Figured out a better way to clean old NES cartridge slots

I used to just blow in them, which everyone knows is bad. Now I use a cotton swab with a tiny bit of isopropyl alcohol, like 70%. Works way better and doesn't leave moisture. What's your go-to method for those?

3 comments

3 Comments

thea2462mo ago

Wait, you mean we're not supposed to just huff and puff like we're trying to blow down a brick house? I thought that was the official, Nintendo-approved method from 1989. Seriously though, the cotton swab and alcohol trick is solid. I used to use those cheap plastic cleaning kits that felt like they'd snap the cartridge slot in half. Your way is less scary.

grantthomas2mo ago

The real trick is using a pencil eraser on the cartridge contacts, in my experience.

wright.drew1mo ago

...and the thing is, my buddy tried that pencil eraser trick on an old Zelda cart he found at a garage sale. He rubbed it pretty hard and next thing you know, the gold contacts started to look all scratched up and dull. The console wouldn't even read the game after that, so he had to do a deep clean with alcohol anyway. Honestly, I stick to the alcohol swab method you mentioned, it's just way safer and never failed me. Have you ever had any issues with the eraser thing?

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