How to clean a tripod (flip or twist lock legs)

While being immersed in the natural environment is wonderful for you and your birding, it’s not so good for your equipment. The tripod, standing on the ground, is the piece of kit that comes into contact with the most dirt.

However sturdy tripods are, they still benefit from some extra care. To keep them operating smoothly, regular cleaning is essential.

What steps should you take to clean your tripod while you are out birding? Is there something else to do once you get home to keep it in tiptop condition?

Are there any special cleaning cloths, materials or liquid that you should or shouldn’t use?

Some of the guidelines on how to clean the tripod depend on what environment the tripod has been in. Where did you take it – to rainy or windy conditions? What did the legs stand on – mud, sand, fresh water or sea water?

How to clean a tripod – the short version

1. Gather together the cleaning products and tools
2. Follow the instructions to remove each leg section, starting at the bottom
3. Make life easier by keeping all the parts together and organised
4. Clean the components thoroughly
5. Dry them off and leave overnight to be sure they are dry
6. Add a little bit of grease
7. Insert the locking mechanisms back into each leg section, starting this time from the top end
8. Line up the leg sections and reassemble them
9. Remove any excess grease

What tools and equipment do I use to clean a tripod?

The cleaning materials you need to clean a tripod

• Water
• Soap
• Sponge
• Toothbrush
• Grease – some tripods come with grease. Either buy some made specially for tripods. Or a cheaper alternative is the grease used on ball bearings.

The tools you need to disassemble a tripod

• If the tripod has flip locks – can vary. Could be a small Allen key or a Phillips screwdriver.
• If the tripod has twist locks – no extra tools needed

How to clean a tripod – the long and detailed version

Step 1. Take everything off the tripod

Lay out an old sheet or towel so you can see everything easily and don’t get gunk everywhere.
Take off all the detachable parts that you can remove by hand. This might include:

• Tripod head (We cover how to detach and re-attach the tripod head here.)
• Leg cushions
• Foot spikes (some may require a proprietary tool or Allen key)

Step 2. Disassemble the tripod legs

This is the part to pay extra attention to, so that reassembling it is not a headache! Taking photos as you go might help jog your memory.

To take apart the legs, begin with the narrowest section. Though the exact components of the tripod may differ to the ones described here, the principle is the same.

Where the details differ most often is on the leg locks, which may be twist locks or flip locks.
Here you can choose the applicable instructions – do the tripod legs locks with flip locks or twist locks?

In this section we cover both styles of lock, starting with the twist lock because it’s less fiddly.

Step 3. How to disassemble a tripod with twist locks

Loosen the locks and slide out the small section. When it’s out you may see the retainers lined up inside.

Work upwards, taking out each section in turn, smallest to largest.

When you reach the highest, widest leg sections, take a look and see how dirty they are. You might not need to remove them if they are still clean.

Step 3. How to disassemble a tripod with flip locks

The tool you need varies according to the brand of tripod. Some require a small Allen key. Others need a Phillips screwdriver.

Lay the tripod on its side. Support the underside of the flip lock so that it doesn’t fall apart when the screw releases.

Undo the screw on the fliplock. Lift off the top side of the lock.

Retain the small nut and spring which should drop out of the underside of the lock. Don’t lose the spring as this is what applies tension to the nut when it is fully assembled.

Extend the leg section fully. There may be a collar, which you can slide off. This releases the two other thin inner tabs.

Once these small pieces are removed, you can slide out the leg section completely. Take care to retain the pair of clips at the top of the section.

Step 4. Work upwards

Move methodically upwards, taking out each section in turn, smallest to largest.

Take extra care as there are a lot of tiny easily losable components to the locks. Lay them out in order.

Sometimes the parts, especially the little tabs for example, are unique to the size of each leg section. These may have a notch that needs to be lined up precisely and in the correct orientation.

Working in a systematic and organized way makes putting the tripod back together simpler.

Step 5. Clean everything thoroughly

For this you need a simple solution of mild detergent mixed into warm water.

Clean all of the parts carefully, including the screw threads which tend to gather dirt.

