Corroding your own NES games! Weee

[Truffle]

Excuse me, but how many of you blow into your NES games to get them to work???
Blowing your humid breath into a cart corrodes the pins on the cart, and will make it work less over time. People commonly using this technique is why your used games wont work in the first place. Why are so many collectors ignorant of this?
When I get a game I clean it with a Qtip and some alcohol.
Or, even better, open it up and use a WHITE eraser on the pins.

Why would you want to continually have to revive your games over and over again? My 200+ NES games all work on the first try, with very few exceptions.
And why spend so much on something, and then not take good care of it?

Sorry for ranting, I just hear people saying they do this too often.

[skaar]

Well the alcohol doesn't help the life of the connectors either.

But it does make it taste rummier ;)

[mailman187666]

Well the alcohol doesn't help the life of the connectors either.

But it does make it taste rummier ;)

I think the alcohol to clean games smells more like cheap vodka than anything else.

[Truffle]

Well the alcohol doesn't help the life of the connectors either.

But it does make it taste rummier ;)

Ah, interesting... Im pretty sure the chemical reaction is stronger between the digestive aids in your saliva, none the less.

So just get the proper bit, and use the eraser method. Its faster, easier and twice as effective than a Qtip attack anyway.
(oh yeah, the bit thats fits the NES carts is,what, like $1.50?)

[rbudrick]

I just lick them clean.

-Rob

[Daria]

I just lick them clean.

-Rob

Dirty pennies. Yum yum.

[skaar]

Plus the seizures.

That's a weekend of fun, right there.

[coinheaven]

q tips and windex works too.

[XYXZYZ]

Excuse me, but how many of you blow into your NES games to get them to work???
Blowing your humid breath into a cart corrodes the pins on the cart, and will make it work less over time. People commonly using this technique is why your used games wont work in the first place. Why are so many collectors ignorant of this?

I think it was Nintendo who advised not to blow on the connectors, but to buy an official Nintendo brand Nentendo Game Cleaning Kit instead...

I blew on those cartridges 20 years ago, and those same cartridges still work today. I mean, I do use alcohol to clean games if they're dirty, but a quick puff may still be needed every now and then.

I know it's technically possible, I've never seen or heard of a Nintendo game's connectors being riuned because someone blew on them.

[Bratwurst]

The theory is sound, but reality equates blown spittle on cart contacts to a BB gun firing at an Abrams tank.

[Kitsune Sniper]

Didn't official cleaning kits use ALCOHOL?

[crivit]

.

I know it's technically possible, I've never seen or heard of a Nintendo game's connectors being riuned because someone blew on them.


I have had to scrape corrosion off a few nes carts I've gotten used. The worst was a Gilligan's Island that had a thick layer of green crap on the pins. It took forever to get that thing working again. I can't say for sure that blowing in the carts caused that mess, but I highly suspect it did.

[PSXferrari]

Excuse me, but how many of you blow into your NES games to get them to work???
Blowing your humid breath into a cart corrodes the pins on the cart, and will make it work less over time. People commonly using this technique is why your used games wont work in the first place. Why are so many collectors ignorant of this?
When I get a game I clean it with a Qtip and some alcohol.
Or, even better, open it up and use a WHITE eraser on the pins.

Why would you want to continually have to revive your games over and over again? My 200+ NES games all work on the first try, with very few exceptions.
And why spend so much on something, and then not take good care of it?

Sorry for ranting, I just hear people saying they do this too often.



I've heard this said hundreds of times, and as a result I've tried to follow it. But I don't know how many times I've tried cleaning a game with alcohol and then tried it and it still didn't work. No matter how much you clean it or fidget with it, nothing will do. And finally I give in and blow on the cart a few times and, like a miracle from God himself, 60% of the time it works every time. Hey, and these are the same cartridges that I've had for 20 years, so what's to stop me now. I think the real culprits are the crappily made NES systems.

[Kejoriv]

Didn't official cleaning kits use ALCOHOL?

Yea they did. Im looking at one right now.

[CartCollector]

I have had to scrape corrosion off a few nes carts I've gotten used. The worst was a Gilligan's Island that had a thick layer of green crap on the pins. It took forever to get that thing working again. I can't say for sure that blowing in the carts caused that mess, but I highly suspect it did.

Why did you buy a used Gilligan's Island in the first place?

[MachineGex]

I'm a raging alcoholic, blowing on my games is the same as cleaning them with alcohol.

[jajaja]

The theory is sound, but reality equates blown spittle on cart contacts to a BB gun firing at an Abrams tank.

