Preventive Maintenance of Fiber Optic Cables and Optics 2006-05

Cleaning Fiber Optic Cables and Connectors
There are multiple ways to clean fiber-optic cables and connectors. Included
below are some helpful tips to properly clean fiber optic cables.
Notes
• Do not allow the end of the fiber optic cable to make contact with any surface
including fingers.
• Do not bend the fiber cable. Bending the cable may cause internal breaks along
the fiber resulting in poor performance or instability.
• Optics and optic coatings are easily chipped and/or scratched. Use of finger cots
or powder free surgical gloves while handling fiber optic cables, to help ensure
cleanliness.
• Only fresh (dry) spectroscopic grade Methanol or Isopropyl Alcohol should be
used as a cleaning solvent.
• Ensure that the module power is off and that other light sources are disabled.
Cleaning Procedure
1. Blow the fiber surface with a
stream of Clean Dry Air (CDA) as
shown in Figure 3. This will
dislodge larger, loose particles.
Fig.3 – CDA cleaning
(cable)
2. Place 1-3 drops of spectroscopic grade methanol or isopropyl alcohol in
the center of a lens tissue.
3. Hold the fiber by the connector or
cable as shown in the Figure 4
below. Place the wet portion of
the lens tissue on the optical
surface and slowly drag it across.
Fig.4 – Lens tissue