Cleaning lenses

[Dustincoc]

What do you use to clean lenses? Lense cleaner or just windex

[icewolf08]

What do you use to clean lenses?

As per the ETC Source Four manual you should use a diluted mixture of ammonia and water. Ideally you should use a lint free cloth, but paper towels are OK. This is OK to use on any lenses, but make sure you do it in a properly ventilated area, ammonia fumes are BAD.

[Dustincoc]

All the unit's I'll be cleaning are 360Q's or older with a few S4 pars.

[David Ashton]

most window cleaners here are in fact a mixture of ammonia and and distilled water so look on the bottle and see but I use Windex, have done for many years and it works fine.

[Dustincoc]

Good, because I've got a over 200 sets of lenses to clean this summer(along with bench focusing and other maintanence) and I was worrying that lense cleaning fluid would get a bit pricy.

[lieperjp]

I have a question - I had heard from a Community Theatre TD that Windex was bad to use because of the blue dye. Something about it slightly tinting the lenses blue. Is this true?

[derekleffew]

See this thread. I recommend only distilled water and a lint-free cloth.

As per the ETC Source Four manual you should use a diluted mixture of ammonia and water....

Attached below are excerpts from two ETC documents, appearing to give conflicting information regarding ammonia. The first (FAQ) is dated 2001 and the other (Assembly Guide), 2007. Both documents say NOT to use ammonia on the reflectors.

Once again, it appears we need guidance from the ETC factory. (Is Tom Littrell a CB member (yet)?)



For 360Q Lenses and S4-PAR lenses, they're uncoated glass, so you can use any glass cleaner you like. I've even heard of running the lenses through a commercial dishwasher.

[Dustincoc]

See this thread. I recommend only distilled water and a lint-free cloth.
Attached below are excerpts from two ETC documents, appearing to give conflicting information regarding ammonia. The first (FAQ) is dated 2001 and the other (Assembly Guide), 2007. Both documents say NOT to use ammonia on the reflectors.
Once again, it appears we need guidance from the factory.

It says to use alcohol on the reclector and ammonia on the lenses.

[derekleffew]

It says to use alcohol on the reflector and ammonia on the lenses.

The First says that. The Second, newer, discussing S4 ERS glass lenses only, says "Isopropyl alcohol, distilled water, or a 50%-50% mixture of each can be used to clean the glass surface." Again, this is for SourceFour™ ERS lenses only.

For the SourceFour PAR EA User's Manual, see attachment below.

[JD]

One little note about lens and reflector cleaning:
If the lens/reflector is dirty to the point of being gritty or burnt, soak it in water first and try to wash off as much as possible without rubbing, then clean. You want to avoid any rubbing until the surface is fairly clean to avoid scratches. I once purchased some used lights (I think they were 3.5 inch Altmans) where the lenses had baked in grit and dirt. (had been in some club for years) I tried everything to get them clean and couldn't get the "brown" out. My final solution involved using something I will not mention for safety reasons. On the one that I had tried the conventional mix and a lot of rubbing, there was a haze of fine scratches in the lens. (still worked pretty good, but bugged me!)

[Les]

I know Ship recommends putting them in a dishwasher and using JetDry. I cleaned mine in a dishwasher (but didn't use JetDry) and ended up with spots that I had to buff off with a paper towel. According to their ads, JetDry does NOT leave spots on glass so maybe that's the way to go. Either that or dry them with a cloth before they get the chance to air dry. Either way, I now have clean lenses in my 360Q's and with or without the buffing it will take some labor. Just putting them back in the fixture is hard to do without getting finger prints on them. Possibly using some powder-free latex gloves (usual disclaimer for any females regarding latex applies here) would help the situation.

[David Ashton]

I think you can get a bit carried away here, fingerprints on the lenses are not going to reduce the efficiency of the unit, now on movers it is worth extra care.

[Les]

Yeah, that's true. The only reason I worried about it was because usually my fixtures are used in situations where fingerprints on the lenses could be noticed by patrons.

[Dustincoc]

I'll have to check if we have a dish washer in the shop or one that we can get. I'd just take them down to the kitchen and run them through the big machine but that doesn't take jetdry and leaves a LOOOOOTTTTT!!! of spots on everything.

