Dirty Lenses!
If you’re like most people (or maybe just me!), your binoculars are probably covered in fingerprints, scratches, or dirt. I’m
constantly dropping my binoculars or touching the lenses accidentally, or my kids are playing with them and getting fingerprints
and all kinds of sticky things all over them. With today’s busy lifestyle, it’s almost impossible to keep them clean and ready to
go!
When I need to clean my binoculars, I used to do it by brushing the binoculars carefully with a soft lens brush or just blowing the loose dirt off (the compressed air cans used to clean keyboards also works well for cleaning binoculars), and then cleaning the lenses with lens cleaner and a soft cloth (never paper towels, though, as they can scratch the
surface!). This method worked better than nothing, but much of the time it seemed to just smear the dirt around and leave smudges on the lenses, and it was really time consuming. Plus, if it’s not done carefully, cleaning can even damage or scratch the binoculars and lenses, which is the last thing you want!
Fortunately, I recently discovered the Carson LensPenTM, which is designed to clean lenses safely and effectively. The LensPenTM is a cleaning tool that basically looks like a pen, and one end holds a small brush while the other has a lens cleaner. The brush is retractable and has natural bristles, so it is soft and safe to use on fragile equipment, and it comes with a cover, so as long as you keep the bristles retracted and covered when not in use, they should last for quite a long time.