How to clean Video Game Cartridges

The cheapest way to clean a cartridge is with Isopropal (Rubbing) Alcohol and a cotton swab. At the local discount store (Wal-Mart/Target/K-Mart 'round here) one can purchase a 16 ounce bottle of 70% rubbing alcohol for 16 to 59 cents. A box of 500 cotton-swabs (i.e. Q-Tips(R)) can be had for $.99 to $1.99 usually.

However, rubbing alcohol typically consits of 30% water (thus the 70% rating). Water is not a good thing for electronics in general. It doesn't evaporate quickly and tends to leave spots, and be a catalyst for future corrosion. If at all possible try to find a different product, either a specialized electronic cleaner, or a higher percentage rubbing alcohol. If you're on a budget, then rubbing alcohol may be the best you can do.

When selecting a specialized electronic cleaner, one or more of the following will probably happen:

You'll pay through the nose for a "Environment Friendly" CFC-replacement solution that comes in a 4-oz can that'll dissappear in no-time.
You'll find a way to get a CFC-based solution that does the trick, but will also pay quite a bit for it due to government regulations on such products.
You'll find something that looks good on the can, but when you get it home it does nothing more than water, and makes everyone in the room sick when you spray it due to it's fumes.
You find a good compromise and take a gamble. I finially found one that works QUITE well:

LPS CFC Free Electro Contact Cleaner
Part No. 03116
Net Wt. 11 Oz. 312 Grams

UPC: 78827 03116
Can No. 521054/Rev. 01 08/94

The can is primarily Red, Green and White with black lettering.

I found this produt at a huge home/auto store called "Mills Fleet Farm". I believe it's primary located in the upper midwest (ND, MN, WI), but you may have something similar in your area of the woods. I also came across it at a hardware/sporting goods store called "Scheels", but they wanted over 66% more for it. For an 11-oz can, it sells for $7.19, a VERY good deal.

The contents contain no water, so there is no residue/chance for corrosion/rusting, but due to this fact, if it's spayed thin (i.e. over a circut board), it evaporates very fast, usually within 10 seconds. If left in puddles or applied to a cotton swab in large amounts, it will last a bit longer before evaporating.

Here is the contents list from the can in case you find something similar:

Isohexane 107-83-5
Isopropanol 67-63-0
Carbon Dioxide Propellant 124-38-9
n-Hexane 110-54-3

The good thing is that even though there are precautions about vapors, it can be spayed within a closed room and unless you emptied the entire can, you would never notice it in the room unless you purposely tried up-close. Also, since it's not a CFC or CFC-replacement based, it will not freeze your fingers when sprayed on them..it is cold, but still well above freezing.

As with any petroleum distillate, appropriate caution should be excercised when using the product. See the product can for all relevant warnings.

This stuff is so good that I have been able to clean entire keyboard assemblies with it (TI 99/4A's, Tandy Color Computer, Mitsumi boards from Commodore equipment.) It even did a good job on a ColecoVision power switch which is ledgendary for oxidizing and causing the system to freeze when not even being touched! Also, I was able to bring 3 Atari 5200 joystick controllers back to life whose touchpads and fire buttons were non-responsive. It cleaned up the carbon dots on the buttons and the traces on the flexible membrane perfectly! This could also work on push button membranes on most telephones.

Cleaning Steps:

Using the cleaner of your choice (see above), saturate a cotton swab completely with the cleaner. Note: Most alcohol-based cleaners will evaporate very quickly, so be sure to completely saturate, and do so just before applying.

Ensure you can see the card edge. Most Atari manufactured cartridges have the special locking dust-protector that must be disengaged by inserting a point of any object (a flat blade screwdriver works quite well) into the hole to unlock it, before the dust protector can be pushed back into the cartridge. Note: You may want to do this and hold it open before doing step #1, especially if you're using fast-evaporating and/or expensive cleaner.

Rub cotton swab across both sides of the cartridge edge, over the copper (or other metal) traces applying enough pressure to remove the oxidation, but not too much, otherwise you might either tear-off a trace or leave large remants of cotton around the edges of the traces.

Constantly turn the cotton swab while cleaning. Best results are obtained by using one end of the swab for each side (unless one side barely removes any oxidation). The oxidation will appear as black deposits on the swab. Note: Some cleaners, when reapplied to a dirty swab will cause the oxidation to become almost clear, however, try not to reapply cleaner to an already used swab unless it doesn't have a significant deposit already, otherwise you may end up re-depositing it on the cartridge. Remember: Cotton swabs are cheap... $1 for 500 of them at a discount store.

When cleaning a batch of cartridges, I usually make one pass over them all using 1 swab per cartridge (one end per side of connector). I then clean them all again, using 1 side of a swab per cartridge to get any remaining oxidation.
Even though it is possible to ruin a cartridge by cleaning it, it is highly unlikely. I have cleaned around 200 cartridges and never ruined one by doing so, and have only had one cartridge not work before I ever did anything to it (i.e. cleaning didn't help it at all). I have even passed +5v through incorrect pins on some Atari 2600 cartridges while making various hardware interfaces to them, none of them were fried. (Lucky I guess)

Good luck cleaning those classic cartridges!

This page last updated on November 12, 1996.

Send comments to bfrandse@rrnet.com