Cleaning electronics

[redboat219]

Accidentally spilled soda on table and some crept under a 2.4ghz receiver it had lying around. Not sure if it got inside the case. What's the best way to clean it?

[vital.spark]

Pray Romel

[DrSchmidt]

DI Water ... rinse it in DI water and let t dry thoroughly

[Ken_NJ]

I use purpose made Electronics cleaner. Also good for removing flux from circuit boards or where ever fluxed solder is used. And use a non metal brush, toothbrush, with it.

I just used up my 20+ year old spray can of this cleaner and bought the WD-40 version from Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=electronics+cleaner&crid=2R6TO31AUXP3K&sprefix=electronics+cleaner%2Caps%2C115&ref=nb_sb_noss_1

[redboat219]

DI Water ... rinse it in DI water and let t dry thoroughly

How about distilled H²O?

Could get my hands on DI at the hospital dialysis unit...

[DrSchmidt]

Distilled water should also work.

[CC Clarke]

I've been exposed to every premium aerospace-quality board cleaner out there. None of them worked better than this: Chemtronics Flux-Off 1035 Concentrate Flux Remover Aerosol Can - Flammable - ES835B [PRICE is per CAN] by Chemtronics Flux Off Rosin - Amazon.comâ

I would douche smaller boards in it, held at an angle, and the surface had a perfectly uniform, glossy sheen. The stuff transports rosin flux to another galaxy without delay.

Repair-wise, I bathe my solder joints in liquid flux prior to applying heat, followed by rosin core solder in varying diameters, (depending on the application). No matter how much flux remained, this took it off rapidly - as opposed to the standard IPA, cut-brush removal technique I was taught and passed on to students in solder training classes. Any tech that used it, switched.

This evaporates very quickly and leaves minimal residue. Lightly scrub it with an inexpensive, hobby-quality brush like this: All Purpose Craft Brushes - 12 Piece Set | Hobby Lobby | 1821016 with the bristles cut at a 45-degree angle, with 1/4" protruding from the short side of the handle. This imparts different levels of cleaning when scrubbing delicate surfaces -depending on the angle that it's being applied. (The cut brush technique I was taught.)

In precision repair after chemical damage to a circuit board, (battery leaching, or salt-water penetration leading to chloride removal) Di water is applied first to remove the big chunks, using lab swabs. Di water won't do much if there's oil or flux involved.

These are the style that worked in general applications (though we never used Walmart as a vendor!)

100Pcs/Pack Small Pointed Tips Sponge Cleaning Swab Lint Dust Free Sticks for PCB Board Electronics Small Area Camera Optical Lens - Walmart.com​

CC

[Das Boot]

Deoxit and contact cleaner.

[Bob Gato]

I used to be the director of maintenance at Republic airport for Beechcraft... We ran three Beach 1900s back and forth to Atlantic City in a FAR 135 operation. The planes saw their share of spilled coffee and soda... I can tell you I know of no solvent, be it acetone, alcohol, m e k, trichlorothane, or tolulene that will dissolve and remove coffee or soda. We would use water and a few drops of Dawn dish soap(one or two drops in a half a gallon)...
If I had to clean a 2.4 GHz receiver I would spray it several times lightly with distilled water and Dawn while using a Shop-Vac fitted with a soft brush to suck it dry... Remember the op of this thread asked about cleaning soda ( sugar and water) not flux.


BTW... A good source of distilled water can be found in a supermarket many people use it for ironing or CPAP machines... A little more expensive source for distilled water is battery water(not acid!) for lead acid batteries in the auto parts store.

[Albacore 569]

Interesting. I heard somewhere a story, or an urban myth that WD-40 was originally made by Lockheed designed for the electronics in Polaris SLBM; s in the late 1950' early 60's as a preventive against moisture on the missiles guidance systems while on patrols. This true?

Steve

[CC Clarke]

Nitrogen was generally used to prevent moisture in the tubes and birds. We had a Missile Tech accidently drop one of the gyro assemblies shown above, while installing a spare to replace a failed assembly. It was not cheap, but Polaris was antiquated by then and plenty more were available. He survived while the unit was scrapped.

[Das Boot]

I know of what I’m talking about. Use what I recommended. No, it is generally not recommended to use WD-40 to clean electronic devices. WD-40 is a solvent-based lubricant and while it can be effective for loosening stuck parts, it can also damage sensitive electronic components if not used properly. Electronics should be cleaned with specialized electronics cleaning solutions or with a soft, dry cloth. Using the wrong cleaning product on electronics can lead to corrosion, short circuits, and other damage. But do as you wish.

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

Interesting. I heard somewhere a story, or an urban myth that WD-40 was originally made by Lockheed designed for the electronics in Polaris SLBM; s in the late 1950' early 60's as a preventive against moisture on the missiles guidance systems while on patrols. This true?

Steve

A variation on that story: WD-40 came into being as a preservative to protect the very thin gauge 'stainless' steel of the ATLAS ICBM body/tankage.

[Bob Gato]

WD40 Corp was originally the Rocket Chemical Corp. In 1950s they developed a spray coating for the skins of the Atlas Missiles. It took 40 tries to get it right and the WD stands for Water Displacing.
It used to be written on the back of the can but now you might have to ask Google. It would instantly start a car that had wet ignition wires or wet distributor. I have seen demonstrations at the NY boat show where they had a fish tank and 110v wire plugged into the wall leading into the tank to a cheap porcelain light socket and an incandescent bulb with a knife switch. The water was milky with WD40 and the demonstrator would bare handedly reach in, flip the knife switch on -the bulb would light up...then he would unscrew the bulb , it would go off and screw it back in and it would light up again- with not even a tingle! Being an airline brat (Pan American) , I grew up with WD40 before most of the general public did...BG

https://youtu.be/07AO5GPawng?si=YDDedESIoxHCKst8