Cleaning Microscope Lens? Help wanted

[Coc58]

I have a microscope from the late 1940s, and the lens both in the eyepiece and objectives are dirty. The microscope was bought use from ebay so I have no knowledge of what conditions the microscope was kept in. I am not for sure how to clean these dirty lens. They actually have dirt and dust on them. I tried using a dry cloth very gentle, but I believe I need something alittle more aggressive to clean them. Perhaps rubbing alcohol? If you have any techniques or suggestive please reply.

Falligan

[BramHuntingNematodes]

I like one part rubbing alcohol to two parts distilled water and a few drops of dish soap every pint or so. Don't rub lenses with a dry.cloth, try not to rub too much generally. Try blowing air first if nothing else to get the loose stuff out. Bausch suggested laundered linen cloth, perhaps because it has low dust. Cotton swabs can used. Canned hexane is also sometimes useful. I keep a couple boxes of kim wipes around as they're pretty cheap and handy. Like a less duaty kleenex that won't scratch lenses.

Don't soak anything--the gum holding the lenses together might loosen up.

[Coc58]

Thanks! I will be sure to try some of these techniques. Do you know if hydrogen peroxide can be used to clean the lenses?

[Hobbyst46]

Thanks! I will be sure to try some of these techniques. Do you know if hydrogen peroxide can be used to clean the lenses?

Hydrogen peroxide is useless against oily and sticky residues on lenses. It does neutralize microorganisms, yet these are not the issue. The appropriate liquids are water, isopropanol, heptane (or octane or petrol ether) and, in extremely difficult cases, xylene (should be generally avoided since it is harmful for persons). All the above should be applied absorbed on the appropriate cleaning tissue, do not flood the optics.