[Van]

Using Windex and other commercial or home use cleaners can lead to some issues. A lot of those "streak - free" cleaners have silicone in them to keep the cleaner from spotting. It's not a horrible thing but honestly by a couple bottles of rubbing alcohol and some distilled water. Make your own cleaner, put it in a spray bottle < no don't steal one from the painters closet they hate that.> spray a bunch of lens' down and have a wipe down party. Paper towel break down pretty quickly and start leaving lint behind, I've found the best thing in the world is go to the grocery store and buy a pile of generic, bulk coffe filters. They are completly lint free and won't scratch your lens or reflectors.
Even better sneak down to the cafeteria and use their big commercial dish washers they clean at about 210 degrees F.

[Dustincoc]

I wouldn't have to sneak down to the cafeteria since I work there. That machine leaves lot to be desired, plates with anything thicker than ketchup on them always need to go through more than once.

[derekleffew]

...plates with anything thicker than ketchup on them always need to go through more than once.

Yes, but one would hope your lenses don't have anything thicker than ketchup on them! But I'm bothered by the fact that your dishwasher leaves spots on everything. If you have to "de-spot" 200 sets of lenses, you'd be better off using 50/50 rubbing alcohol and distilled water and doing them by hand. The S4-PAR lenses I would run through the dishwasher, as spots won't affect them much, if at all, optically.

[tomlittrell]

Hi Dustin - the latest User Manuals for Source Four fixtures state water, alcohol or 50-50 mix of each for Source Four glass. This was chosen for the latest version of the manual because - it is acceptable for all glass components - lenses, AR coated lenses, and the reflector. Other methods in older manuals will work as well for the specific component the manual is refering to. Don't forget the part about the soft, lint-free cloth. Happy cleaning.

Tom Littrell
Fixtures Product Manager
ETC

[derekleffew]

Thank you Tom, for that clarification. And for joining ControlBooth. Snagged another ETC-er!

...Don't forget the part about the soft, lint-free cloth...

Cotton baby diapers work well. If it was good enough for Ferris Bueller's best friend's (Cameron:Alan Ruck) father to rub his Ferrari...

[Grog12]

Cotton baby diapers work well. If it was good enough for Ferris Bueller's best friend's (Cameron:Alan Ruck) father to rub his Ferrari...

Derek wins CB for the day folks. You can all go home and come back and try again tommorow.

[TimMiller]

I use alchohol for everything. When the REFLECTOR (metal reflector) is dirty some good ol soft scrub works wonders and leaves your fixtures smelling bathroom fresh. I use softscrub like a polishing compound, i just rub it on with a paper towel and wipe off. I do not use water.

[Van]

Soft scrub was what we always used on the reflectors of Carbon Arc spotlights as well. Soft scrub and Coffee filters, bought 'em in bulk.

[Daveslights]

Can I use the lens cleaner I use on my eye glasses? it says it's ok for all lenses and Anti-reflective glass

[cdub260]

I'm in the Isopropyl Alcohol and a lint free cloth camp on this one. It works great for both reflectors and lenses. And incidentally, it also does an excellent job of getting pine pitch off of my lights when used in it's undiluted form.

[Sayen]

I grew up in pine tree country, I can't even imagine getting that stuff on my lights. Fingernail Polish remover works great on skin, and the stuff is basically diluted alcohol.

Gets sticky gunk left from stickers and labels off of things too, and is a little less nasty than lighter fluid.

We also use diluted isopropyl alcohol and distilled water with a lint free cloth.

[pmgpriebe]

We use 50-50 diluted 99% IPA and a lint-free cloth as well while wearing some latex gloves.

[lieperjp]

Can I use the lens cleaner I use on my eye glasses? it says it's ok for all lenses and Anti-reflective glass

After looking at the bottle of lens cleaner I have for my glasses, it's basically diluted Alcohol, so yes, you should be able to. But that might get kind of expensive.

[MNicolai]

After looking at the bottle of lens cleaner I have for my glasses, it's basically diluted Alcohol, so yes, you should be able to. But that might get kind of expensive.

x2

Why use more expensive, glorified alcohol/water dilute when you could just mix a cheap batch up yourself?

