Is it OK to swave the lense with a Q tip?
Wal now that depends on what you have soaked that Q-Tip in. If Hoppe's then NO WAY JOSE! If dry I'd still say no. If the answer is either alcohol or soapy water solution my answer is then yes.
I spent several years of my working life working at an Army Depot cleaning and repairing optical instruments for our Uncle. The universally accepted method used by all 200+ of us in the shop was to first blow off as much loose stuff as we could with air from an ear syringe. These days the lens pens and camel's hair brushes can do a fine job also as can the canned air used to blow off electronics of dust.
Next we had three pump bottles filled with liquids. We used high quality lens cleaning paper folded up and held by tweezers. DON'T TRY THAT ONE AT HOME FOLKS. One slip and you've ruined an optic. We practiced and learned on junk glass before being allowed to do it on the good stuff. Yes on rare occasions a slip still happened. DON'T! USE Q-Tips brand cotton swamps wrapped on paper sticks.
The solutions we used were first soapy water. This was generally used ONLY if there was a lot of dust or loose dirt on the lens that the air didn't remove. Get the surface of the lens big time wet and be gentle under such conditions. Change Q-Tips often. Once the majority of that is gone soak up the remaining soapy water with a soft tissue made for lens cleaning or more Q-Tips. Do not use the hard lens cleaning paper often sold for cleaning eye glasses.
Move next to the alcohol. We used PURE 190 proof grain alcohol. Oh yeah some sneaked a drink but useage was carefully monitored. Today I use wood alcohol available by the quart or gallon at Wallyworld. With this and some Q-Tips you can do the final cleaning of the lens. Then use acetone on a Q-Tip to remove the smears and spots alcohol will leave as it doesn't dry fast enough.
In all swab useage use a circular motion. CLean from outside to inside of lens surface.
When cleaning your rifle you should protect the lens from ALL cleaning solvents used on guns. USE ONLY soapy water, alcohol, acetone or an approved lens cleaning solution sold for that purpose.
GB
