How to Clean Your Photography Tripod

It’s extremely important for landscape photographers to clean their photography tripod now and then. We try to clean ours about twice a year – more often if we’ve been photographing in sand, salt water, or swamps. Grains of sand can work their way into the grooves and threads of your tripod. You’ll know it’s time to start scrubbing if you hear a grinding or grating sound as you turn the knobs or make adjustments to the tripod. Salt water can corrode some metals – so you should rinse your tripod after shooting at the beach. And swamp water – well, the bacteria that grows in swamps can climb right into your camera tripod legs and just hang out there… multiplying happily until you open your tripod and discover that it really stinks! Cleaning a photography tripod isn’t particularly difficult… though it can take some time. It takes about an hour to completely clean both of our carbon fiber tripods.

Disassemble your Camera Tripod

The first step is to take the camera tripod apart. Each tripod will be different. Jay and I both have Induro & Benro Carbon Fiber Tripods, but they are different models, and the parts are slightly different. However, since they both have twist lock leg mechanisms, they come apart in the same way. We loosen them the same way we would if we wanted to extend the tripod leg segment, and then we keep on twisting in the same direction until the camera tripod leg detaches. Locking clips will require a different set of steps – some have removable screws, and some are held in place by pins that are not removable. If your photography tripod doesn’t come apart, don’t sweat it. You can still clean your tripod. We’ll get to that in a minute.

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  Varina Patel using carbon fiber photography tripod in sand, Australia

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  Varina Patel with using three legs of her carbon fiber tripod individually

The important thing is to keep track of where all those little pieces go, so that you can put it all back together when you are done. If you are worried about putting the photography tripod legs back together, take some photos for reference as you work. You may find that there are more pieces than you expected. This photo shows Varina’s Induro tripod, all taken apart. Notice that we didn’t remove the screws that hold the top of the tripod legs to the center piece. We find that they don’t usually need to be removed for cleaning.

Disassembled Induro carbon fiber tripod legs for cleaning

Use soap and water to clean every piece

Once our carbon fiber tripod is in pieces, we fill up the sink with hot, soapy water and get down to business. We use dish soap to clean each piece by hand. There’s no particular brand that we recommend – but do use dish soap, since it cuts through grease and won’t leave a residue. I use a soft scrubbing pad to clean each part, and an old toothbrush to get the threads in the tripod legs clean. Generally, I keep a small bowl of dish soap handy. I dip my toothbrush into it now and then so that I can get through the grease. Scrub the threads carefully to remove any grease that is stuck in there… along with sand, silt, and slime. :) Then a quick rinse, and we lay it all out on a cloth to dry.

Clean a photography tripod parts with dish soap and water to get the dirt and sand out

Keep in mind that rough-cut edges of metal or carbon fiber can give you splinters! Our carbon fiber tripods tend to lose tiny, sharp shards from the ends of the leg segments. I pulled two out of my fingers the last time I cleaned my photography tripod. Ouch! You can wear rubber gloves to protect your skin. They’ll keep the grease off your hands and keep your fingers from getting all wrinkly, too. :)

If your camera tripod doesn’t come apart, just flush out each joint on the tripod legs with hot, soapy water. You can use a small brush to get into the little grooves and openings to clean them out as well. Adjust your locking clips and slide the tripod legs in and out under sudsy water if you can. That will help to loosen any grit that is trapped in tight places. You should be able to get your camera tripod pretty clean that way. Extend all the tripod legs and allow it to dry thoroughly before putting it away.

Dry and reassemble your tripod

Once the pieces are clean and dry, it’s time to put the tripod back together. You need to use a small amount of lithium grease on the threads of your tripod legs to keep everything working smoothly. This photo shows how much we use.

Applying lithium grease be reassembling the carbon fiber tripod

A little goes a long way – and if you put too much, you’ll just end up having to wipe it off later. We put a little bit of grease on the threads of our carbon fiber tripod legs and then screw the tripod leg segments into place slowly – screwing them in and out a bit as we go to help spread the grease around. The pieces should turn smoothly… if you hear a gritty grating sound as you put the pieces back together, check for debris in the threads. You may need to do a better job cleaning. You’ll need grease in all the moving parts – there’s no need to grease screws that should remain tight.

Wipe off any excess grease with a paper towel, and you’re done with cleaning your photography tripod! Now, that wasn’t so bad, was it!? :) Here’s a quick video that shows the whole process:

How to clean your photography tripod video – Click to Play

The frequency with which you’ll need to clean your camera tripod depends upon how you use it. If it never leaves the house, you probably don’t need to clean it at all. If you are shooting on the grass or a muddy path – just rinse the feet when necessary and you’re good to go. Rain won’t hurt your camera tripod – though prolonged exposure to moisture will corrode some metals… so take the time to dry it off when you come in and leave it open until it’s thoroughly dry. Always rinse your tripod if you use it in salt water – salt can cause corrosion as well.

Take simple precautions to help keep your photography tripod clean a little longer. When we are shooting in sand, mud, or water, we always extend the lowest leg of the camera tripod at least a few inches beyond the mess. That simple action keeps the joint up out of the muck. If you can avoid it, don’t immerse the joint in sand or salt water. But don’t worry too much if it does get into the joints. Just take some time to clean it up and it’ll be good as new!

About Author Varina Patel

There is nothing more remarkable to me than the power of nature. It is both cataclysmic and subtle. Slow and continuous erosion by water and wind can create landscapes every bit as astonishing as those shaped by catastrophic events – and minuscule details can be as breathtaking as grand vistas that stretch from one horizon to the other. Nature is incredibly diverse. Burning desert sands and mossy riverbanks… Brilliant sunbeams and fading alpenglow… Silent snowfall and raging summer storms… Each offers a unique opportunity. I am irresistibly drawn to the challenge of finding my next photograph, and mastering the skills required to capture it effectively.

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