Removing dust spots

[{SAS}TB]

Glad you got it sorted mate

As for the smears - the liquid evaporates very quickly but sounds like you may have had a tad too much on? One or two drops just to moisten the pad and remove the dirt / grease rather that a "wet" pad

 

[englishpremier]

I just use a sensor pen. Same thing as the lens pen but smaller. Has done the job on my gear in the past. The sensor is covered with a glass plate so you're unlikely to scratch or damage it unless you're doing something wrong. Make sure you just a blower first to remove loose debris.