Are CD laser lens cleaners bad?

Justafan

So, I've always used a lens cleaner. One of those discs which has the brushes that 'sweeps' the lens clean, presumably, when you go from a certain track to another. I've always assumed they were a no-brainer type device and made perfect sense. Dust accumulates over time and would undoubtedly build up over the lens, brushes sweep it away. No-brainer.

But I was idly reading through the manual for the Marantz 6003 and it said something like "We do not recommend the use of a lens cleaner."

Does anyone know why? Or whether lens cleaners are in fact bad, or harmful, or even do nothing whatsoever? I don't know if they were referring to the brush type disc I use, or liquid cleaning devices, which I never use anyway.

Any ideas?

Nipstyler

I have used them in the past on cheap cd players with very little results.

I tend to take the cd case off and use a lightly moistened cotton bud to gently wipe the cd lens.  This should be done gently to reduce the risk of scratching the lens.

I think they say they do not recomend them as they may scratch the lens as they are spinning quite fast.  Also it may be the case that they may become stuck in the cd player/loose brissles inside etc.  The one I had wasnt even totally flat and would wobble

hope this helps

Don Dadda

Yep , scratches and or film residue from the liquid cleaner due to the alcohol content in it.

If out of warranty, Nipstyler advice is the a good one. Pop the cover, gentle wipe of the cotton bud, swap ends and wipe till dry, preventing film residue  build up from the liquid

makemywish

NAD too does not recommend using CD Lens cleaner -- Link

Roger Thornhill

The lens is very delicate and could be 'knocked' out of alignment with this type of cleaner.

Also they just 'sweep' the dust down in to the laser where it cannot be got rid of at all.

Just leave a disc in at all times so the dust settles on it rather than the lens and dust the outer of the player on a regular basis. A soft paintbrush is good for this.

Justafan

That does actually all make sense. I'm getting a new player in a few days and plan to keep it covered with a (clean obviously!) dishcloth when not in use - same for the amp - to avoid dust when not in use.

Cheers for the replies guys.

BlueWizard

Slightly off the topic, but I bought an Epson printer years ago, that said if I didn't use Epson paper I risked damaging the printer. REALLY?

I suspect that most CD maker recommend you don't use a disk type lens cleaner. It represents something they can't control. You could use a good lens cleaner or you could use a lens clearer roughly as abrasive as sandpaper. Then you would want to collect on the warranty.

So, what they really want is for you to not use the lens cleaner within the warranty period.

Let's consider how often you need to use the lens cleaner?

I suspect you can find people here who have had the same CD or DVD player for 10 years or more and have never cleaned it, and it still works fine. So, not that much dust is accumulating inside the player on the assumption the disks themselves are clean.

So, the use of a lens cleaner every couple years is probably not going to do much to damage the equipment. However, if you are cleaning every week or month, that wear can accumulate very quickly.

Common sense and moderation in all things.

Steve/bluewizard

makemywish

Dust on lens should not degrade sound quality.Unfortunately for me (and many like me) my CDP drive mechanism is not sealed (link), though NAD have been clever enough not to provide any vents on top of the CDP.

However, dust will accumulate as air is drawn in by the spinning motion as well as fine dust particles collecting during rest. Placing a CD inside while not in use is one option, but it does not prevent dust particles suspended in air gradually settling on the lens.

Even the recommended engineers would have to use some tool -- I guess it would be a fine brush or a cotton bud as pressurised air canister would further push dust particles in and a vacuum would be risky.

Another reason manufacturers would not like us to use CD lens cleaner is that the brush might be loose -- the side it sticks to the CD is set hard by the adhesive -- causing abrasion. Or might come off while spinning and damage the lens. Or the brush might be stiff. And casual users will normally blindly believe these products than use some knowledge and judgement.

One should give the lens cleaner a good visual inspection and also gently nudge the brush at the base (with another brush, not with fingers) to make sure it is not coming loose.

I make sure I clean the brush on the lens before and after use with another fine brush. Once the CDP is out of its warranty one can take the lid off and give the lens a visual inspection to check if a lot of dust has accumulated on it.

andy1249

This is the Only way to clean a lens should it need cleaning at all. Those disks with the brush are pretty much useless and a huge damage risk.
Being the unfortunate one in my circles of friends with technical knowledge , I get plenty of gear dropped in so that I can have a go at " fixing" it. And Ive seen lots of laser units actually broken by these disks.

My advice , never use such things , if you think the lens needs cleaning , get yourself a 6% alcohol solution and some lint free swabs ( not cotton buds , they can leave bits behind ) and use nipstylers advice.

Note: Most CD cleaning fluid is a 6% alcohol based solution , you can pick it up in most of the big stores. Sometimes it even comes with those dreadful disks. Oh , and just in case , thats alcohol as in IPA ( Isopropyl alcohol )

Justafan

Okay, well I shall bin all my brush based cleaning discs right now!

I always tend to keep a cd in the player anyway so I'll continue doing that, and just keep it covered when not in use to try and reduce as must dust settling around and on top of the player. And after the warranty period expires if I feel I really need to clean the lens then I'll just open the lid and follow the advice provided below.

Thanks again.