ArmorAll or WD-40 on your black consoles?

[XYXZYZ]

I was watching this Luke Morse video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mn3fYW3Tn7Q) about shining up your consoles with WD-40, and he mentions ArmorAll as well. I always thought it would be neat to get that dark wet look on my black consoles, but I don't know if ArmorAll would have the same effect on plastic, and I'm a little worried about what it would do to something like the Neo Geo logo on the AES.

I do have an old junked Genesis I could try it on, anyone ever try this?

[Leo_A]

WD40 is a dust magnet.

I wouldn't put it on my consoles. It's a lubricant, not something to shine up plastic with.

[sylvestor]

I use armor all on all my vintage consoles. Game cases as well. But i'm not after that shiny look at all. Instead it's the best way I know of to restore old dry plastic and rubber! And it works well. The trick is to not use very much,or to over use it. Spray a little bit on a clean towel THEN work it into the plastic. Do this only once a year or so to keep the plasticks "nourished". Compare a 9 year old ps2 game case to a new ps3 case and you can feel how much smoother the new case is. Armor all will restore this. Try it!

[Damaramu]

Eagle One makes a spray similar to Amor All, minus the oily residue called NANO-PROTECTANT. You should be able to find it at any automotive area or store.

Nano Protectant (http://www.eagleone.com/pages/products/product.asp?itemid=1122&cat=5015).

[diskoboy]

Neither. I use an electronics cleaning wipe, or some Novus 1 and a microfiber cloth.

WD-40 is a mechanical lubricant, and not meant for cleaning. And if that suff gets in a vent and ends up on your mobo - you turn it on, and it's audios muchachos to said console. I use Novus 1 because it works great on plastics, and is a bit 'safer' to use around electronics.

[RP2A03]

I have used Turtle Wax ICE Total Interior Care with great success on most everything. However, it can remove the red lettering on the NES, although the lettering on the SNES, Genesis and GameCube stayed intact.

I wouldn't even consider WD-40 as it would likely attract dirt and the shine it gives probably won't look natural. I would think that looking at a console with WD-40 on it would be like looking at greasy hair.

[Arkhan]

yeah i mean if you are gonna wipe WD-40 on your console you might as well use other lubes , like KY and crap.


I don't even bother. If the stuff gets dusty i use one of those big rainbow colored fluffy things, and then i polish it with some pledge.

[izarate]

I use Pledge.

[dnehthend]

i usually use windex then water to get rid of any windex residue

[Astrocade]

The problem with any plastic shine like Armor All or STP Spray Clean or whatever is that they attract dust. No big deal on a car's dashboard, but not a good idea with consoles and games. NEVER EVER use WD-40 or any other spray lubricant, as they have solvent properties that can discolor or deteriorate some plastics. If you use it to remove labels or price tags, make sure you go over that area with a damp rag and dish soap to get any residual oil off the plastic.

What I've been using for years is Carnauba wax. It doesn't attract dust, has good UV protection and it won't eat your labels if it comes in contact with them. A little goes a loooooong way though, it's very easy to use too much. It will leave your games with a shine that doesn't fade for years, and it actually protects the plastic as opposed to just making it shiny.

There are various companies and brands that make good Carnauba wax. I personally use Collinite Marque D'Elegance (915) and Collinite Doublecoat (476s). They're marketed as automotive waxes but you can use them on most any metal, wood or plastic. One can costs around 10 or 12 bucks and should last you several decades. http://www.colliniteautomotive.com/

Whatever Carnauba wax you use, make sure it's straight up wax. Not polish, not cleaner wax, but just plain wax. If you want something really easy to use and available everywhere, go to Wal-Mart and get some Meguiar's Gold Class liquid wax: http://www.meguiarsdirect.com/product_detail.asp?T1=MEG+G7016

[Gameguy]

yeah i mean if you are gonna wipe WD-40 on your console you might as well use other lubes , like KY and crap.
For those who love their systems. LOL

I don't bother doing anything to my systems. They're not exposed to weather or the sun so they won't get worn like a car's finish, and they're not made of wood so they can't be preserved/restored with oil like unfinished furniture.

[DonMarco]

WD-40 is not a lubricant. It has a low viscosity, but wears out too quickly to be effective with moving parts.

It's fine particles work their way into impossibly tight areas to break down grease and rust. For example, when you shoot it in a door lock's key hole, its not lubricating the little pins but loosening the microscopic bits of dirt and oil that get the little pins pinched or stuck. Matter that builds up with normal use, faster depending on the enviroment and how clean your pockets are. Any lubricating effect is based on the fine properties of the liquid and the small area. So you're not lubricating the lock, you're cleaning it with a liquid that happens to have little viscosity. NEVER use WD-40 on anything that needs grease to operate correctly, such as a bicycle chain. While it will clean off the junk and dirt that gets trapped in the chain because it strips the grease and works it's way inside the links making the situation even worse.

You could use it as a polishing agent, but there I image something like Pledge would be better because of it's dust-fighting properties. Best bet for keeping a console dust-free is to place a cloth over it when not in use.

Personally I just use diluted rubbing alcohol and water to wipe down any console. Windex is just 5% rubbing alcohol, distilled water and two drops of blue food coloring.

[Gameguy]

NEVER use WD-40 on anything that needs grease to operate correctly, such as a bicycle chain. While it will clean off the junk and dirt that gets trapped in the chain because it strips the grease and works it's way inside the links making the situation even worse.
Grease? Most bicycle chains are lubricated with oil or a dry lubricant that contains either wax or Teflon. I still wouldn't use WD-40 to clean it, an actual degreaser would be much better to clean the chain prior to lubricating it.

[qbertandernie]

i use WD-40 to remove anything sticky from game carts or systems. spray it on a cloth, then rub til the goo(no matter what kind - itll even remove those silver rental security stickers with a lot of effort) - comes off. then turn the cloth over and wipe it til it isnt shiny anymore...

has no impact on anything, but i wouldnt leave it there for the shine because its oily...

[Purkeynator]

Water and rag