

Best way to clean scanner glass?

Discussion in 'General Equipment Chat & Advice' started by Ilford, Dec 11, 2014.

  1. Ilford

    Ilford New Member

    I've just picked up an Epson V500 second hand. The glass has some marks on it - not sure exactly what it is, but it's definitely some little lumps of residue, not scratches.

    If it was a cheap scanner I'd try and pick them off with my nails and a bit of Windowlene or something, but obviously I'm not going to do that on the V500.

    What would be the best way of going about cleaning these marks off without damaging the glass?
  2. Sejanus.Aelianus

    Sejanus.Aelianus In the Stop Bath

    My first thought is an alcohol based optical spray cleaner, after you've used a blower to clear the loose stuff. In any case, if you treat the whole thing the same way as you would treat a lens, which had got gunge on it, you can't go too far wrong.
  3. Ilford

    Ilford New Member

    I've never actually cleaned a lens, short of rubbing it with a cloth. :eek:

    What sort of cleaner? Anyone got any recommendations or brands?
    I know I'll need a cloth too, again, anyone able to recommend a specific one?

    (Sorry if this all sounds so newbie, but I really don't want to damage that glass!)
  4. Sejanus.Aelianus

    Sejanus.Aelianus In the Stop Bath

    Try any decent optician (not one of the big chains) and I'm confident they'll provide you with a suitable alcohol based cleaning product. I always use very well washed cotton handkerchieves but some people prefer microfibre cloths.
    Last edited: Dec 11, 2014
  5. LargeFormat

    LargeFormat Well-Known Member

    Give it some anti-static treatment. The underside of the glass tends to attract dust.
  6. Steve Bell

    Steve Bell Well-Known Member

    I use Nilglass, it's an excellent alcohol based glass cleaner, smear free.
  7. Ilford

    Ilford New Member

    I got an alcohol free lens cleaning fluid and cloth from Calumet and it's done absolutely nothing to the stuck on residue. :-/

    Wouldn't Nilglass be a bit too harsh? It's meant for outdoor windows, etc?
  8. PeteRob

    PeteRob Well-Known Member

    I think you just have to be patient. See if it soaks off. Put a small bit of cloth on it and keep it damp. Most lens / glass cleaners these days are free of the traditional solvents so it is quite hard to get an alcohol based one. There is no telling that the residue would come off with an alcohol based one anyway. Most lens cleaners (including alcohol ones) are aimed at removing greasy marks.

    If you want to try I found that maplin still sell isopropyl alcohol (neat) as electrical contact cleaner, I think it used to be used @ 0.5% v/v solution in distilled water as a lens cleaner but I am not sure.
  9. nimbus

    nimbus Well-Known Member

    A question, is the glass actually a type of plastic rather than glass? If so caution is necessary as synthetic materials tend to be more easily scratched than glass.
  10. nCognito

    nCognito Well-Known Member

    Use RoR, (Residual Oil Remover, Amazon) on a lint free cloth. That will get rid of any cr*p but itself leave a slight residue which you then remove with Isopropyl alcohol, again on a lint free cloth. Isopropyl alcohol on its own has no detergent cleaning properties, which can lead you to scrub with the cloth which can cause scratches.

    If you want to make your own smear free cleaner, mix 7 parts 99% surgical spirits with 3 parts distilled water and one small drop of ecopure washing up liquid.

    Use both methods on my telescopes for a smear free finish, RoR if its really dirty, the homebrew stuff for general use.
  11. Ilford

    Ilford New Member

    Well, I managed it in the end, just by spraying the alcohol-free lens cleaning fluid very close to the cloth (so it was wet) and then rubbing and rubbing the marks, drying the glass when it got too wet, and then rubbing witht eh wet bit again. I also used my fingernail (through the cloth) to dislodge the stubborn parts.

    Took a minute or so for each mark to go but it worked. Was akin to trying to get tree-sap off my car.
  12. 0lybacker

    0lybacker In the Stop Bath

    You could try cheap mouthwash. It's a great cleaner for computers. Cheers, Oly
  13. 0lybacker

    0lybacker In the Stop Bath

    My camera repairer friend reckons on 50:50 alcohol:meths and says he knows guys who use that on the scanner lenses as well as the platens. Cheers, Oly

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