A lens is the one piece of gear that can cost you more than your camera, so it’s worth keeping it well-maintained so that it continues to create fine images for a lifetime. Learning how to clean a camera lens properly will ensure that you get the best optical quality, and help to avoid spots and smears on your images.

You’ll need a blower brush, a microfibre cloth and some lens-cleaning fluid, all of which you can buy from camera shops. While the exposed glass elements are the most important parts of the lens when it comes to optical quality,
it’s also worth giving the casing a good clean.

Some lenses are weather-sealed, but avoid using your cloth dampened with water. If there’s dirt that’s hard to remove, be careful if you’re using liquid-based cleaners, as the electronics inside your lens are extremely sensitive.

• For more on camera care, see our Perfectly safe guide to sensor cleaning

Step-by-step how to clean a camera lens

01 Remove the filter
A good way to protect the front element of your lens is with a standard UV filter such as the Hoya UV(0). Before cleaning, remove any filter you’ve been using. If you haven’t removed the filter for a while you may find this difficult, in which case use a cloth to get a better grip.

02 Blast away dust
Dust on the lens can be a real issue, so use a blower brush to remove any loose dust or grit around the front element. Repeat the process for the rear element. You’ll need to extend a zoom lens to either its narrowest or widest focal length to make the glass accessible.

03 Get rid of moisture with a microfibre cloth
As residue left by rain or general moisture may still remain, rub both the front and rear elements in a circular motion with a microfibre cloth. Dry cleaning will shift most dirt, but oil and grease left by fingers can leave a thin film across the glass.

04 Lens-cleaning fluid
To help remove greasy stains, use lens-cleaning fluid. Tip a small amount on to a microfibre cloth, then rub in a circular motion to remove the last of the dirt. When you’ve finished, repeat the cleaning process for your filters, then reconnect your filters and lens caps.

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Compressed gas aerosols need to be used with care. Unless they’re held perfectly upright the spray can contain propellant, which can cause damage, plus the high pressures can be difficult to control. Try a blower like the Giottos Rocket-air blower or a soft brush instead.

Always put cleaning solution on a cloth or tissue, rather than directly on a lens, and use it sparingly. This will prevent excess liquid from getting inside the camera cavity or lens, with potentially catastrophic results.

Been on the beach or in a dusty location? Then give your bag a clean too, as loose sand or dust can quickly undo all your hard work.

01 Clean the body
With a lens attached to avoid getting dust inside the camera, start by removing any dust or dirt from the outside of the camera and lens using a soft brush. Pay attention to the more inaccessible areas like memory card slots, where dirt is likely to accumulate.

02 Now the viewfinder
Now turn your attention to the viewfinder. If possible, remove the rubber eyecup, and again gently brush off any dust. You can now use a soft cloth or lens-cleaning tissue (not one you also use for lenses, though) and carefully clean the glass of the viewfinder itself.

03 Switch to the screen
Even with a screen protector, LCD screens can become covered in dust, while if you’ve left it uncovered you’ll also find that marks and fingerprints can make it tricky to view your images clearly on screen. Clean it using the same type of tissue or cloth as you used for the viewfinder.

04 Lens/filter tips
Use a blower or a brush to remove any dirt or grit, then use a small amount of lens cleaning fluid on a clean tissue or cloth designed to clean lenses and gently wipe the surface of the lens or filter. Use a dry area of the cloth (or a new tissue) 
to clean off any remaining residue.

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Don’t bide the dust: a perfectly safe guide to sensor cleaning

Most cameras and lenses will give you years of problem-free use, so long as you look after them. Read our top tips to ensure your kit stays clean and safe.

Carrying

Modern SLRs are reasonably robust, but ‘consumer’ models don’t have the battleship build quality of professional cameras. If you were to drop a camera with a plastic body onto a hard surface, it would probably break. Fit the neck strap that came with your camera, and – most crucially – use it.

Temperature

Excessive heat can cause lasting damage to your camera, so it’s a good idea not to leave it in direct sunlight. At the other end of the scale, condensation can quickly form when bringing a camera from the outdoors into a warm room. One way round this problem is to seal the camera in a plastic bag before bringing it inside (so that condensation forms on the bag instead) and let it warm up naturally.

Camera cleaning

Take care when cleaning LCDs and viewfinders. Use a blower brush first to gently remove dust, lint and other small particles, then rub everything down with a microfibre cleaning cloth. Make a point of cleaning your camera with a slightly damp cloth after every trip to the coast, because salty sea spray can be corrosive.

Lens cleaning

Be especially careful when cleaning the front and rear glass elements of lenses. Use a blower brush first to dislodge and remove any particles that could scratch the elements when subsequently using a cloth. Consider a specialist implement, such as the lens-cleaning pens sold by Hama (among others).

Sensor cleaning

To check if your sensor has any dust spots, zoom the lens to its telephoto end, focus on infinity and take a few frames of a clear blue sky or a sheet of white paper at a small aperture, then zoom in on the images to check for dark blobs. To remove them, you’ll need to take off the lens and expose the camera’s sensor (charge the camera battery fully first, then head to the set-up menu and find the sensor cleaning function). Initially, try blowing the dust off the sensor with a blower. Don’t touch the sensor with the tip of the blower, and keep the lens opening facing downwards to prevent dust from landing on it. When you’re done, switch the camera off and refit the lens.

