Key Features

End Face Fiber Optic Cable Cleaning Instructions

Clean OFC End Faces with the Quick Clean 1.25mm or 2.5mm Cleaner:

1. To begin end-face fiber optic cable cleaning, open or remove the guide cap from the Quick Clean Cleaner.
2. Push the cleaner straight into the connector and you will a hear a click to confirm cleaning.

Cleaning a fiber end face with the Quick Clean fiber cleaner tool

The Quick Clean fiber port cleaner cleaning a Fluke fiber optic tester

Clean OFC End Faces with the Quick Clean MPO Cleaner:

1. Open or remove the guide cap from the Quick Clean Cleaner.
2. Push the cleaner straight into the connector.
3. The Quick Clean is a one-click fiber cleaner – just turn the dial until you hear a click to confirm cleaning.

The Fluke Networks Quick Clean MPO end-face fiber cleaner

Inspect every end-face first. If it is clean, then it can be inserted as is. Most likely, it has accumulated some form of contamination and needs to be cleaned right before insertion:

Cleaning patch cords with a fiber optic Cleaning Card:

1. Remove the plastic cover from one cleaning zone.
2. Apply a minimal spot of solvent to the starting corner of the cleaning zone.
3. Holding the connector perpendicularly, swipe the end face from the wet spot into a dry zone.
4. Inspect again to ensure a complete cleaning. If necessary, expose a new cleaning zone and repeat the steps again.

Cleaning patch cords with a fiber Cleaning Cube:

1. Pull a clean wipe or sheet from the Cleaning Cube.
2. Apply a minimal spot of solvent to the starting edge of the wipe.
3. Holding the fiber connector perpendicularly, swipe the end-face from the wet spot into a dry zone.
4. Inspect again to ensure a complete cleaning. If necessary, repeat the steps again on a new portion of the exposed wipe on the Cube.

Cleaning inside ports with fiber optic cleaning Swabs:
 

1. Pull a clean wipe from the Cleaning Cube.
2. Apply a minimal spot of solvent to the wipe.
3. Touch the swab to the wet spot on the wipe for 3 seconds to absorb a minimal amount of solvent. A damp swab works better than a wet one.
4. Insert the swab into the port and turn several times while applying gentle pressure.
5. Follow the damp swab with a dry one, using the same procedure to remove any remaining solvent from the end-face and alignment sleeve.

* Note that applying solvent directly from the fiber optic cleaning pen to a swab will result in excess solvent on the swab.

What to Avoid When Cleaning Fiber Cable End-faces

There are as many different cleaning techniques as there are fiber optic network technicians. While some techniques work some of the time, the reliable and lasting performance of your fiber links requires inspection and proper cleaning processes with every mating. Here are some well-known bad habits:

Dry Cleaning:

Traditionally, dry cleaning has been proven to be only partially effective in eliminating contaminants from fiber end-faces and connectors. The challenge had been that the dry cleaning materials were either not good enough to uplift the various types of dirt or greasy contaminants, or they actually introduced static to the fiber ferrule that attracts dust. With technological advancement and better dry cleaning materials, however, a new class of fiber cleaning tools have been created to provide a cost-effective and efficient solution for cleaning more than 50% of contaminants from optical networks. It is therefore very important to avoid using simple swabs or cleaning papers to perform dry cleaning on any fiber connectors. Instead, use Fluke Networks’ Quick Clean Cleaner to eliminate most of the dust and harmful particles in your fiber plant.

Wet Cleaning:

Cleaning with only a pre-soaked wet wipe or excessive solvent will leave the liquid behind on the end-face which also causes problems. As that excess solvent dries, it can leave behind of film of dissolved contaminants that were never properly removed. In addition, residual isopropyl alcohol (IPA) can leave behind a “halo” as it dries which not only causes attenuation, but also can be very hard to remove. No solvent should remain after a cleaning.

Canned Air and Dusters:

Canned air and dusters are ineffective and should not be used to clean end faces. The only thing dusters do is blow large particles around. On a patch cord, this may be effective, but inside a port, this can result in those same particles settling elsewhere. Dusters are ineffective on smaller, statically-charged particles and totally useless on oil-based contaminants such as buffer gel or body oil. Finally, dusters often expel a propellant that becomes a whole new contaminant that now requires an effective cleaning process to remove.

Thinking New Equals Clean:

Do not be lulled into thinking that end faces on factory-terminated patch cords or pigtails will be clean when they are brand new and covered with a dust cap. Though fiber dust caps are great at preventing damage to the end face, the caps themselves can be a source of contamination. The plastic used to create dust caps will outgas a residue as its plasticizers deteriorate over time and the surface of the cap may contain mold-release substances used in their high-speed production process. Don’t be surprised to find a contaminated end-face upon removal of a protective cap. For repeatable and reliable end-face cleaning, always use Fluke Networks’ fiber optic cleaning tools to follow the recommended wet and dry process.

NFC Fiber Optic Solvent Pen with Specialized OFC Cleaner

For years isopropyl alcohol (IPA) fluid was used to clean fiber end-faces, but now there are customized solvents that are far superior, such as Fluke Networks’ Fiber Optic Solvent Pen. Most importantly, Fluke’s specialized OFC cleaner solvent is more effective than IPA at dissolving all contaminants, especially non-ionic compounds such as buffer gel and pulling lube. You will get a better clean every time and with every contaminant by using Fluke’s fiber optic cleaning pen.

Next, the solvent in our fiber cleaning pen has a lower surface tension than IPA which allows it to envelop particles and debris, effectively lifting them from the surface of the end-face as they are carried away by a fiber wipe or swab. Many smaller particles carry a charge that bonds them to the ferrule or an end-face. Unlike IPA, this solvent is oxygenated to neutralize this charge so that the charged particle can be removed, and more particles are not attracted to the end-face. When cleaning fiber end-faces inside ports or equipment, the evaporation rate of solvents becomes significant as it is harder to guarantee the removal of all solvents. Fluke Networks’ customized solvent has an evaporation rate tailored to stay long enough to work yet still disappear before mating. It evaporates much faster than IPA. IPA is highly hygroscopic and therefore draws water vapor that can then dry on the end-face and leave a residue, which sometimes appears as a “halo”. Using Fluke Networks’ fiber cleaning pen with specialized cleaning solvent will avoid this problem.

Fluke Networks fiber optic cleaning pen