One of the most frequently occurring problems while using a laser pointer can be a dirty lens.
The good news is that it is also easy to fix.
An avid user of a laser pointer lens can tell the lens has impurities just by looking at the beam point.
It starts to go out of shape or tends to look spotty instead of the usual small tight circle.
If you’re facing this problem, you don’t have to worry about spending large amounts of money on getting a professional to repair it since you can do it on your own with little or no technical skills.
You can avoid common mistakes and save money when you know the right technique and have the appropriate gear for the job.
But with that said, before we tell you how to clean a laser pointer lens, you first need to know what products and tools you can use to carry it out.
Keep reading!
What Can I Clean My Laser Lens With?
1. Turkey Baster
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A turkey baster can be quite similar to compressed air.
To use one to clear a laser pointer lens, squeeze it and let the air from the baster hit the lens, and blow away the dust and dirt.
It’s essential that you use the baster to clear off these impurities first since they can scratch the glass later on when you’re using a cleaning cloth.
2. Breathe On the Lens
This is probably one of the easiest ways you can clean your laser pointer.
Gently blow on the surface of the lens so that it becomes damp; your breath is going to have a condensation effect that will break up the dust particles.
Once it’s damp, use a microfiber cloth in a circular motion to remove any residue.
3. Microfiber Cloth
With a microfiber cloth, you can clean those pesky fingerprints that you can leave on your laser pointer lens.
You may have a microfiber cloth lying around since a small piece comes with most eyeglasses and sunglasses.
Or you can order them online as they are easy to find.
They are efficient surface cleaners because they have thousands of tiny fibers stitched together. Since it’s soft, it won’t damage the lens either.
4. LensPen
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LensPen is known for its cleaning abilities.
It looks like a pen but has a microfiber cloth attachment on one end and a brush on the other.
You can use the brush to scrape away any unwanted dirt.
Sometimes, a LensPen can have brushes made from soft camel hair that doesn’t damage the glass.
Once you’ve brushed away the dirt completely, you can flip the pen to get the lens a final wipe with the microfiber cloth.
5. Q-Tip
A Q-Tip is small enough to clean a laser pointer lens, and the soft cotton won’t leave any scratches as well.
However, before using it to clean the glass, dip the Q-Tip in pure isopropyl alcohol.
If you can’t find isopropyl alcohol, you can use pure ethanol or isopropanol.
If you can’t find any of these, you can also use an alcohol swab to moisten the Q-Tip before you use it to clean the lens.
6. Compressed Air
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The most widely used compressed air sources are squeeze bulbs, cans of compressed air, or hand pumps.
No matter what you use, make sure you use a source that has clean and dry air.
How to Clean Laser Pointer Lens?
Step 1: Take Out the Batteries
Throughout this process, you must prioritize your safety.
Safety can be an issue with high-powered laser pointers, so take out the batteries before you start.
To do that, unscrew the battery holder, remove the batteries, and leave the holder off to be sure.
Step 2: Remove the Cover of the Lens
With a soft grip, unscrew the cover of the lens from the laser.
If it’s tight, apply little pressure but don’t grab it too tightly.
Once you’ve taken off the lens cover, make sure you keep your fingers off the lens.
Step 3: Cleaning the Lens with Compressed Air
Hold the nozzle of the bulb or can near the lens and give the lens small bursts of air slowly.
Again, make sure you don’t touch the lens during the process.
If you’re using a can of compressed air for this, ensure you don’t get the liquid on the lens.
Most of the time, compressed air will clean the lens thoroughly. However, if the lens still contains impurities, move on to step 4.
Step 4: Cleaning the Lens with a LensPen
If compressed air doesn’t seem to get the job done, use a LensPen.
Cleaning with a LensPen isn’t too hard.
Just use the tip of the LensPen (the brush) to polish the lens gently.
This process will hardly take you a couple of seconds.
Step 5: Final Clean-up With a Microfiber Cloth
Once you’ve cleaned the lens with the brush, give it one final rub with a microfiber cloth at the back of the LensPen.
The goal is to clean away all kinds of fingerprints and streaks that the step above couldn’t remove.
Once you’re done using the LensPen, keep it in a plastic bag to protect it from dirt and dust.
Step 6: Reassemble and Test
Reassemble the laser and turn it on.
If the laser pointer lens was dirty and not broken, the pointer and the beam should form a tight and bright circle.
However, the lens may be damaged if the laser pointer still has a problem and doesn’t function properly.
A laser pointer that is not damaged has a small halo without any scatter.
If you’re still confused, check out this tutorial on how to clean a laser pointer lens on YouTube:
F.A.Q
Can You Use Isopropyl Alcohol to Clean a Laser Lens?
Yes.
You can use isopropyl alcohol to clean a laser lens.
We recommend that you use 99% Isopropyl Alcohol diluted with distilled water on a 50:50 ratio.
There are some Isopropyl Alcohol variants in the market with a volume lower than 99%.
These variants include other agents that can make your lens sticky because of the residue they leave behind. In the long run, these unnecessary chemicals can damage your lens.
Vance is a dad, former software engineer, and tech lover. Knowing how a computer works becomes handy when he builds Pointer Clicker. His quest is to make tech more accessible for non-techie users. When not working with his team, you can find him caring for his son and gaming.