Dust on iPhone 5 camera lens

[Heartcloud]

My iPhone 5 has a lot of dust on the camera lens, so when I take photos it has 10+ black semitransparent circular spots spread across the image. I already took it to the genius bar and they told me it'll cost about $100 to replace the lens, since my phone is no longer under warranty. So yeah, the top suggestion "take it to genius bar for replacement" won't work here...

I've already googled and came across that CNET how-to video on how to flip open the screen and clean the lens. I was wondering if:

1) Anyone tried following this tutorial, and did it work? I'm particularly worried about the step on opening the screen, because the screen is fragile and it looked like it was very difficult to get it to open. Suction cups aren't exactly gentle things to use either
2) Anyone know other methods of getting rid of the dust? I saw a post on this forum about simply repeatedly (and rather gentling) banging the phone on a semi-cushioned surface (like a stack of paper on a desk). This won't remove the dust of course but at least it places it in a corner so it's not visible in photos. I've tried this already and it hasn't worked... yet

 

[xymay]

A camera lens replacement costs about $1, they charge you $100 as they tend to replace the whole rear case including a camera lens, which will make their repair work much easier and less risky.
For your first question, I would prefer to follow iFixit's rear case replacement tutorial video rather than CNET's as it looks like more detailed and professional. However, what I worry the most is how to open and reassemble the rear case, not the screen. iPhone's rear case is not that easy to replace due to the different size screws, brackets, small parts etc. Do not give it a try if you're not familiar with or not experienced at iPhone repair. As for how to remove the dust, I'm afraid you'll have to open the rear case first.