Can someone recommend a PCB cleaner?

PsHayes

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I'm looking to clean up a pcb for a gift to a friend. I've bought some pcbs from members here that come very shiny and look like they have been sprayed with something to clean them.

Any suggestions?

Thanks..
 
Simple Green and a garden hose.

+1 to this, dawn dish soap will work too but not as well as the simple green (S.G. tends to take off more of the yellow/orange).

I just cleaned a PC with 8 years of heavy smoke residue via the simple green and hose method (took about 20-30min then 12-18 hours of drying). with little to no scrubbing.
 
Simple Green and a garden hose.

+1, but also recommend drying as best as you can right after with an air nozzle if possible (regulated down mind you since a blast at too high of a pressure would blow the chips right out of their sockets). Water can tend to sit underneath and in crevices on components and you don't want that to leave lime or rust deposit.

And still let it sit for a few days after.
 
And still let it sit for a few days after.

You can also bake it in the oven at 150 or so for a half hour to an hour. That'll drive out most of the residual moisture Obviously, you want to shake out what liquid water you can first - the air compressor is handy here too.

-Ian
 
You can also bake it in the oven at 150 or so for a half hour to an hour. That'll drive out most of the residual moisture Obviously, you want to shake out what liquid water you can first - the air compressor is handy here too.

-Ian

Was gonna say dry with a hair dryer held in place for 10 seconds and dry in sections (as that is what I usually do), but honestly not sure if the heat is bad for the components or not.
 
I've always cleaned any of my electronics with 90% isopropyl alcohol. It's evaporates rather quickly since it's only 10% water.
 
i use dish soap and wash my computer motherboards in the sink and set the oven as low as it can go and put it in there for half an hour to an hour never had a problem yet, i also did the same thing to my space duel monitor pcb's when i had it, cleaned them up nice
 
Not to be confused with Simple Green, I just hosed down a G07 Chassis with Mean Green. So far, so good, looks clean. Sprayed it with a hose, hit it with compressed air after.
 
The above methods aren't bad, but I'll comment on:

Dishwasher - this works pretty good - if you have soft water and/or a good rinse aid. Otherwise your board will be clean with a white film all over it.

Simple Green and hose/toothbrush - This method works best, but the combination of SG and water will play havoc with any stickers on the board. Have a plan for if they fade or disintegrate.
 
You should take extra care with boards that have sockets on them. Even more so if there are DIP switches. For simple boards with no sockets or DIP, I use Simple Green and a brush. Then rinse in a sink and blow dry with a compressor or compressed air. Allow to dry in the sun.

For boards with sockets and/or DIP switches, I use 91% alcohol and a brush. I hold the board at a 45 degree angle and pour on a little alcohol so it runs down the board while I am scrubbing with the small paint brush. I try to keep the alcohol to the board surface and scrub with the brush on resistors, capacitors etc. Try not to get the alcohol in the sockets, DIP switches or anything that has a heat sink with heat sink grease. Then I take a rag wet with alcohol (use gloves) and wipe the top of the chips and anything that I don't want alcohol down into. Then I pour more alcohol down the board and blow it off with a compressor. Any residual dirt I clean with alcohol and the brush or rag as needed. Again, allow to dry in the sun or next to a fan or even in the oven at 150 degrees.

John

Do any of the socketed chips need to be removed first before washing?

Thanks.
M.
 
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