Earlier, the durability and construction of telescopes were addressed. This possibly led you to think about how much maintenance is really required for a telescope. Truthfully, they are designed to take care of themselves and as long as you treat it carefully, you should never have to worry about it. Then again, certain types of telescopes will technically require a little more maintenance than others. For example, reflector telescopes versus refractor versions. When it comes to the former, collimation (alignment of the mirrors ) can be one of the biggest issues. If this happens to you, look up online tutorials to guide you through the process.
However, refractor telescopes will probably only require you to occasionally dust off and clean the lens before you use it. Thus, making it ideal for you to touch the lens as little as possible.