[derekleffew]

... Fingernail Polish remover works great on skin, and the stuff is basically diluted alcohol. ...

I could be wrong, but I suspect you'll find that the active ingredient in fingernail polish remover is acetone, not isopropyl alcohol. Very different solvents.

[Les]

You're not wrong. Don't think I'd use that on lenses or reflectors.

[Sayen]

I stand vastly corrected! I wouldn't use the stuff on lights anyway, it'd be expensive.

[Les]

I do both, Charc. Not sure about fixtures with lens coatings though. I would think 100% alcohol would be fine, but diluted 50/50 would be a safer bet. For 360Q's and the like, undiluted should be fine. Its just glass. Lamps don't need dilution.

By the way, welcome to the 'changed name club'!

PS: This is my 512th post. I should have saved it for a DMX related topic. haha.

[Sony]

I've always used a damp paper towel, no alcohol or cleaners of any kind. It seems to work for me since most of what I'm removing is just simple dust anyways, no need for more. Unless of course you're trying to remove the paint that scenic designer stupidly got all over the fixture when they decided to use a pesticide sprayer to create texture on the walls...

[cdub260]

I've always used a damp paper towel, no alcohol or cleaners of any kind. It seems to work for me since most of what I'm removing is just simple dust anyways, no need for more. Unless of course you're trying to remove the paint that scenic designer stupidly got all over the fixture when they decided to use a pesticide sprayer to create texture on the walls...

I've given up trying to get the overspray from the shop's paint sprayer off the bodies of the 4 or so that have it. I just try t make sure that it's always the same lights in the areas they spray every June.

[Serendipity]

"Isopropyl alcohol, distilled water, or a 50%-50% mixture of each can be used to clean the glass surface."

That's what my school uses. Normally the 50/50 mixture, though alcohol pads and soft wet rags are also good.

[BillESC]

Just a funny little story...

I was contracted by the New Jersey Shakespeare Company to do maintainence on their lighting inventory. There were about 80 Altman 360Q's in the batch of gear that needed new shutters, re-wiring, etc. As a part of the job we obviously had to clean the lenses.

My shop at the time was in a pole barn on my property so I brought the lenses into the kitchen of the house and proceeded to load them into the dish washer. My wife remarked, "Won't the heat of the washer cause them to crack?"

Still makes me laugh 25 years later...

[Serendipity]

Just a funny little story...

I was contracted by the New Jersey Shakespeare Company to do maintainence on their lighting inventory. There were about 80 Altman 360Q's in the batch of gear that needed new shutters, re-wiring, etc. As a part of the job we obviously had to clean the lenses.

My shop at the time was in a pole barn on my property so I brought the lenses into the kitchen of the house and proceeded to load them into the dish washer. My wife remarked, "Won't the heat of the washer cause them to crack?"

Still makes me laugh 25 years later...

Did they get clean? That's a fantastically blasphemous way to cheat maintenance! I almost want to try that in a couple weeks when maint. starts...

And yes, that's really funny.

[Sean]

My shop at the time was in a pole barn on my property so I brought the lenses into the kitchen of the house and proceeded to load them into the dish washer.

That's how we wash our S4 PAR lenses. Trip through the dishwasher, though usually without soap. I've found just the hot water usually removes the grime. With our inventory, it takes 3-5 loads per venue to get through them all.

Another cleaning thing we've started doing: We have a fairly large inventory, so the "extra" leko barrels get bagged in clear trash bags, and taped closed with the appropriate color-code tape. That way, if we don't end up using those tubes by the next cleaning session, they don't need to be cleaned again.

--Sean

[quarterfront]

One more "me-too" for 50/50 isopropyl alcohol and distilled water. I always make my own cleaner for camera and telescope lenses and that's the formula. Works on coated optics, should be more than fine for theatre lights.

When cleaner I add a small drop of Dawn or similar dish detergent per pint to break up any fingerprint grease or suchlike. This, again, on the advice of people who play with telescopes and are pretty picky about optics.

[LekoBoy]

Theatre lights are far from as pure as cameras or telescopes and we wouldn't want them to be. They'd never blend with each other if they we're that optically precise. Just plain water should be enough, water and alcohol is even better. Telescope people have invented some crazy witches brews. Google it.