You’re reviewing a landscape shoot, everything looks sharp, the composition’s solid — then you zoom in and there they are. Little dark blobs sitting in the same spot on every single frame. Sensor dust. It’s one of those things every photographer deals with eventually, and it’s especially common if you swap lenses in the field.

So can you clean it yourself? Yes. Should you? That depends on how comfortable you are and which method you choose. I’ve cleaned my own sensors for years, but I’ve also seen the aftermath when people get it wrong. Let me walk you through what actually works.

How to Tell Your Sensor Needs Cleaning

The easiest test is to shoot a plain white or light blue surface (a clear sky works perfectly) at f/16 or f/22. At those narrow apertures, any dust on the sensor shows up as soft dark spots. If you only see spots at f/22 but not at f/4, the dust is there — it’s just not visible at wider apertures because the depth of field is too shallow to render it sharply.

A few spots are normal. Every camera picks up dust over time, especially mirrorless bodies where the sensor sits exposed every time you change a lens. But if you’re spending five minutes cloning out spots in every image, it’s time to deal with it.

Method 1: The Rocket Blower (Start Here)

This is the safest first step and honestly fixes the problem about 70% of the time. A simple rubber air blower — the Giottos Rocket Blower is the classic — pushes loose dust particles off the sensor without ever touching it.

Here’s how I do it:

1. Fully charge your battery. You need the shutter to stay open, and a dead battery mid-clean can mean a shutter slamming onto a swab.
2. Put the camera in sensor cleaning mode (check your manual — it’s usually in the setup menu).
3. Hold the camera face-down so gravity works with you.
4. Give several firm puffs across the sensor. Don’t jam the nozzle inside the body.

Never use canned compressed air. Those cans can spray propellant onto your sensor, leaving a residue that’s far worse than dust. Stick to the manual rubber blower.

Method 2: Sensor Swabs (Wet Cleaning)

If the blower doesn’t shift the spots, you’ve likely got stuck particles or a tiny smear — maybe from a moisture droplet or oil from the shutter mechanism. This is where sensor swabs come in.

You’ll need swabs matched to your sensor size (full frame or APS-C) and a proper sensor cleaning solution. VisibleDust and Photographic Solutions’ Eclipse fluid are the go-to brands that most photographers trust.

The process:

1. Apply two small drops of cleaning fluid to the swab. Not soaking — just enough to dampen the fabric.
2. In one smooth motion, drag the swab across the sensor from one side to the other.
3. Flip the swab to the clean side and drag back.
4. One swab, one use. Don’t reuse them.

The key is confidence. A single firm pass is better than multiple hesitant scrubs. Go slow enough to maintain contact but don’t press hard. You’re cleaning glass, not scrubbing a pan.

What to Absolutely Avoid

I’ve seen some creative sensor cleaning attempts over the years. None of these ended well:

• Cotton buds or tissues. They shed fibres everywhere and can scratch coatings.
• Your breath. Moisture plus whatever you had for lunch is not a cleaning solution.
• Household glass cleaner. The chemicals can damage sensor coatings permanently.
• Canned air. As mentioned — propellant residue is a nightmare to remove.
• Anything not specifically designed for camera sensors. This isn’t the place for improvisation.

When to Take It to a Professional

Be honest with yourself about your comfort level. If the idea of touching your sensor makes your hands shake, there’s no shame in paying the $50-80 that most camera shops charge for a professional clean. It’s cheap insurance.

I’d also recommend going professional if:

• You’ve done a swab clean and the spots are still there (could be something under the filter stack)
• You see a smear that won’t shift — you might be pushing oil around
• Your camera is still under warranty and you don’t want to risk voiding it

Places like Camera Clinic in Melbourne or your local camera repair shop will sort it out in a day or two. Most major cities in Australia have at least one specialist.

A Realistic Cleaning Schedule

I clean my sensors roughly every couple of months, or before a big shoot. If you’re shooting in dusty environments — outback landscapes, construction sites, sandy beaches — you’ll want to check more often. If you mostly shoot in a studio with one lens permanently attached, you might go six months without needing to touch it.

The built-in sensor shake that most modern cameras offer does a decent job with loose dust, but it won’t handle stuck particles or smears. Think of it as a first line of defence, not a complete solution.

Sensor cleaning isn’t complicated, but it does require the right tools and a bit of nerve the first time. Start with the blower. If that doesn’t fix it, try a swab. And if you’d rather not risk it, a professional clean costs less than a decent lunch. Your images will thank you either way.