Lens cleaning should be done periodically. If the lens is covered in fingerprints, dust and water marks (it comes from being out in the rain, and then putting the lens away without wiping) or just generally looks like a child has been using it as a plaything then it should be done sooner rather than later. A dirty lens is great, it makes it look as though you have really been working for a living, you are just going to have to clean it at some point, however is not going to have a huge impact on the quality of images, except on tiny compacts where a single fingerprint can cover the whole front element or on a 14mm where a fingerprint can show up really badly due to the amazing depth of field.

Fingerprints should be cleaned off immediately as the grease from fingers (or any skin) can eat into the coatings of a lens, destroying it for ever, in the worst case scenarios it is better to use a bit huff and a soft cloth to remove these marks, but ideally a microfibre cloth and a lens cleaning fluid, and best of all neat alcohol and a microfibre. Dust and water marks whilst not very pretty to look at in the long term cause less damage, and image degradation is limited to a slight loss of contrast, and slightly reduced ability to cope with flare caused by light from outside the picture area. So best to keep the elements clean then. There are several recommended ways of cleaning lenses, and depending upon whom you talk to you will get different answers. Ask the specialist photographic retailer (very few of these left, some can be found here and you may get a sensible answer, ask in Jessops and you are likely be recommended whatever they have on the shelf.

Ask the photographic counter of Dixon's and you will just get a strange look, as though you are from a different planet. Ask in Dixon's on a Saturday, when the white sock brigade are working, if you manage to get a response at all it will be a miracle. These methods listed here are mine, they work for me, they should work for you too.

Add cleaning agent (not spit)
For the lens barrel a Selvyt or microfibre cloth with a little lighter fluid does the trick, for the glass a different microfibre cloth and a lens cleaning solution. You can also use disposable lens tissues, however they are a little harsh, if you need to clean in an emergency with out any cleaning fluid.

If you are using disposable lens tissues the secret is to fold them into a match stick, simply folding in half and in half again until you cannot fold anymore, then tear in half. you then use the fibrous end of the stick as a brush, with the cleaning agent. Add the cleaning agent; I usually prefer to add the cleaner direct to the front element (if doing a rear element add it to the cloth).

The important thing is that whatever you are cleaning the lens with, should be spotlessly clean, the last thing that you want to do is introduce piece of grit or dirt, and then proceed to push it all over the front element of your expensive glass. Whilst it won't, in all probability mark the glass, it could damage the lens coating.

Even repeated cleaning of a lens without a suitable cleaning agent will eventually and irreparably damage the front element, as I know to my cost, having polished a 28-80mmF2.8/4L front element bare of any coating with the cuff of my fleece. Start cleaning from the centre of the lens and work towards the outside, if you are using a microfibre cloth turn the cloth over repeated, especially if you have put to much cleaning fluid on.

The cleaning agent that I use is in a pump action tube that delivers a measured amount of fluid, for most lenses a single squirt is enough, for the 400mm F2.8L two squirts are required. If you use the Canon 'L' telephotos including the 200mmF1.8, 300mmF2.8. 400mmF2.8 and longer don't forget to clean the filter holder. As the filter holder should be in place at all times there should be little if ever any requirement to clean the rear elements on these lenses. In over five years I never had to clean the rear elements on long teles from Canon.

However nearly every other lens will need the rear element will need cleaning. I prefer to put the cleaning fluid directly on to the lens cleaning cloth when doing the rear elements of a lens, as I do not particularly want to get it onto the flocking that lines the inside of the barrel. Not because the fluid will necessarily do any harm, but because in removing it you will likely flatten the material and reduce its effectiveness.

I usually roll the microfibre cloth into a tube an use the feathered in as a brush, with a little lens cleaning fluid, and again start from the centre of the glass and work out towards the edges. These recessed elements should stay free from fingerprints but will accumulate a fair amount of dust if not stored with lens caps on.

A blast of canned air should get rid of most of the accumulated crap. By the time you have finished you should have gleaming glass and shiny lens barrels, and as they cleanliness is next to godliness. What a load of balls that is, as far as I am concerned, if your lenses are clean and in good order it reduces the number of things that can adversely affect your images. If your lenses don't clean up well, or the lens appears to still have marks on it, it is possible that the anti-reflective coating has been worn or damaged, and there is only one solution and that is to have the damaged element replaced.

If the front element is scratched the element will definitely have to be replaced, in the old days you could have a scratch polished out of a lens element, Ok any coating would be removed as well, but with modern lenses the glass is so soft that it would substantially change the performance of the lens, possibly even preventing it from focusing.

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