Is it safe to use rubbing alcohol on games?

[ganondorf]

I always did this as a kid, and now i'm not so sure, reading the labels on the back. It makes games work, but can it hurt them in the long run?

[gamedude45]

If it isnt i'm in alot of trouble. In all seriousness from what I understand it's perfectly safe to use on cartridges (I wouldn't use it on the label tho).The only reason that warning is on there was to scare people into buying the official cartridge cleaner.

[retroman]

i have also used it since i was a kid in the 80s...Still have my games from then, and they still all work fine..

[jferio]

If it isnt i'm in alot of trouble. In all seriousness from what I understand it's perfectly safe to use on cartridges (I wouldn't use it on the label tho).The only reason that warning is on there was to scare people into buying the official cartridge cleaner.

Also CYA for the companies... if they had that list on the back, and you did anything off that list when the game or console went poof, then they can tell you with a straight face that it's no longer under warranty, if for nothing else that you might have made it worse, or eliminated evidence of how the damage really occurred.

I keep a bottle of rubbing alcohol around as part of my game maintenance supplies. Most of the carts I get, I use the alcohol on before it ever gets inserted in any of my consoles.

[jb143]

I use the alcohol on before it ever gets inserted in any of my consoles.

Same here. I don't want to risk transfering dust and other crud from dirty contacts into the system.

I've pointed it in other threads, but rubbing alcohol is an industry standard for cleaning electrical contacts and electronics in general so there's no need to worry about hurting anything.

As gamedude said, they put that warning on there so you'll buy the official cleanning kit...which I'm pretty sure has alcohol in it.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

Yes, rubbing alcohol works fine in most cases and shouldn't do any damage.

I also like to use non-conductive metal polish on cartridge contacts. It typically removes every bit of dust, dirt, oxidation and corrosion and leaves the contacts brilliant and shiny for a lot longer than rubbing alcohol (which usually dries pretty dull with no visible sheen).

Not sure if shiny = better conductivity, but they look a lot nicer.

http://www.kmart.com/shc/s/p_10151_1...1023x272xTier3

That's the brand I use. I've had one can that's lasted me years and years now.

I've also heard great things about "brasso" brand.