There's a great sticky on one of these forums on how to deep clean a receiver.
While elbow grease is the number one product
, a lot is dependent on what you're trying to clean off (stain/corrosion/nicotine/etc) and what material it is (plastic/metal/bakelite/etc) as well as age/condition/exposure to sunlight, etc.
Sometimes a damp towel takes care of everything, particularly if it's just a layer of hardened dust.
One thing I learned the hard way is be selective and do your research on each model, particularly with lettering on metal faceplates, glass/plastic dials, tubes, etc. Soap and water are usually harmless, but I've read of folks losing lettering on dial glass due to too warm water, windex, etc. I've found tube lettering is particularly delicate so needs a light touch.
For metal with no risk of losing a coating, lettering or it being too shiny (because of matte finish on design) metal polishes like MAGs and Brasso work well. (Brasso has ammonia, so check that's not a problem) If brushed finish, you might want to go with something non-abrasive to maintain the brush patterns. For plastic, I find the novus 3 step cleaner, polish works great.
For detail work, I find q-tips and soft toothbrushes invaluable. Good, unwashed microfiber cloth is also fantastic where you don't want to leave behind little bits of cotton. (microfiber cloths that have been washed with the rest of your laundry are usually loaded (no pun intended) with lint from the rest of the clothes. Magic erasers are also helpful in some cases.
Acetone is great for a lot of stuff but you have to be careful and same with isopropyl alcohol some items will begin to melt if the wrong solvent is used. In some cases this can be an advantage.
A lot of folks like howard's for a quick job on wood finishes, but it does fade as opposed to proper wood prep and stain. I like to do a light sand and restain for wood veneer, but you have to be careful as this can be very thin. Dilute wood bleach can sometimes help with dark stains in wood, but needs to be used sparingly or with multiple light applications.
