For modern optical networks to perform at their peak, fiber must be properly installed and maintained. This includes ensuring that all connections and splices are kept perfectly clean to avoid potential problems, such as insertion loss, back-reflection or complete system shutdown. Despite the importance of cleanliness some installation technicians and their managers are disinclined to spend resources, including time and money, to inspect and clean fiber connections. Some seasoned technicians who have long histories of working on older, slower networks are not convinced that modern, high-speed networks need more attention and care than older networks. They maintain that their legacy practices are still adequate, and they often do not have the time, tools or budget to clean fiber. We refer to these long-held opinions as the “three myths of fiber cleaning” — 1) there is nothing to clean; 2) cleaning takes too much time and money and 3) You don’t need special tools.