When you reach the highest, widest leg sections, take a look and see how dirty they are. You might not need to remove them if they are still clean.

Take care to do this systematically and keep the dirty parts well separate from the clean so you don’t get confused about which are done and which aren’t

Wash the flip locks or screw threads on the twist locks of the legs, depending on which locking method the tripod uses. While sponges work well on the larger sections, a toothbrush comes in handy to remove all the dust, dirt or sand from the threads.

Step 6. Rinse all the parts and dry them

Rinse it with a lot of clean water to remove if you’ve used it in sea water or salty conditions. It’s often worth soaking the parts overnight in water in the bathtub to remove all the residue.

Use lots of fresh water to rinse each part thoroughly. Wipe them dry.

A pro tip is to lay them out overnight too, to be extra sure they are dry.

Once it’s all completely dry, follow these steps to put the tripod back together. Again, we have separated the instructions into twist lock and flip lock.

Step 7. Reassemble the locking mechanisms if they are twist lock

Put the locking inserts and guidance rings back inside the leg sections.
Add a tiny bit of grease to each screw thread. Put some on the spikes if there are any.

If you accidentally apply too much, use a clean cloth to wipe off the excess. There should be just enough to add lubrication. It also acts as a barrier against dirt and water.

Step 7. Reassemble the locking mechanisms if they are flip lock

Line up the inner collars around the top of the leg section. When they are on, carefully insert the leg some of the way into its neighbour.

Leave a section protruding so that you can replace the outer inserts that fit inside the collar. Then add the collar itself.

Pick up the clip. Insert the screw back into its hole.

Line up the top side of the lock in the correct place. Insert the spring into the underside of the lock, where it came from, and hold it in place.

Add the nut to hold the spring in place. While you’re holding the nut in place, tighten the screw from the top side.

Check how tight the screw should be by sliding the leg section in and out. It should move smoothly when unlocked and be immovable when locked.

Tighten it a little at a time until it is sufficiently secure when lock it.

Step 8. Reassemble the leg sections

Once each join is greased, you can put the leg sections back together. Do this in the opposite way to which you disassembled it – from top to bottom, thickest to narrowest.

If the tripod has twist locks, first slide this over the section of leg. Then put the retainers back in place inside the tripod leg. Remember to replace the rings too.

With one hand on the retainer, to hold it still, align each section and gently slide it into its place in turn. All of these should ease in smoothly if the steps up until now are correct.

In case there is some resistance, don’t use force. Normally they sit in a particular position.

If you can’t get the section in, it may be that it isn’t correctly aligned. To solve this, rotate the leg until you find the correct position to insert it.

Once you’ve attached the leg section correctly, do up the lock. If it’s a twist lock it obviously requires screwing in.

Before securing each section, spread the grease across the whole of the screw by screwing and unscrewing the joint. Doing this a few times for each thread is sufficient.

Step 9. Remove excess grease

If when you do this the grease squeezes out, there is too much. Remove the excess with a clean cloth and try again.

Take your time to work through each section in turn until all three legs are back together.

Then add the easily removable parts that you took off first – the leg cladding, tripod head, etc.

How often should I clean my tripod?

Rinse it and wipe it off after use, especially if you have been using it in or near salt as this is very corrosive. The more you clean it, the longer it will last.

For this really thorough disassembly and cleaning, every few months should be enough. But it does depends on where you are using it and how dirty it gets.

Troubleshooting situations when you should clean the tripod immediately

It’s best to take the tripod apart and clean as soon as you can if:

• There is resistance when you move it
• You can hear grit inside
• When a lock gets salt water or sand on it

How to clean a tripod – next steps

While it’s not a complicated job, cleaning the tripod can take a while. Following each step carefully and slowly is easier than finding you’ve missed a task or done something wrong. In that case it takes extra effort and time to re-do.

Following the correct maintenance of your tripod will not only extend its life but keep it safe to use. A clean tripod lowers the risk of it malfunctioning.

No one wants the experience of their tripod overbalancing with their spotting scope or binoculars attached. Hopefully with the help of this post, you will be clear about how to maintain your tripod in excellent conditions.