Re: [Leica] Lens Cleaning

["Tom Schofield" <tdschofield@email.msn.com>]

Ted,

You obviously haven't been watching Martha Stewart, since you leave off the
most important thing -- no fabric softener when you wash the cloth (or your
towels).  Now let's start a fabric softener thread.

Tom

- ----- Original Message -----
From: "Ted Grant" <tedgrant@home.com>
To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>
Sent: Thursday, June 29, 2000 6:02 AM
Subject: Re: [Leica] Lens Cleaning


> Cleaning lenses.  Hey no big deal.
>
> Hi Gang,
> The old timers around here have probably been waiting for the usual lens
> cleaning lesson from the old fart! ;-)
>
> As has been noted in several posts, it seems a bunch of you lads have
> got your tails in a twitch about cleaning Leica glass, hell the only
> thing you haven't mentioned  yet is gasoline and burning it clean! ;-)
>
> This cleaning thing is such a no brainer I'm always surprised how many
> go through such turmoil over using a little spit & polish or heavy
> breathing, a shirt tail or well worn under shorts technique.
>
> For the new folks: :-)
>
> You have been creating the finest lens cleaning cloth every time you sit
> on your under shorts! Sure better than those expensive impregnated
> cleaning cloths.  There isn't anything softer or with better cleaning
> capabilities than a good bit of heavy breathing on the lens surface and
> a gentle circular rubbing with a piece of well worn under shorts.
>
> I bet you just been throwing out the "worn soft"  worlds greatest under
> short cleaning clothes all these years without giving it a thought.   So
> from now on here's the plan:
>
> Cut the largest piece of the under short left, fold it up, put in small
> freezer bag to keep it clean and put it in your camera equipment bag,
> from then on anytime you need to clean the lens, blow off anything extra
> lying around on the surface, no don't go and buy them airgun things,
> waste of money what the hell do you think a full set of lungs are for!
>
> Blow stuff off, breathe hard with your hot breath on glass and gently
> rub!  Clean as a whistle!  And apart from buying the original
> undershorts you have used a "no cost" cleaning cloth!  Now isn't that
simple?
>
> Now you young lads don't come back to me with all kinds of mamby pamby
> scratch lens stuff and whining, it don't happen if you follow the old
> fart's instructions correctly!  Been using this method for more years
> than most of you have been on planet earth or using Leica. Yep and my
> lenses are sparkly clean all the time.  Well Ok sometimes! ;-)
>
> Now enough already.  All together now, under shorts off, oops!  I mean,
> clean just washed undershorts, cut out sit upon side, breath hard on
> glass, rub and clean. If it still looks grungie, breathe again, rub again.
>
> For the timid in the crowd may I suggest watching Leica techs cleaning a
> lens and you'd go into cardiac arrest! Yep sometimes it's, breath hard
> and rub.  And I mean rub hard!
>
> So relax, the money you just saved by not buying them airgun and
> impregnated cloth things, buy film, go take pictures. Have a clean lens.
> :-) And for heaven sake have fun!  :-)
>
> ted
>