Unfortunately water alone won't remove any grease or oil. Possible to wash your filters with water but for lenses you can forget it :nono:... because water can seep into the edges of the curved lens element and get into the lens. Because it is soluble and dries slowly, it is very easy to leave streaks and residue later. Plus there is always the risk of internal corrosion if it gets inside the lens.
Huh?!! I didn't suggest using lots of water... so much that it seeps into the edges... etc. etc. Even alcohol has a tendency to leave streaks and residues. Its what causes the streaks and residue that is the deciding factor here, not water and alcohol per say.
Well it is used a lot in optical factories. Lens coatings are usually a thin film metal oxide applied by PVD so I don't know where you got the idea that they are soluble in alcohol. You got any proof or is this just a random thought?
Water is also used a lot in optical factories. Many many times more than alcohol.
Furthermore, not all lens coatings are thin films of metal oxides.
In addition, with time, some of the coatings break down (chemically). Exposure to different kinds of environments also plays a deciding factor here.
Hmm, maybe a stopgap solution in the field but I know it won't really pick up all the fingermarks/grease/oil. You'll just be smearing it all over the lens. Plus rubbing with a dry tee puts a greater risk to scratch the lens coating. Can you be sure that tee is perfectly free of particles, even if you got it fresh from the laundry?
I didn't advocate using a cloth (whichever material) to smear grease or oil. I suggested using it to clean the lens with water/alcohol/cleaning liquid. Its common sense that water/alcohol won't get the oil/grease off and smearing will take place. Only cleaning liquids having detergent will get the oil off.
BTW, I have tried this method... very rarely though. Works like a charm. But again, I warn, one has to use just a wee wee little bit. How little? Apply common sense! Try with a plain ordinary glass first before you apply on your lens... if the application feels soapy, you've used toooo muuuch!!
Of course I do not advocate using this method at the drop of a hat. I only suggested it as a last measure... and I stated so in capital letters! LOL!!
What can I say? If you know what goes into dishwashing liquid, you'd know that it is essentially a detergent and is not pH neutral. There are lots of additives like that nice lemon smell you get. Good for you if it has worked for you, I've been shooting for donkey's ears too and I certainly won't recommend anything like it, just like other home remedy recommendations like window cleaner liquid (ammonia)... :thumbsd:
What can I say? These aren't industrial detergents! I advocated MAMA because it is one of the most 'gentle' cleaning liquids. pH neutrality does not really matter here. Its a minor issue.
+
Funny thing is that in today's modern world it is so easy to scare consumers into buying expensive stuff to do simple jobs! Micro-fibre cloth! LOL!! Like isn't a cotton T-shirt also technically a micro-fibre cloth? Answer: It is... only it isn't advertised so!
And what is the guarantee that the 'micro-fibre' cloth you buy hasn't got microscopic particles in it too that may scratch a lens? LOL!! Do they come certified sterile? Ever gone into a factory and seen for yourself how these things are made, stored, cut, shipped about and packed! You'll be shocked that these environments aren't atmospherically sterile!!
BTW, did you know that all synthetic micro-fibre cloth (like the ones commonly sold) attract and hold dust by a static charge. This is an inherent quality of the material itself.
Ironic that 'common sense' is not commonly found these days! We then to believe what we see and hear in the media without applying our knowledge and reasoning.