How do you wash something electronic?

Post Reply New Topic

My Playstation 3 controller feels grimy from prorogued use. I guess from dirt and oil. I don't really like touching it because it just feels dirty. How would I go about cleaning it? I know it would be pretty stupid to fill my sink with water and soap and wash it I've thought maybe scrubbing it with rubbing alcohol may work but I don't know if that would be a bad idea or something. Does anybody here know how to wash something electronic that isn't supposed to get wet?

Methylated spirits in a misting spray gun.. The alcohol evaporates so circuitry doesn't get wet for longer than a couple of seconds: long enough to wipe the surface of your controller.

If you just want to clean the surface of it, a damp (not wet) washcloth should do the trick. Though...PS3 controllers are wireless, right? I'd take the batteries out first, just to be safe.

If you really want to deep-down clean it (which I usually do when I buy used videogame consoles/accessories), you'll have to take it apart. I literally do put safe plastic parts in a sudsy bucket of warm dishwater and scrub them down, toothbrushes wook good for heat vents and the like. I dry them off as best I can and then leave them to dry the rest of the way overnight (or longer if need be).

For the internal components, I'll usually take a q-tip dipped in rubbing alcohol to it and let it dry. It'll leave streaks though, Idunno, I've never been bothered much by it. Sometimes if a controller has seen a LOT of use, you'll rub a lot of carbon off of the contacts...Idunno if that's a bad thing or not, but I've never had a controller work WORSE after cleaning it...

Dampened paper towels with win-dex and a pointy thing for scraping the grime out of the grooves.

Damp (but not dripping) wash cloth with dish soap for the visible surfaces, then Q-Tips dampened from the wash cloth for getting between and around keys and buttons, then toothpicks for carefully cleaning out the tight spots and creases.

Take it apart, remove the circuit board, and wash the rest (plastic) in a dishwasher. (TURN OFF THE DRYING CYCLE!! !) Allow a day to dry completely, and then reassemble.

This also works for keyboards and TV remotes.

If you don't want to take it apart, use alcohol wipes from a first aid kit to wipe the surface with. Be advised that will only clean the surface. The grime you see is kind of like the tip of the iceberg. The skin oil and dead skin cells are packed into every button and every opening. You know that oil you get on top of a new jar of peanut butter? That's what's in TV remotes and game controllers. Except it's your own skin oil.

For the circuit board:
distilled/deionized water
perchloroethylene or isopropyl alcohol/hexane containing cleaners like CRC Lectra-Motive or QD Contact Cleaner
DO NOT USE methanol or acetone-containing products on printed circuit boards!

As for the outside, I found that Novus Polish 1 and 2 or Meguiar's PlastX works great for these - you can find the Novus polish at a plastics shop like TAP Plastics. The Meguiar's can be found at an auto parts store or Wal-Mart.

I use a damp wash cloth and I wipe it.

I would just use some mild soap and water? damp, on a soft cloth of course.
I usually clean my mini computer off with a air can and a special shammy