View Full Version : cleaning cartridges
Kamino
03-25-2004, 09:51 PM
hey all, ive finally ran out of those stupid bottles of "NAKI CLEANER FLUID" and their stupid lil pink wands......etc etc.....
what's the cheap solution to cleaning that won't eat away slowly at my games???? i know every cartridge ever made has come with the "no alcohol, benzene....etc etc" warning label, but thats cuz they want to sell you their cleaner. you guys would know.....what can i use? i'm not a cheapskate, but i need a solution i can go grab at walmart or a drugstore or some store.
if there IS no in-store solvent, could someone point me to a website selling an economical "cleaning fluid +wands"?
thanks guys.
The Manimal
03-25-2004, 10:14 PM
Rubbing alcohol + distilled water
I've always used rubbing alcohol and tap water (for HUNDREDS of carts over the years) but galloned water is so inexpensive and I don't use that much, so I should probably switch over and be thoughtful for the carts. :)
hu6800
03-26-2004, 02:07 AM
WD-40 and qtips .
Not only will it clean it, it will protect the contacts.
you dont have to use alot either.
achohol will leave a white cloudy residue, water will just make the contacts
mildew faster.
lancelet's cousin
03-26-2004, 02:10 AM
WD-40 and qtips .
Not only will it clean it, it will protect the contacts.
you dont have to use alot either.
achohol will leave a white cloudy residue, water will just make the contacts
mildew faster.
In the Army we relied heavily on pencil erasers to clean contacts. Is that a bad idea for carts?
youruglyclone
03-26-2004, 01:59 PM
i use glass cleaning fluid but I'm tempted to try the wd 40 thing
Arcade Antics
03-26-2004, 02:17 PM
WD 40 is flammable. I'd never, ever use it on cart contacts, but that's just me. I'm nutty. :)
Plain ol' rubbing alcohol (with or without water) and Q-tips will do just fine. Some people do go as far as to open the carts with a security bit and use an eraser on them, but I'm lazy, so I stick with the alcohol method when the need arises.
dsullo
03-26-2004, 02:24 PM
i like the eraser.
I am comfortable with the eraser.
like elaine was with the today's sponge
Gzilla23
03-26-2004, 02:53 PM
I've always used rubbing alcohol and Q tips but in extreme cases opening them up and using an eraser on the contacts works great.
I never use alcohol on the carts. Call me gullible, but I believe the warning labels are not just a gimmick to sell more "brand" cleaners. One of these days, I'll contact a chemistry prof here at the university.
If you can open the cart, use an old toothbrush and Windex. If you can't, use Q-tips and Windex. Always wipe dry or allow to air dry thoroughly before playing.
Jeff D
sisko
03-26-2004, 06:04 PM
Doesn't Windex have alcohol in it?
I just use Q-tips and alcohol. Works great, and its really cheap.
BWK900
03-26-2004, 06:57 PM
I know I'm an idiot, but just plain ol rubbing alcohol and water will do it? And it works for all kinds of carts (NES, SNES, GEN, so on)
BWK900
03-26-2004, 06:58 PM
I know I'm an idiot, but just plain ol rubbing alcohol and water will do it? And it works for all kinds of carts (NES, SNES, GEN, so on)
BWK900
03-26-2004, 07:00 PM
I know I'm an idiot, but just plain ol rubbing alcohol and water will do it? And it works for all kinds of carts (NES, SNES, GEN, so on)
BWK900
03-26-2004, 07:03 PM
sorry abou the, errr, triple post. My damn computer was spazzing ou and i checked to see if it already posted so i hit it again and it posts three times. Sorry :eek 2:
Balloon Fight
03-26-2004, 10:22 PM
Rubbing alcohol and Q-tips always works for me. I haven't had one bad cart after cleaning it thoroughly. I sometimes use a white eraser if needed.
wberdan
03-26-2004, 11:43 PM
you can just insert and remove the cart as many times as it takes- that will clean the contacts without any fluid.
i dont think alcohol will do anything to copper or silver, which is what those contacts are made out of-
i dont think you have to worry about corrosion...
willie
sisko
03-27-2004, 12:21 AM
sorry abou the, errr, triple post. My damn computer was spazzing ou and i checked to see if it already posted so i hit it again and it posts three times. Sorry :eek 2:
It's okay, you're a self proclaimed idiot :D
I use the N64 memory cart slot cleaner to clean out all of my systems. It works great and fits all of them. (Thanks nesuser2 for that cleaning kit!)
TNTPLUST
03-27-2004, 03:49 AM
Hmmmm any of these can work but I have thoughts on all of them.
WD-40 - Yes it can act as a cleaner but you have to be carefull with it. In my younger days I was called out to a hospital that had a non working EKG machine. The hospital handyman had Removed the backplane cards and cleaned them with WD-40. He used too much though and then let it dry on the cards and contacts rendering the machine useless. To revive it I soaked all the backplane cards in an alcohol solution for a day and the machine came back to life. So if you use this stuff make sure you wipe it off.
Eraser - I use this technique from time to time. Just make sure you dust of the contacts real well after. You don't want a CHUNK of eraser to get caught in the female contact connector.
Water - If you wipe it off oaky. Corrosion issues if you ask me.
Glass Cleaner - Yep, A good choice. Dries quickly.
%15 Alcohol solution - I would say this is the best bet.
I have a freind that swears by Nail Polish Remover. Never tried it again I would be slightly worried about Acetone removing actual metal!