cleaning PCBs

[norf]

What do you usually use to clean dirty (dust, grime, etc.) PCBs that have parts on them? I've read about Deoxit used to clean/lubricate? pots and switches, but it's expensive. Have you used other types of electronic cleaners or some DIY concoctions?

[IanB]

Depends what's on the PCB and why you want to clean it.

Deionized or distilled water and a soft brush will work for most boards, followed by a thorough drying.

However if water gets inside trim pots or other mechanical parts like DIP switches, you may have to dry in a warm place for several days to let all the water evaporate. Else you might rinse with isopropyl alcohol to speed up the drying process.

[BillWojo]

I've pulled out PCB's on old CNC machines that were so dirty that you could barely see the components. Oil, coolant and dust mixed into a black overlayer that eventually caused the control to stop working. Some of the boards have trim pots and dip switches but that's about the only thing that water could get into. I use Simple Green and a soft brush along with hot water. Usually takes several applications to get them really clean. Blow dry them with compressed air and place them somewhere warm for a few hours. Reinstall and it almost always fixes the problem.

BillWojo

[David Hess]

For general cleaning as oppose to flux removal, I use plain hot water with a little bit of TSP or dish soap in it and then rinse with distilled or deionized water.  In some cases I drop the whole board into my ultrasonic cleaner.  I dry using an air compressor but be careful not to blow oil on the board and bake it out if necessary at relatively low temperature.

Water cleaning solutions are especially effective if a board is suffering from leakage problems.

[Pedram]

Ultrasound cleaners are useful too.