Ye, i think that is pretty much the truth. I stil have games from my childhood that i used to blow in and they still work today. I never blow in my games now tho.

[Kevincal]

Anyone seen the t-shirt with an NES cart and it says... "blow me"? :D

[dlopez9069]

I think its all in how you blow!
I mean i used to know a guy who would practacally bathe his n64 carts in spit
that corrodes them!
as for me if they dont work when i gently blow in them a cople of times then ill take it apart but other than that if it works i play it i mean thats all that matters right?

[boatofcar]

Sometimes I blow in my NES games just for old time's sake. Knowing it makes people so upset is just an added benefit.

[Flack]

I am going to pull out an old motherboard, mount it on the wall, blow on it every time I walk past it, and see how long it takes to corrode. Any guesses?

[boatofcar]

I am going to pull out an old motherboard, mount it on the wall, blow on it every time I walk past it, and see how long it takes to corrode. Any guesses?

Do it and photograph the results in time lapse! :)

[DefaultGen]

.....

[Guy Bramsworth]

I seriously don't get where the idea that any liquid of any sort, especially alcohol, is needed to clean carts. All you seriously need is a Qtip, then you just keep rubbing the cart and tons of dirt comes off. That's all you need. Why putting liquid on a cart became such a widely accepted practice is beyond my comprehension. I bet it's thanks to places like blockbuster where all their games got so dirty from being used all the time *_*

[goemon]

I always use cotton swabs and 90% isopropyl alcohol to clean my carts, and I've never had any problems after giving a cart a good cleaning. Blowing on them can be a good short-term fix for dust, but it can't touch any built-up gunk on the connectors.

[James8BitStar]

I think one little thing is being overlooked here:

First of all, the Cleaning Kits use alcohol mixed with water. This dilutes the corrosive properties of alcohol.

Even without that mixture though, Alcohol evaporates really, really fast. Seriously, five seconds after that quick little scrub-down, its gone. Its not like it just lingers there, slowly eating away at your contacts. I somehow doubt alcohol could eat away at something like copper all that fast anyway. This is one advantage it has over water, which DOES linger there (mixing alcohol with water causes the water portion to evaporate faster).

As for why its so popular to clean with Alcohol, and why we don't all just use dry Q-Tips... well, the few times I tried that, the hairs from the tip got caught on the contacts, and somehow I don't think that helps anything. That and, alcohol pretty much assures there's nothing left on your contacts when you're done.

That's been my experience, anyways.

[Truffle]

Plus the seizures.

That's a weekend of fun, right there.


Your an Asshole.

[MachineGex]

Sometimes I blow in my NES games just for old time's sake. Knowing it makes people so upset is just an added benefit.

Me 2, now I am blowing on all my games....even games on disc. Man does it piss some people off.

Someone else asked where this all started. I called Nintendo way back in '89 because I could not get my system to work. They recommended rubbing alcohol with 10% water and a q-tip. I didn't think it would help, but guess what? That plus the fact it is exactly what is in every cleaning kit is why everyone does it.

It would never hurt it. I once bet a friend I could get his multicart working. After severals hours of cleaning, I went to a nail file and finally got it working. My guess is if a emery board doesn't destroy a game, spit or alcohol doesn't stand a chance.

[Truffle]

Do any hardcore collectors have an opinion on this? Most responses to this thread seem to be from casual idiots frankly.

[Daria]

Your an Asshole.


Do any hardcore collectors have an opinion on this? Most responses to this thread seem to be from casual idiots frankly.

Wow. You sir are truely a dipshit. I doubt we'll see many tears shed when your ass gets banned.

[GrandAmChandler]

Your an Asshole.


Do any hardcore collectors have an opinion on this? Most responses to this thread seem to be from casual idiots frankly.

Please stop the insults. No one is insulting you, no reason to insult back.

-GAC-

[s1lence]

I use the alki mix and erasers. I also use alki pads as the material doesnt leave behind all the fuzzies that the q-tips do. I do all my cleaning by taking the carts apart and I have yet to see any of the green "corrosion" on any of my carts from the last 15 years of ownership.

That is from a collector, not an idiot.

[WarLordAG]

I've been using alcohol since the early nineties, and still do.
I really don't think the alcohol will have any long-term effects.
As a previous poster mentioned, it evaporates very quickly, which is also a reason why it's used so widely in game cartridge cleaning solutions.

[MachineGex]

Do any hardcore collectors have an opinion on this? Most responses to this thread seem to be from casual idiots frankly.

