Typical useful life for lamps with lithium fluoride window (11.7 eV or more) is about 200 hours when the lamp is operated at room temperature. Lamps with these windows should not be operated above room temperature because lithium fluoride is susceptible to degradation by water vapour.

Lamps with lithium fluoride windows can be cleaned by gently polishing the surface of the window with anhydrous alcohol on a cotton swab, followed by an anhydrous methanol or ethanol rinse and then wiping dry with a soft tissue. Do not allow the alcohol to remain on the window surface as it will leave a film.

Use care during the polishing step so that the film is removed without damage to the window surface. Stubborn films may require multiple cleanings for complete removal.

Lamps not in use should be stored in an anhydrous environment to prevent slow degradation of the lithium fluoride window by ambient moisture.