For 3 years with my first DSLR (Canon D60) and 4 years with a 1DMKII I have had great success with a cutdown rubber spatula covered with Pec Pads and moistened with Eclipse Fluid. I start with a picture of white paper well-lit on my desk top. I have found that the most convenient way of evaluating the dirt situation is not looking at the images on the computer display, but zoomed in on the camera's display. It saves time and simplifies the process.I usually use my 28-135mm lens, f/22, at 135mm, with the focus set at infinity.
I swipe the spatula from left to right, flip it, and swipe back from right to left. I then take another picture of the paper and re-exmine. The first set of swipes sometimes does the job. If not, I change the Pec Pad and repeat. So far, I have not damaged the AA filter, and it doesn't take long to determine the minimum amount of pressure to apply. My only mistake, which I try not to succumb to, is trying to get the last bit of dirt off the sensor. Invariably that results in new spots and great frustration. Don't forget that one or two tiny specks that show up at f/22 usually are not visible at most shooting apertures.
I have tried using the sensor brush, but apparently both the D60 and my copy of the 1DMKII have so much lubricant in the shutter box that the brush easily becomes contaminated and makes things much worse.
