I remembered some more--
If there's a bunch of wires getting soldered together at a single connection (like all the tiny little wires that go to the light bulbs in a Scott 350R), I'll zip-tie them in a neat bunch so they stay put during soldering.
I put down tools everywhere while I work and the bench becomes increasingly chaotic, so I dug out an old mechanic's tool box, the one with two sliding drawers and a tall lid that opens up to a big space. Sprays, clean rags, heat gun, etc. go in the top; screwdrivers in one drawer; cutters, flush cutters, wire stripper, etc. in another drawer--you get the picture. I'm trying to put the tools back into the drawers as soon as I'm done using them so they stay in a known locale.
The other day I was working on a bunch of different amps and receivers. When one was "done", I hooked it up to my test speakers and let it play while I worked on the next unit--you'll think you fixed something, only to hear something weird after ten minutes of playing (after it's carefully hauled back up two flights of stairs and lovingly re-inserted (sorry! that's the only way I could think of saying that!) into your stereo rack.
I buy clean, all-cotton shop rags in giant packs (I forget how many but they're $20 at Home Depot). If they've just got Windex or Simple Green on them, I'll run them through the wash with my carpentry clothes, separate from the rest of the family's stuff. I love always having clean, white shop towels.
When I clean face plates, knobs, etc., I've had good luck simply washing them in warm, soapy water (dish soap like Dawn) with a clean, new sponge (soft side of sponge only). I rinse them under the tap, then dry immediately. Nothing else unless I'm really in an OCD cleaning mode. What's great about warm, soapy water is that it's very kind to delicate, aged lettering/glues/etc. on said face plates. Older stereos with real glass in the face plates are much easier to get clean and seem far more resistant to scratching.
If you want to meet the High Priest of receiver/amp detailing, go over to Curt Jane's site but do not attempt to do what he does--the guy is a like a heart surgeon. I think I ruined at least one amp trying to copy him.
