Just realized my lens cleaning cloths were leaving micro scratches after 6 years of using the same ones

Last week a guy at the camera swap meet in Portland told me to toss my old microfiber cloths after every dozen cleanings and after trying his method on a beat up lens cap I could actually see the difference under a bright light so now I'm ordering a bulk pack of 50 from a local supplier has anyone else noticed cloths getting rough after a while?

2 comments

2 Comments

amyb5410d ago

Right?! I had the same exact thing happen with a set of cloths I'd been using for maybe four years. I thought I was just being careful but under a bright desk lamp I could see these tiny little swirl marks all over my 50mm lens. It's like the cloths get stiff and pick up grit over time, even if you wash them. I switched to those disposable Kimwipes for the final polish and it made a huge difference (though I still use the old cloths for the first pass on dirty gear).

foster.oscar10d ago

My buddy had the same issue with his cleaning cloths... he was convinced he was being gentle until he took a macro shot of his lens and saw all these micro-scratches. Swore by the disposable wipes after that.