Circuit board cleaner?

What kind of cleaner solution would a guy use to wash down solid state circuit boards?
I have an amp I want to clean up that has a lot of dusty gunk on the inside.

Thanks
 
I use 90% isopropyl alcohol and a brush. You can use an old toothbrush if you don't have one made for electronics.
Deoxit works too, but is expensive.
 
i just carefully give it a good bath with small paint brush & hot soapy water , rinse & set out in the sun to dry. then clean the controls with deoxit , probably have to pull the front panel off & give a good wipe down with glass cleaner. never had a problem.
 
Just ordered some wd 40 electronic cleaner. 6.50 a can, may try to rinse with some hot water in a squirt bottle.
its a pioneer spec 4 amp and the boards come out pretty easy. I will see if the wd 40 loosens the grime. May try some
hot water and dawn detergent. looks like this thing was in a nicotine environment.
Everything gets sticky then the dust fuses to it.
 
Don't use WD40, it is not intended to be an electronics cleaner, it removes water, lubricates and leaves a residue.

Here is how I did it with a really filthy SX-780.
Remove wood covers and other likely to be damaged-by-water parts.
Take chassis or boards outside, and set on hard surface so liquids can drain away.
Saturate with Simple Green and let it soak for a while.
Rinse it with water, you can brush with a soft brush if needed. Be careful not to flood it, just rinse and drain.
Repeat Simple Green and rinse/brush treatment if needed.
Blow away water with compressed air or similar, gently, don't blast it real hard, it is not necessary.
Rinse down well with isopropol (99%) or denatured alcohol to remove the last of the water.
Blow dry gently again.
If it has a receiver with mechanical tuning capacitor rinse the fins with a non-residue electronic cleaner.
Let it sit in a warm place overnight, to finish drying and alcohol evaporation, A warm incandescent light bulb and/or fan helps.
Deoxit switches and controls with appropriate type.

SX-780 before clean:
DSCF0605.JPG DSCF0615.JPG

SX-780 after clean:

DSCF0630.JPG
 
I use a shop-vac and duct tape a small hose to the one of the attachments, like a fish tank hose. Then use windex or simple green with a acid brush and scrub down the board staying away from the pots and coils. Get it nice and wet. Then vacuum it off. I do this a couple of times. Then let dry. I do use different size hoses so some will fit over caps and transistors and smaller ones to get into tight spots. Works great to get the 1970's party smells out of them.
 
man that's some nice grime, courtsy of WD40 + dust+smoke I guess?
Yup, it was my shop music stereo for over 10 years, where I worked on motorcycles, trucks, cars, etc.: Wrenching, cleaning, grinding, cutting, welding , painting, exhaust fumes, wood stove smoke, Colorado wind-blown dust and grass fire smoke, mice and cats wandering around, a dog or two, an occasional bird flying by, just the usual shop residue.
 
Yup, it was my shop music stereo for over 10 years, where I worked on motorcycles, trucks, cars, etc.: Wrenching, cleaning, grinding, cutting, welding , painting, exhaust fumes, wood stove smoke, Colorado wind-blown dust and grass fire smoke, mice and cats wandering around, a dog or two, an occasional bird flying by, just the usual shop residue.
Awesome!
 
You SX-780 ws even worse than my Ugly Betty Kendwood Basic M-1...

15331290572_d239098179_o.jpg


16301291638_c4e12535eb_b.jpg


16489008895_b5e1f943f3_b.jpg


16395360419_e770348914_b.jpg
 
Sorry, I can't track down the pics (or even remember if I kept them), but a few years back I bought a couple Carver PM 1.5 (fan cooled pro amps) that had been used by a band that specialized in "barn dances"--as in being held in actual barns full of hay. Filters got clogged, so they pulled them--didn't replace them--just pulled them. You should have seen what was inside.
 
Don't use WD40, it is not intended to be an electronics cleaner, it removes water, lubricates and leaves a residue.

Here is how I did it with a really filthy SX-780.
Remove wood covers and other likely to be damaged-by-water parts.
Take chassis or boards outside, and set on hard surface so liquids can drain away.
Saturate with Simple Green and let it soak for a while.
Rinse it with water, you can brush with a soft brush if needed. Be careful not to flood it, just rinse and drain.
Repeat Simple Green and rinse/brush treatment if needed.
Blow away water with compressed air or similar, gently, don't blast it real hard, it is not necessary.
Rinse down well with isopropol (99%) or denatured alcohol to remove the last of the water.
Blow dry gently again.
If it has a receiver with mechanical tuning capacitor rinse the fins with a non-residue electronic cleaner.
Let it sit in a warm place overnight, to finish drying and alcohol evaporation, A warm incandescent light bulb and/or fan helps.
Deoxit switches and controls with appropriate type.

SX-780 before clean:
View attachment 1349875 View attachment 1349877

SX-780 after clean:

View attachment 1349879

Im not talking about regular wd 40. they make a electrical contact cleaner like deoxit
 
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