Is toilet paper or q-tip softer on lens?

I just used damp toilet paper (fresh water) on my digital camera lens and it cleaned up great. Prior on another camara I used common rubbing alcohol and a q-tip, it made the lens foggy and seemed scratched. Was it the alcohol or the q-tip that caused this? Would a q-tip with water be softer than the paper? (only T.P. or q-tip, not buying a special cloth).

Did you use full strength alcohol for this? You're supposed to dilute the alcohol 50-50 with distilled water for optimal cleaning. As for Q-tip vs. toilet paper, as long as the toilet paper you're using doesn't leave a residue (cheap one does), I would continue using toilet paper.

Camera lenses are VERY easy to scratch. A Q-tip will scratch it, so can toilet paper. You should go to a camera store and buy lense cleaner. I don't think it is very expensive.

charmin remember less is more

Q tip

get the name brand ones :)

I'm a student photographer and it's actually not good to use either one of those to clean the lens. It's best for the camera to use a special lens cloth and cleanser. You can pick those up at any camera store.

Wood scratches glass, so don't use any product made from wood, no matter how soft the material is.

If it's possible, install a skylight or UV filter to protect your lens from scratches and dust.

Well, if you want to gamble that you won't scratch your lens, keep using one of the 2 items you mentioned. It may not scratch right away, but I can almost guarantee that sooner or later it will. You need to buy an inexpensive microfiber cloth from a camera store to clean the lens. It will be money well spent!