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Removing fungus with enzymes
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PostPosted: Fri Nov 13, 2009 7:33 pm    Post subject: Removing fungus with enzymes Reply with quote
I heard from one guy who cleans lenses professionally that the widely used methods such as hydrogen peroxide, ammonia, etc. are actually harmful because rather than removing fungus they can permanently fix in on the glass surface. He used enzymes that he got from some laboratory. The idea was that the enzymes simply digest fungus, leaving no traces.

So I tried the same approach with one infected lens that I bought recently. Since I don't have access to any laboratory facilities I used lens cleaner called "Purosol Optical". It is basically a cocktail of various enzymes that process all organic stuff - carbs, fat and proteins. The glass was heavily covered with fungus that grew from a center spot like a spider web. I let it soak in Purosol Optical for about 30 minutes. By that time the fungus simply came off the glass by itself and was floating in the solution. I didn't even have to rub it - simply wiped out the solution and the glass turned out perfectly clean, no traces whatsoever. Of course I was lucky that the coating was not permanently etched by the fungus.

I don't know how concentrated Purosol Optical is. I've seen some listings on eBay for laboratory grade enzymes that could work even better but those are expensive and you'd need to buy 3 different types to take care of proteins, carbs and fats that fungus is constituted of.

Anyhow, this is my success story!


PostPosted: Fri Nov 13, 2009 7:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Wouldn't the simplest solution be to just put the element in your mouth? Don't laugh, I've actually read in a magazine that this is a good method to get rid of fungus. After all, our saliva contains enzymes which will kill the fungus...


PostPosted: Fri Nov 13, 2009 9:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Hmm... That's an interesting idea, except that maybe later when you put up the lens for sale you'll have to add a note "cleaning... oops, biting marks on the glass" Smile In such case I'd rather just spit on the lens.


PostPosted: Fri Nov 13, 2009 9:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Enzymatic contact lens cleaning solution works fine on glass lenses as well, and is readily available in any drugstore, in concentrations safe for use under normal household conditions.

Personally I frequently use enzymes for ultrasonic degreasing (where water is the best solvent, as it has the highest cavitation energy of anything safe to use).

It should certainly clean fungus, but they are strange creatures, and I would not bet on enzymes sterilizing all of them, so I'd follow it up with the Zeiss recommended hydrogen peroxide/ammonia wash.


PostPosted: Fri Nov 13, 2009 9:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Quote:
I heard from one guy who cleans lenses professionally that the widely used methods such as hydrogen peroxide, ammonia, etc. are actually harmful because rather than removing fungus they can permanently fix in on the glass surface


I believe this is same bullshit than woman discuss biology at cosmetics.My wife has university degree from biology and chemist she also did suggest ammonia+hydrogen peroxide mixture. (Strongest what you can get)


I use hydrogen-peroxid+ ammonia mixture, smelly like hell and dangerous it's make all protein to liquid stage including from skin, but it is gives 0 percentage chance to fungus to survive. I clean only those glasses what is fully covered with fungus. This is pretty rare, to clean it with weak material like cold cream or vinegar not enough it will come back. My oldest lens with fungus 3 yrs old I store it in low humidity environment it get some lights, no fresh air and heavily fungushed lenses are also there. Fungus didn't grow on lenses. So before try immediately brain less cleaning, wait and look it at least once a month is it growing or not. If not growing just left it , store right and use it. All lens opening a potential risk to damage lens, lot higher risk than some fungus spots inside. Fungus did grow in Nuclear Power Plant (I did work there more 15 yrs) if they found dark places in humid environment.They were just fine in 12mg/l borax-acid.


PostPosted: Mon Nov 16, 2009 8:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Spotmatic wrote:
Wouldn't the simplest solution be to just put the element in your mouth? Don't laugh, I've actually read in a magazine that this is a good method to get rid of fungus. After all, our saliva contains enzymes which will kill the fungus...


I would suggest to spit on it, instead of putting it in the mouth. Wink
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