Originally posted by amstel78 I believe a lot of problems with gel sticks have to do with people not cleaning them properly after each application. They also tend to break down over time if exposed to high humidity or large temperature swings.
OTOH, a clean swab, a drop of juice, followed by a rocket blower always worked for me. I've never had to clean sensor more than once a year though; I'd prefer to clone them out in post if I can and only resort to a wet clean if the number of dust bunnies exceeded my patience threshold.
I had used the Pentax stick on my K-1 a few times with great results for removing some spots that were persisting after roecket blower use. I even bought a magnifying glass and light system for viewing the sensor clearly. A few days ago I tried to quickly clean the sensor from one big spot as I had an important shooting. As it was late I didn't get enough precautions (I always perform it on a clean surface and also on a clean soft cloth. Adding the magnifying lens system though (for first time) gave me a very clear view of the sensor (I could see all the dsut particles etc) but made the cleaning more difficult as I had to hold the stick from its end in order to reach the sensor... And as a result the stick slipped from my hand and fell on my desk... I used a new sticky paper to clean its surface but also the side surfaces and after checking it that I could see no dirt on it, I tried to clean the spot on the sensor... Then disaster struck! It left so much dirt and dust on the sensor that I was panicked that I ruined my sensor/camera!
First thing in the morning was to take my camera to proffesionals for cleaning and thanks god, no problem it is clean again, though the technician told me that it had a lot of dirt and oilly marks on a spot that took him time to completely remove them...
I lost half a day of the shooting I was planning but more important was the fear and anxiety that I ruined my camera... So my conclusion is, if you are very scholastic and you can do things in the proper way without any rushing, the sticks work as advertised and remove the dirt from your sensor. But you have to be really careful and with a steady hand otherwise just avoid this method (or any method) and take your camera to a professional even though it costs a lot more...