Cleaning kits are effective, but you should use them with care

Changing lenses

Many photographers are paranoid about changing lenses, but that’s one of the main attractions of SLR photography! There are some precautions you should take though. Switch the camera off to remove any static charge from the sensor, which can attract dust. Shield the camera from the wind and weather, and make sure you have the replacement lens ready. Finally, keep the camera’s lens opening pointing downwards.

Back to: Essential accessories

If smears appear on your shots, you don’t have to be Hercule Poirot to ?work out that your camera lens needs a good clean. Cleaning your photographic equipment is essential, especially when it comes to lenses. A lens is the one piece of gear that can cost you more than your camera, so it’s worth keeping it well-maintained so that it continues to create fine images for a lifetime.

Get the best from your camera lenses by cleaning them regularly. You only need simple kit – a blower brush, a microfibre cloth and some lens-cleaning fluid – all of which you can pick up from your nearest camera store. There’s a full guide to lens cleaning kit at the bottom of this article.

Don’t forget that while the exposed glass elements are the most important parts of the lens when it comes to optical quality, it’s also worth giving the casing a good clean. Some lenses are weather-sealed, but avoid using your cloth dampened with water. If there’s dirt that’s hard to remove, be careful if you’re using liquid-based cleaners, as the electronics inside your lens are extremely sensitive.

Cleaning camera lenses: step-by-step guide

1 Remove the filter

A good way to protect the front element of your lens is to fit a protective camera lens filter. A standard UV filter such as the Hoya UV(0) is ideal. Before cleaning, remove any filter you’ve been using. If you haven’t removed the filter for a while you may find this difficult, in which case use a cloth to get a better grip.

UV filters are particularly useful when shooting near the sea, to protect the front element from salt and sand.

2 Blast away dust

Dust on the lens can be a real issue, so use a blower brush to remove any loose dust or grit around the front element. Repeat the process for the rear element. You’ll need to extend a zoom lens to either its narrowest or widest focal length to make the glass accessible. Sometimes, this is all that’s needed to give you cystal-clear optics. Still smudged? Jump to step 3…

Blast (or puff) away dust – and do the same around the edges of the lens barrel and lens hood.

3 Get rid of moisture with a microfibre cloth

As residue left by rain or general moisture may still remain, rub the front element in a circular motion with a microfibre cloth. Repeat with the rear element if required (although you should try and avoid touching the rear element as much as possible). Dry cleaning will shift most dirt, but oil and grease left by fingers can leave a thin film across the glass.

Don’t skimp on a microfibre cloth – they’re affordable and can be washed and reused.

4 Lens-cleaning fluid

To help remove greasy stains, use lens-cleaning fluid. Tip a small amount on to a microfibre cloth, then rub in a circular motion to remove the last of the dirt. Once dry, use a dry lens cloth to remove residual cleaning fluid. When you’ve finished, repeat the cleaning process for your filters, then reconnect your filters and lens caps (give then lens caps a quick blow first to remove any dust or particles that have collected in them).

Once you’ve used lens-cleaning fluid, polish the front element with a clean microfibre cloth again.

Camera lens cleaning kit

Equip yourself with the best lens cleaning kit and you’ll find that it’s worth its weight in gold (which, admittedy, isn’t much when you’re talking microfibre cloths). It’s a small investment to keep your expensive lenses delivering sharp results. All these items can be easily sourced in stores or online…

A: Lens-cleaning fluid

Make sure you use a commercially available lens cleaning fluid designed for coated lenses. These are usually alcohol based. Eclipse Cleaner is reputed to be the highest purity cleanser available.

B: Lens wipes

Lens tissues are an alternative to a microfibre cleaning cloth. They are also useful for wiping down lens contacts and other areas. They’re disposable and should only be used once. PEC PADs (around £9.99 for 100) are among the best on the market.

C Silica gel

Silica gel is a granular material that absorbs moisture, thus reducing condensation and the likelihood of fungus and mould forming inside a lens. Reusable silica gel is a worthy investment – keep some in your camera bag and recharge as necessary.

D Dust blower

A large dust blower is an effective way to clean dust particles from your lens and camera gear. It can also be used to blow dust out of the sensor chamber. The Giottos Rocket Air is one of the best.

E Soft brush

A fine brush with soft bristles, such as camel hair, is ideal for removing potentially abrasive dust particles prior to cleaning glass with a lens cloth. Look for a Pro Arte brush, available from art stores. Alternatively, consider a classic blower brush.

F Microfibre cloth

Microfibre cloths are ideal for use in conjunction with lens cleaning fluid. They’re soft and made of tiny fibres that suck up dirt and oil. As well as using them on lenses, they’re ideal for wiping down the screens and viewfinder of your camera.

G Lens-cleaning pen

This nifty little gadget has a retractable cleaning brush on one end and a soft cleaning pad on the other. The pad is impregnated with a cleaning fluid that effectively removes smudges and dirt. The original Lenspen is available now for around £9.

H Skylight and UV filters

UV or skylight filters are ideal for protecting a lens’s front element, as they’re much cheaper to replace if they’re damaged. Both filters block UV light, reducing blue haze, but the skylight filter has a slightly warm tint.