Should I clean my primary mirror?

[JB80]

I think I will work myself up to it soon, I think I saw some distilled water the other day at the hardware store but to be honest I wasn't thinking of mirror cleaning so I didn't pay any attention.

[ollypenrice]

Our 20 inch has been in commercial use for about ten years. It lives in a 'well ventilated' (ie very rudimentary  ) roll off. I clean it once a year, in the shower, using tepid water at a glancing angle to the surface, let the surface soak in water with a drop of detergent in it, shower it again and then rinse it thouroughly in pure water from the chemist. That's it.

Regarding dark sites in France, I think the SE where I am, in the Baronnies mountain range, is about the best available. The largest 'amateur' telescope to be built in France, commissioned a couple of years ago at about 6 million euros, was sited here.

Olly