Flashlights have been in existence since time immemorial and come into play, not just during blackouts alone. If you are searching for an all-round torch that will come in handy during an earthquake, tornado or hurricanes.
The four steps to flashlight maintenance are cleaning, replacing, protecting, and lubricating. If you follow these four steps 1-3 times a year, you will have correctly working flashlights always. You will need to clean your torches more if you are in sand, dirt, oil, or anything else that can get into the threads very often, batteries will be covered in a separate article since they are such a big part of how your flashlight works overall.
The following are simple steps to care and maintain your tactical flashlight:
Clean the Exterior
First, clean off any dirt on the outside of the torch. Using an alcohol pad or another grease-cutting evaporating cleaner with and a lint-free fabric wipe the outside. For flashlights with lots of grooves, it will be best if you use a bristle brush. The last part of cleaning the outside of the light is wiping down the lens. Hopefully, you have a flashlight with a scratch-resistant glass so you can wipe it off and it is like new. It is vital to keep your lenses nice and clean since all light goes through the lens, and you might not be getting the peak performance out of your flashlight otherwise.
Clean the Inside and Battery Contacts
After you have cleaned and removed all of the dirt on the outside, start taking the light apart. Take out the batteries and remove all visible dirt with the same tools used above. While you are in the flashlight check to see if the springs are working correctly. Ensure that inside the threads, no fibers remain if you are using a Q-tip or cotton swab. Once you clean all grime and dirt, give the strands a gentle wipe to remove any old grease.
Protecting and Replacing the Flashlight Parts
The O-rings are some of the most fragile yet essential pieces of your flashlight. O-rings keep dirt, grime, and water out of your light. They are what make your flashlight waterproof. They need to stay in good condition, ensure that your O-rings do not look dried out and cracked. If you notice any cracks, splits, or it just does not look like it will stretch anymore, you will want to replace your O-rings.…