Cleaning the Eye Pieces of the Microscope

Cleaning the Eye Pieces of the Microscope.docx

How To Know

There are several places that can get dusty to the point of an aberration in the image seen in the microscope. There are a few ways to determine exactly where the dust is so that it can be cleaned.

First step is to get someone else to look through the eyepiece to confirm they are seeing the same thing. Sometimes, floaters in the eyes can be confused as something wrong with the microscope
Second is to test different lenses to see if the object become larger or smaller.
Third is rotating the eyepieces to see if the object rotates.

How to Clean the Eyepieces

Never wipe the eyepieces when they are dry. Always use lens cleaning fluid, or condensation from your breath
Use lens paper or cotton swabs (Kim wipes can sometimes cause scratches on the lenses)
Start with your breath, get a good layer of moisture, then use a cotton swab to wipe in a spiral motion starting at the center.
Once all the moisture is evaporated, look through the eyepiece to see if more cleaning is necessary
If so, dip a new cotton swab in distilled water, and make sure to get all the excess water off, and repeat by wiping in a spiral motion starting at the center
Check again, and if it still needs more cleaning use a mixture of soap and water (5-10 drops per 10 ml).
If there is very stubborn dirt, try using isopropyl alcohol, but be careful not to leave streaks, as that is easy to do
Repeat these same steps but on the opposite side of the eyepiece if there are still objects in the view