Cleaning games questions

[NES_Rules]

I got a bunch of filthy SNES games today and I need some tips on getting them clean. I know rubbing alcohol works great at removing stickers and cleaning the inside of carts, but is it good to clean dirt off the outside too? Is Windex any good? Is there any way to clean labels without hurting the glue?

[Vectorman0]

Check the Technical and Restoration forum for a ton of topics on the subject.

My personal favorite cleaning item has been Goo Gone. I have used it for cleaning dirt and stickers off of everything from systems to boxes and it always works wonder for me.

[Steven]

Mr. Clean Magic Eraser works wonders. You can get them for like 2 bucks at Wal Mart. Takes off a lot of dirt and grime on the outside cartridge, not to mention stickers, sticker residue, etc

[gum_drops]

I second Goo Gone is you don't mind the smell of radioactive oranges.

I use 99% alcohol for cleaning contacts, it drys super fast and doesnt leave any water. If it still doesnt work you will need to use a security bit and pop the cart open. Use a white eraser or something equivalent to rub off the built up oxidation. Pink erasers are a little rougher.

What ever you use on the contacts dont use items that leave oils or residue behind.

I also use alcohol 99% it to clean carts, cases and anything else that doesnt have ink. Goo Gone can be wiped over cart labels several times without damaging them. Snes boxes are not as durable as the labels so I would be a little more careful with them and goo gone.

Some cleaners like windex also have oder removers in them and can make smelly plastic cases smell a little better.

[Alucard79]

Be careful with cleaners like windex and such. A lot of them contain ammonia and after time it can harm the colors on tint, film, thin plastic, and ink. Eagle One makes a great cleaner similar to windex but with no ammonia.

[Ed Oscuro]

Rubbing alcohol is great on the contacts, but there is a reason they said not to use it - it'll destroy the labels. You won't notice it unless you scrub for a long time, but if you put alcohol on the label you'll actually strip off some of the ink and the protective layer on top of it. So don't do that.