Looking for Optics cleaner

[David Epperson]

Guys Do You know which store would sell that stuff?

Auto Zone - read the labels on their "gas line deicer" or "Heet" gas additives. Between the Yellow and Red Heet you have pure Methanol and Isopropanol - the Auto Zone brand deicer is Ethanol (possibly denatured).
We use 99% IsoPropyl alcohol to clean the lenses of our lasers at work. Just be sure to use a good soft lens cloth or tissue.

[David Epperson]

OK...now I'm somewhat confused. I thought a recent post listed isopropyl alcohol as a good optics cleaner. An optics cleaning video from a distributor shows IA being used to clean all optics on the lasers they sell.

I bought 91% IA and am now wondering if this is inappropriate for the mirrors etc. or will a residue/film be left. Any comments? Thank you.

Nope. IPA is fine. That's what we use on all our laser equip and a lot of automated industrial vision inspection system camera lenses, mirrors and windows.

[David Epperson]

Don't use rubbing alcohol on your optics. It leaves a cloudy film behind for some reason.

-Robert

"Rubbing Alcohol" is usually 70% IPA (IsoPropanol) and 30% water. It's the water part you don't want.

[Patrick Cooley]

I use Lense cleaning cloths from Walmart. You can buy a box of them for $3 or so. Each one is indivdually wrapped and is soaked in some kind of alcohol. Seems to work well for me.
Pat.