Re: Help! Smudged dirt on lens glass!

There really isn't any household or commonly found items that should be used for cleaning your lens. The coating on the glass is VERY delicate and will scratch very easily, even by common bathroom tissue. Once it's scratched, it's done for. Both lens cloths and lens tissue are very affordable and highly necessary. Another necessity is a clear filter for your lens. It's cheap, put it on the camera and NEVER take it off. That way, when something like this happens, you don't risk your precious (and expensive) lens.

The salt mist on your lens is only one of your worries here. Salt air is highly corrosive, and though you can only see it on your lens, it's currently eating the electrical components inside your camera. For beach shoots, I always take care to protect the camera, even if that means wrapping the body in a trash bag.