How to Clean a Rifle Scope Lens Properly (3 Easy Steps)

Today, I’m going to show you 3 easy steps to clean your Rifles Scope lenses.

If you want to eliminate:

Fingerprint smudges.

Specks of mud. 

Dust prints.

Pollen.

Then you’ll love the 3 actionable tips in this guide. 

Let’s get to it…

Why Should I Clean My Scope’s Lens?

Because it’s a problem.

(Or at least will become a problem if left unattended) 

Whether it’s pollen, mud or fingerprint marks, they will affect your lens’ image quality and view. That’s why you need to clean your scope: to prevent your scope’s clarity from being impaired.

And here’s the thing:

The MAJORITY of people screw up while cleaning their lens. As a result, they may inadvertently chip away the lens coating. 

Do you want that? Of course not. 

That’s why I’m here: to give you 3 simple steps to follow that will make your scope’s lens sparkling clean all while avoiding scratching or chipping your lens. 

In fact, I’ve personally cleaned my Mini 14 scope using these simple techniques and mistook it as a brand new scope (or I’m just being biased ????). 

Without further ado, let’s start off with…

Step 1: Dusting

The first step in cleaning your lens is removing the dust particles. 

You can do that in one of two ways. By using either a: 

• Brush
• Compress Gas Duster

Start off by holding the scope upside down. Then, use a duster of choice to brush off ALL the dust and dirt that you can see.

Pro Tip: Personally, I prefer to use a compressed-gas duster since it removes everything, even invisible dust particles. It’s also cheap. But a word of caution: make sure to fire short bursts rather than one huge burst to avoid damaging your optics.

After you’re done removing the dust and visible particles with the brush or gas duster, it’s time to clean off some good ol’ smudge spots with…

Step 2: Cleaning

This part requires you to call your inner-Consuela.

Once you’ve called her, it’s time to grab a soft, chemical-free microfiber cloth or lens paper. Don’t cheap out and use your shirt or sleeve — you’ll end up SCRATCHING your scope. 

You DO NOT want that. (Believe me)

Instead, invest in a microfiber cloth. It’s worth it!

And another thing: make sure to take YOUR time and BE gentle when cleaning. After all, your scope lens is like a baby — delicate and innocent — so treat them accordingly!

By now, your scope’s lens should be clean and ready to use. However, if you still have marks and need something more “intense,” then it’s time to pull out the…

Step 3: Liquid Cleaners

Sometimes water spots or pollen dry up and require a bit…more than brushing.

That’s where lens cleaning solutions come in place.

Simply apply a few drops on a cleaning pad (NOT the glass) and start cleaning. Wipe in a circular motion and more specifically, start from the CENTER of the glass to the edges. 

With that, your scope should be sparkly clean now. It’s time to do the fun part…

Test out Scope

Here’s what you should’ve done by now:

1. Removed the dust (with a brush or gas duster)
2. Wiped the surface with a cloth (or lens paper) and…
3. Used a liquid cleaner to remove those “hardcore” smudges. 

Did you do all of that? Good. 

Now, you’re REALLY ready to test out your scope.

Go out to the range and see how much clearer your lens are. No longer will you find those yucky smudges or prints all over the lens. Instead, you should enjoy a nice, clear lens. 

The result? Better shooting.

And EVERYBODY wants that (including Consuela). 

So I hope this guide left you with a sparkly scope! If for any reason your inner-consuela didn’t want to come out or you messed up, leave a comment down below and I’ll get back to you when I can ????