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The Essential Guide To Projector Lens Maintenance
Have you noticed that dust seems to accumulate quite faster than it once used to?
Leave your phone screen facing upwards for a while, and before you realize there are dust particles all over it. With changing climatic conditions dust has become a serious problem affecting our household electronic devices.
And your projector lens is no safer from it than a television or a PC. Dust can easily affect the image quality of your projected images and videos just as it affects the camera of a smartphone. What good is a projector if it cannot display images clearly?
But that is the least of your concerns as dust can do much more than affecting the clarity of your projector. It can also damage your projector lens and cost you all the money you had invested in its purchase.
Thankfully, proper and regular maintenance of your projector lens can extend the lifespan of your projector considerably – “proper” being the “key” word in that sentence.
That’s because the wrong products and cleaning methods can do much more harm to your projector lens than good. But if you know the right way to clean your projector lens, it should be a piece of cake!
The Right Way To Clean And Take Care Of Your Projector Lens
Cleaning your projector lens is no easy task; especially considering the fact that it is the most crucial and also the most delicate part of a projector. Every time you clean it, you run the risk of damaging it by scratching the surface. That being said, it is no difficult task either, if you really know what you’re doing.
With the right guidance, quality products, and strict adherence to the DOs and DON’Ts of the projector lens cleaning method, it should be easy as pie. So here’s how you clean your projector lens properly:
Before You Begin:
Cleaning your projector lens is no easy task; especially considering the fact that it is the most crucial and also the most delicate part of a projector. Every time you clean it, you run the risk of damaging it by scratching the surface. That being said, it is no difficult task either, if you really know what you’re doing.
With the right guidance, quality products, and strict adherence to the DOs and DON’Ts of the projector lens cleaning method, it should be easy as pie. So here’s how you clean your projector lens properly:
Get a lens cloth, a micro wipe, or a gentle cotton towel. The lens cloth is the most ideal and some projectors come with them. It is the same cloth you get to clean your eyeglasses. You can easily purchase a lens cloth online or from the nearest camera store if you don’t have one.
Get a lens cleaning solution or spray. It can be the same ones used for cleaning camera lenses, eyeglasses, or gadget screens. Make sure you get a quality product from a reputed brand. Avoid abrasive solvents, alcohol, or solutions that contain strong chemicals.
Turn off the projector. Make sure it cools down completely (at least 20 minutes). Unplug the power cable and any other cable that connects from power to the audio/video outputs of the projector.
Take the projector to a bright and open space with enough natural light as required. The aim is to have a clear sight of the lens when cleaning. You could also use white bulbs if possible.
How To Clean Your Projector Lens
Use the dry lens cloth to get rid of any dust, dirt, or debris from the surface of the lens.
Add adequate cleaning solution to the towel. Don’t add too much solution or directly pour the solution on the lens. If you have a lens spray, make sure to spray the solution in short bursts from a distance so as to avoid damage.
Wipe the lens gently again in a circular motion outwards from the middle of the lens. Make sure to wipe every spot on the lens while you use the circular motion.
If there are tough marks or build-up that doesn’t come off easily, use a cotton swab dipped in the cleaning solution. This can help clean stubborn debris. But make sure to do so gently.
DOs and DON’Ts To Keep In Mind When Cleaning Your Projector Lens
DOs
- Always use products like sprays that are specifically labeled fit for cleaning lenses.
- Always take care to use the spay in soft bursts from a distance to avoid damaging the glass
- Always wipe the lens using microfibre wipes in circular motions outward from the middle to avoid spreading the dust around the glass.
- Always store your cleaning products including microfiber wipes, lens brushes, and cleaning spray, in safe places where they will remain clean.
DON’Ts
- Never use a t-shirt, paper towels, tissues, or old clothes to clean your lens as it probably WILL scratch the glass, no matter how soft the cloth is.
- Never touch the glass with your fingers as it will have invisible dirt which WILL leave fingerprints. Fingerprints affect the picture quality drastically and are by far the hardest to remove.
- Never use your breath to wipe the lens, even if it makes your lens look sparkling clean. The acidity of your breath WILL damage the coating on the glass
- Never use household cleaners not specifically labeled for cleaning your projector. These WILL cause irreversible damage to the lens.
Taking Care Of Your Projector Lens
Cleaning your projector lens is only one part of the process. As they say, prevention is better than cure. And the same applies to projectors too. If you take care of the projector efficiently, it will considerably reduce the effort you have to put in while cleaning the lens. You will not have to worry about stubborn debris build-up and could well finish the clean-up process in a matter of minutes.
So here are some extra tips to take care of your projector lens.
Should You Follow The User Manual?
Always follow the user manual! There’s no better way to take care of your projector than to follow the instructions in its user manual. Each projector is built differently and comprises a varied set of components. So naturally, each projector is to be maintained differently. The same general rule might not apply to all projectors.
The user manual will contain all the information on taking care of your particular projector including how you should remove the lens cover, how to store and protect the lens when not in use, how to prevent damage from improper handling, what cleaning products to use, and so on. Besides, it will also protect you from unintentionally voiding your warranty.
How Often Should You Clean Your Projector Lens?
You can clean your projector lens as much as you want. If you can do it carefully and follow the instructions strictly you should be safe. Just don’t overdo it since every time you clean the lens, you run the risk of damaging it.
But don’t wait until your lens is visibly dirty to clean it. Ideally, you should check the lens and air vents every few weeks. Also, make sure you clean the whole projector rather than just the lens since dust on the projector could inadvertently reach your projector lens.
How To Prevent Dust From Getting On Your Projector Lens?
Always use the lens cap
The lens cap is meant to protect your projector lens from damage. So it is imperative that you always use the lens cap to protect it not just from dust but any other debris. It is the only surefire way to protect your projector lens as it will save the lens from being exposed to danger.
Store covered in a dust-free space
Make sure to keep the projector covered in a clean cloth or box and store it in a dust-free, cool, and dry space. Avoid storing the projector near a vent or a fan where there is a chance of dust blowing onto the projector. If the projector is fixed permanently and can’t be moved, at least cover it with a clean cloth when not in use.
Check the projector lens regularly
Make sure to keep the projector covered in a clean cloth or box and store it in a dust-free, cool, and dry space. Avoid storing the projector near a vent or a fan where there is a chance of dust blowing onto the projector. If the projector is fixed permanently and can’t be moved, at least cover it with a clean cloth when not in use.
How Much Does Dust Affect Projector Image Quality?
The extent to which dust can affect the image quality of your projector depends on what type of projector you own. If you own an LCD projector the damage is limited as it can be easily rectified with regular clean-up.
The dust simply collects on the lens causing the image to blur. Once the projector lens is cleaned, you will have a clearer picture. However, the greater danger is dust collecting in the vents to cause overheating and ultimately damaging the bulb and electronics inside.
On the other hand, if you own a DLP projector, it is more susceptible to problems of image quality even though they are more expensive. Dust can collect on the internal chips of a DLP projector and cause the image to become grainy or cause specks of incorrect color on the image.
So Is It Necessary To Clean Your Projector Lens?
Do you want good image quality and want your projector to last long? Then absolutely! Proper care and regular maintenance of the projector lens will give you optimal performance and picture quality every single time. And now that you have learned the proper way to clean your projector lens and all the DOs and DON’Ts to keep in mind, don’t let dust affect your projector lens ever again!