I just posted what I thought right above your insult. I doubt you even read all of it. Have a nice day!

[Mr.collection]

Why do people blow on games?
Cause it requires the least amount of effort to clean dust off the connectors. I open all my games and clean them with an eraser and then if they sit around for a while dust gets on them then i blow if that doesn't work I open them again.
Trying to stop people from blowing on carts is like trying to make people stop from smoking.
http://www.nintendoage.com/_usermedia/cart%20pic2.JPG

[XYXZYZ]

Actually, what I do is dab some 90% isopropyl on an old white shirt, wrap a layer or two of wet shirt around a ruler and slide it up and down the connectors, then give it a little drying action with a dry part of the shirt. Repeat until the part of the shirt you clean it with isn't dirty anymore. And I give it the occasional puff if it doens't work right away. If my cartridges end up corroded beyond repair 20 years from now, I will definately post a followup in this thread admitting I was wrong.

And seeing through Nintendo's "Don't blow on them" bullshit doesn't make us idiots.

[MarioMania]

I just open up a Cart to Fully clean it..I won't play the game I got til I clean it

[Cornelius]

Since this thread got resurrected I guess I'll post my $.02. I blow on games. Fact is it works. I don't think it is because of dust though. I think a little bit of condensation occurs on the contacts and that helps it make better contact with the pins.

[XxHennersXx]

I want to know how the hell we all figured "blow on it" to get it to work back in the 80's anyway. anyway, i give my carts a puff here or there. No spit man, just a gentle puff to get loose dust off. I open them and with a microfiber rag in alcohal scrub the contacts. then i dry it and if it doesn't work, use an eraser. they usually work after that. If not, a few gentle puffs (not any to actually, you know, put spittle on there) and it works.

[TurboGenesis]

Originally Posted by Kitsune Sniper http://www.digitpress.com/forum/images/buttons/viewpost.gif (http://www.digitpress.com/forum/showthread.php?p=1194655#post1194655)
Didn't official cleaning kits use ALCOHOL?

Yea they did. Im looking at one right now.

Actually the Official Nintendo Cleaning kit instructions state:

{from the manual}
… 2. With your finger, apply a small amount of water* to the blue end of the cleaner until it is slightly damp.
*if possible, distilled water should be used OR
For maximum cleaning effect, use a mixture of 1 teaspoon isopropyl alcohol and 1 teaspoon water…

It sounds like Nintendo recommended distilled water first otherwise tap water mix with alcohol.


ON TOPIC:
I blow into my games. I guess I am not hard core. Sorry.
I always clean my used games with alcohol when I first purchase them.

[Moo Cow]

Excuse me, but how many of you blow into your NES games to get them to work???
Blowing your humid breath into a cart corrodes the pins on the cart, and will make it work less over time. People commonly using this technique is why your used games wont work in the first place. Why are so many collectors ignorant of this?
When I get a game I clean it with a Qtip and some alcohol.
Or, even better, open it up and use a WHITE eraser on the pins.

Why would you want to continually have to revive your games over and over again? My 200+ NES games all work on the first try, with very few exceptions.
And why spend so much on something, and then not take good care of it?

Sorry for ranting, I just hear people saying they do this too often.

Alchohol's more acidic than your breath. Plus, I brush my teeth with a mixture of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda (yeah, it tastes like shit, but you get used to it), both being bases which help neutralize acids.

[Kevincal]

Jeez man, you can't afford a tube of Crest? :P jk.

But anyway, I thought it's pretty retarded of that guy coming in here saying that "you're not hardcore if you blow your carts"...lmao...get real. I also use isopropyl and a q-tip, works like a charm.

[gum_drops]

Cleaning with a white erasure works the best but I usually just use 99% alcohol on a qtip as its faster. On really bad carts I will use a pencil erasure but I prefer not to do that unless the other two options dont work.

I never blow on games. I dont really know why someone would blow on a cart that they plan on playing multiple times. Just clean it once the proper way and be done with it.

[Fuyukaze]

i thought about giving an answer, but could you please clarify what you consider a hard core collector? also, what would you consider to be the correct answer?

[chrisballer]

I use a Q-tip, I don't use alcohol. If you have a bunch of nes games just buy the dollar bit it is worth it. If i get a really nasty game i use scotch-brite i think that is how you spell it. You know that green abrasive pad you mom or wife has under the sink. Obviously don't go crazy because it is abrasive but they will look like brand new after a couple gentle rubs.