeaceFrog]

Less corrosive??? How do you figure?

Greg

--



http://www.pbase.com/dadas115/

 

[PeaceFrog]

None of them are significantly corrosive. If anything isopropanol would be the most acidic but they are all extremely weak acids (weaker than water). These alcohols being “corrosive” does not compute.

Greg

--



http://www.pbase.com/dadas115/

 

[harrygilbert]

I have successfully cleaned lenses for years with just a rocket blower, and distilled water on a micro-fiber cloth. I would be afraid that stronger solvents could affect the anti-reflective coatings on some lenses or filters.

 

[Pyogenes]

None of them are significantly corrosive. If anything isopropanol
would be the most acidic but they are all extremely weak acids
(weaker than water). These alcohols being “corrosive” does not
compute.

Alcohol is corrosive for materials such as rubber and some plastics.

Supposedly it is corrosive for metals too but I think that's due to the water is absorbs fromt he atmostpehre but I'm not 100% certain on that one. (one of the reasons there's not a stronger push to replace some gasoline with more ethanol is the corrosive nature of ethanol for metal pipes)

 

[Stiefbeen]

I know that for cleaning microscope objectives you shouldn't use alcohol because it may dissolve the lens kit (the kit that is used for kitting several lenses together).

For microscopes they advise to use xylol (xylene) but personally I wouldn't use that either.

I take a clean cotton handkerchief, breath on the lens to have some pure (...) water on it and wipe it off. For very dirty/greasy lenses that won't work ofcourse.

I used alcohol once on a binocular and wiped off the coating (OK, it wasn't a good brand).

Theo

 

[Pyogenes]

Actually, I think ethanol acts as a solvent for rubber and some plastics which I think is different from corrosive (been too long since I had to think about it).

Either way, I think we agree that ethanol wouldn't be any worse than other common alcohols which are already commonly used as lens cleaners.

 

[stinch]

here is a usefull link

http://www.sctscopes.net/SCT_Tips/Maintenance/Cleaning_Your_Optics/cleaning_your_optics.html

If you google this subject be carefull as some adice may/will seriously damage your lens.

what you are doing is frightening and frustrating when you first attempt cleaning your lens

note that nearly all telescope optic cleaning advice dilutes the 'active cleaner' with distilled water. This has the effect of being kinder and reducing the evaporation time giving you the opportunity to absorb off the cleaning fluid along with the grease residue.

if all you are doing is applying cleaning fluid and the allowing it to evaporate nothing is achieved as the grease remains.

It is very important not to touch any of the cleaning tools/faces or surfaces that contact the lens otherwise you are transfering grease from you to the lens

I hope this helps

--
The Stinch
http://www.seascape-photos.co.uk

 

[Stiefbeen]

It seems that pure ethanol can be used (for microscope objectives):

http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/indexmag.html?http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/artfeb04/cdclean.html

http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/primer/anatomy/cleaning.html

http://swehsc.pharmacy.arizona.edu/exppath/resources/pdf/Light_Microscopy_tips.pdf

http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/primer/techniques/fluorescence/troubleshoot.html

 

[Stiefbeen]

Funny.

 

[andycgw]

I have used isopropanol to clean lenses (and camera bodies etc) without any problem. Ethanol's properties are somewhere between isopropanol and methanol (i.e. Eclipse), so it should be absolutely fine.
Andy

 

[andycgw]

methanol or isopropanol are less corrosive

That PhD's not in chemistry then, is it? Ethanol has properties midway between methanol and isopropanol.