Switched from isopropyl alcohol to dish soap for cleaning old cartridge contacts

I used to drench everything in 91% isopropyl alcohol thinking it was the only way to clean dirty NES pins. Then about 6 months ago a guy at a retro game store in Denver told me he just uses warm water and a drop of Dawn dish soap for the plastic shells. Tried it on a grimy Game Boy that smelled like a basement from 1995 and it worked way better without fogging up the plastic. Anyone else find alcohol is overkill for the non-circuit parts?

2 comments

2 Comments

terrymitchell1mo ago

That warm water and Dawn trick is solid for plastic shells, but you still want isopropyl alcohol on the actual metal contacts of cartridges. Water and soap can leave residue on the pins and cause corrosion over time.

wesley_grant331mo ago

Oh boy, here's something nobody brings up - those little foam inserts inside the cartridges themselves. I've taken apart a few old NES and Game Boy games and found that the foam can actually trap moisture if you use any liquid at all, even isopropyl. That foam breaks down over time and turns into this sticky gunk that gets all over the pins. You're better off using a dry microfiber cloth and just rubbing the contacts gently to get them clean. If you absolutely gotta use something, use a q-tip with 91% isopropyl and then dry it immediately with another q-tip. But seriously watch out for that foam, it's like a sponge and will ruin your day.