Although nowadays modern binoculars are fairly solid and persistent and the few mechanical parts are usually maintenance-free, some regular care is important to keep the quality and durability of your binoculars.
Regardless you are a recreational or professional birdwatcher, during their lifetime, binoculars are heavily exposed to the weather and outdoor environment. No matter how careful you may be, inevitably, your birdwatching binoculars will face some challenges and hazards with moisture, fungi, tiny insects, grime and dust, sand, salt, or even food. Those things might seem harmless but they will, in fact, put your binoculars in check, affecting among other things the lens, eyecups and lens coating.
Yet, with a little and constant care and the right kind of cleaning utensils, it is easy to remove those undesired threats from your piece of gear and extend its lifetime.
First off, let’s check some aspects you should take into account for the proper binoculars cleaning process:
1) Acquire an essential cleaning kit. In this kit, you should include things like an air blower, lens cleaner brush, lens cleaning wipes, microfiber cleaning cloth and cleaning spray. Be gentle and don’t overuse them, especially with lenses or non-waterproof binoculars.
2) Never use any other item or detergent to clean your binoculars. You should never use handkerchiefs, any part of your shirt or jacket, toilet paper or facial tissues, or newspaper. Nor any kind of detergent or house cleaning products. These all gonna make matters worse.
3) Avoid blowing to the lens of your binoculars. If you are in the field with any other option, of course, you can do it. But for a routine cleaning process opt for the air blower and the lens cleaner brush instead.
4) Always start the cleaning process by brushing or blowing away the loose dirt. Then, you can spray the binoculars and/or use the cleaning wipes.
5) Don’t try to remove or unscrew any part of your binoculars. However dirty your binoculars seem and whatever you do, you should never remove or unscrew anything. The eyecups tend to be victims of this approach.
6) Attach a quick cleaning cloth to your binoculars. If you are commonly exposed to the elements, you can use a small cleaning cloth attached to the strap or harness for an emergency cleaning. This is a good “first aid” cleaning, but you should not overuse it or use it instead of the proper cleaning equipment.
Now, let’s go through some tips for protecting your binoculars while outdoors:
- Don’t leave your binoculars on the car seat while you are driving. Sooner or later, they will fall down and eventually get damaged. Consider keeping them around your neck if you are still birding, stored in a bag or even on the floor of the car if you plan on driving longer periods.
- Don’t leave your binoculars exposed inside your car. First, because the exposure to the sun will harm the lens coating, and secondly because they might seem tempting for a robbery.
- In case you have solid twist-up eyecups, retract them when storing or while travelling with your binoculars. A bump or knock can easily damage the eyecups in your binoculars.
- Don't stroll around swinging binoculars. Rather, keep them around your neck or comfortably hanged on a binocular harness.
- Store your binoculars or hold them in your hand, if you have to do some active and abrupt movements, such as jumping, running, getting inside a boat or crossing a stream.
- Keep your binoculars under/on a cover/case when raining. If the rain isn’t that heavy or in case you have to (or want to) stay under it, use lens covers and keep them closed as much as possible. You can also attach to your binoculars a small cleaning kit (cleaning cloth) to keep the lens dry while you are exposed to the elements. As soon as you are back home, you should properly clean your binoculars.
- Ask for professional support if your binoculars suffer any damage or fall into the water. You may know some tips to repair or clean them, but in such cases, professional assistance is the wiser decision. To prevent that, you should buy your binoculars from a brand or company that offers you a good warranty and professional assistance.
We hope you have found this article useful for you, and if so share it with a person you know that might not be taking good care of their binoculars. Feel free to reach out to us to share your opinion, approach to this matter or alternative suggestions.