Knowing how to wash a camera lens is a top priority. Just a little bit of dust or dirt on your optics could cause all sorts of issues.
A good quality soft brush or air blower is ideal. Clean all of lens constantly, ensuring that the external moving parts are free from dust and mud, particularly sand which may cause lots of Problems and scratches.
A handy addition to your kit is a microfibre towel – essentially a super prime quality duster. It’s excellent for wiping moisture and muck off your kit and if you sling it over the top of your lens it can even keep your gear dry in light rain. Bike and car photographers regularly sigma cheap lenses throw a chamois leather over camera and lens to protect them from flying mud.
When you take a lens off your camera always replace the front and rear lens caps immediately, to prevent knocks and scratches and keep dust down the optics.
It can prevent flare spoiling your pictures, but also protect the front element against impact damage. If you plan to shoot outdoors in wind and rain, get a purpose-built rain cover. be wary of rushing straight out of the cold into a warm place, as it could cause the internal lens elements to mist. Try and slowly acclimatize your kit; at the least open your camera bag, and keep it away from heat sources.