Cleaning bugs and bug "stuff" out of your console

[CkRtech]

Guys - I have a mess on my hands. I have 20 years of bugs and guts in a console, and I need to clean it out. I have some high percentage alcohol that I keep around for simple pcb/flux/etc cleanup. Any recommendations for cleaning inside this thing? It is beyond gross.

[ApolloBoy]

Disassemble the whole thing and scrub it in the sink with warm water and dishwashing soap. That's what I do to clean dirty consoles and it works like a charm.

[CkRtech]

Cool. That is what I have done for other consoles, but I have never had anything this bad.

[McCracAttack]

I got a console off eBay once that turned out to be "infested". Took the whole thing apart and everything that wasn't electrical got soaked in the sink with soapy water and then scrubbed with a dish sponge. All the electronic bits I swapped with rubbing alcohol and a q-tip. I've heard you can actually gently wash PCBs with soap and water but you have to immediately drench them with alcohol (or electrical cleaner from the auto parts store) to displace all the water and then make sure they are 110% dry before you reassemble. Sounds risky but if it's too filthy to use otherwise might be worth a shot?

Anyway, what the hell kind of life must people be leading where vermin can just take up residence in their stuff like that? I'm sure I don't want to know the answer.

[Udderdude]

I always recommend a good flamethrower. :3

[Ed Oscuro]

I've heard you can actually gently wash PCBs with soap and water

Yes.

but you have to immediately drench them with alcohol (or electrical cleaner from the auto parts store) to displace all the water

Generally speaking, no. Almost all electrical components we're likely to encounter are already manufactured to be used with some ambient humidity; water one time won't kill them. However:

and then make sure they are 110% dry before you reassemble.

Absolutely! I tend to do a little bit of pat-down drying with a towel first (on things I won't want to show water spots) and then put the component over warm air. Either a hot air vent or a hair dryer (set to blow air, not at a high heat setting) will do fine.

There are probably some exceptions: I try not to get any water on paper labels that are likely to be damaged, inside potentiometers, motors, or laser assemblies, or inside / under other components that have paper in them or which look likely to be easily damaged or hard to dry out. You also want to avoid letting water sit inside any crimped spots, or on regular steel (which isn't stainless) RF shielding (which rusts easily, even from fingerprints). And finally, you obviously want to be careful with any equipment that has an internal power supply, though I've found that boards with attached coin batteries don't seem to be a problem (but I can't guarantee this).

if it's too filthy to use otherwise might be worth a shot?

I actually think that cleaning off even dusty mainboards is generally a good idea because it might prevent some minor currents from traveling across board traces. Probably not a big deal but might contribute to some electrical noise. Of course, the possibility of cleaning up any electrolyte or other rogue chemicals is good too, although if you have electrolyte in the console you probably have another job after the cleaning.

Anyway, what the hell kind of life must people be leading where vermin can just take up residence in their stuff like that?

Most of these consoles were in somebody's garage, basement perhaps, or spent a lot of time at a thrift store collection point, I'm guessing.

[CkRtech]

Thanks for all of the feedback, guys. Love the stories, too. This thing was so messy, I felt like making an appeal to see if there was a magic "goo gone" of the electronics world...

I got a console off eBay once that turned out to be "infested". Took the whole thing apart and everything that wasn't electrical got soaked in the sink with soapy water and then scrubbed with a dish sponge. All the electronic bits I swapped with rubbing alcohol and a q-tip.

That is pretty much the exact situation I am in and what I planned to do. Console off of eBay, wash and scrub the plastic, alcohol and q-tip the electronics. It's all I've got.

[spadgy]

As a massive fan of insects who reads about them quite a lot, I'm disappointed to say I've never found any inside my consoles. I'd quite like a custom modded supergun that also functioned as an ant farm.

[eightbitminiboss]

As a massive fan of insects who reads about them quite a lot, I'm disappointed to say I've never found any inside my consoles. I'd quite like a custom modded supergun that also functioned as an ant farm.

That was a PC power supply in the service department when I worked at Fry's Electronics years ago. That thing was bagged up and the owner was called up to pick up immediately.

[evil_ash_xero]

Yeah, I know what you mean. I had crabs in my DS one time.

I should never have put Alex Rider: Stormbreaker in there.

[Crafty+Mech]

I've read some interesting accounts of fire ants shorting power supplies in cabs down in Florida. One would crawl in, get fried and then others would follow the trail and add to the carnage. Eventually there would be enough bio mass to cause a short and blow the supply.

[spadgy]

I guess our wimpy UK insects just don't have the interest in electrocution and circuitry that their US counterparts seem to possess.

[brokenhalo]

I've heard you can actually gently wash PCBs with soap and water but you have to immediately drench them with alcohol (or electrical cleaner from the auto parts store) to displace all the water and then make sure they are 110% dry before you reassemble. Sounds risky but if it's too filthy to use otherwise might be worth a shot?

I've heard of pcb collectors running old boards through the dishwasher (without soap). they remove any socketed chips, and let them dry a few days before hooking them back up. if you have access to an air compressor, you can use that to blow the water off and get under the chips to really dry stuff out fast. water won't hurt electronics, water plus electricity will however.

[spadgy]

I've heard you can actually gently wash PCBs with soap and water but you have to immediately drench them with alcohol (or electrical cleaner from the auto parts store) to displace all the water and then make sure they are 110% dry before you reassemble. Sounds risky but if it's too filthy to use otherwise might be worth a shot?

I've heard of pcb collectors running old boards through the dishwasher (without soap). they remove any socketed chips, and let them dry a few days before hooking them back up. if you have access to an air compressor, you can use that to blow the water off and get under the chips to really dry stuff out fast. water won't hurt electronics, water plus electricity will however.

I may be wrong, but Skykid might know somebody who has done this without problems. I've certainly heard of the technique.

[McCracAttack]

As a massive fan of insects who reads about them quite a lot, I'm disappointed to say I've never found any inside my consoles. I'd quite like a custom modded supergun that also functioned as an ant farm.

It's never "fun" insects. If I opened a Saturn and a cloud of ladybugs flew out it would be the best day ever. But it's always roaches. Also, apparently roach poop can cause lots of rust and corrosion.

[ApolloBoy]

I found a spider's nest complete with egg sac in my Atari 5200 when I bought it a decade ago. It looked it had been in a really damp place too as it was caked in grime and the RF shielding was rusty.

[CkRtech]

Also, apparently roach poop can cause lots of rust and corrosion.

I think that might be what I am facing in this system. I am hoping to revive it. Cleaning it out will tell me how much damage has been done. I haven't even bothered to power it up since acquiring a single lot of them in the mail just yesterday (all described to have "power issues").

[Jeppen]

Here's a good video on how to clean the motherboard, just make sure you have switched the console on and off a couple of times after you unplug it to unload any electricity still being stored by certain components.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eig-VDCWfoo#t=6m12s

[ED-057]

Someone gave me a SNES last year. It was dirty and smelled funny. I opened it and that is when I discovered the bug parts. So many bug parts. I vacuumed it out and set it aside for a while, but found that it was attracting more bugs! So then I disassembled it completely and hosed everything down with hot water, followed by blow drying with compressed air. Reassembled and tested the next day and it was good.

[CkRtech]

Well guys, I did step one and separated PCBs, metal parts, and plastic. All plastic parts are soaking at the moment. Sadly, I think perhaps this last owner also enjoyed cigars around his system quite a bit. It seems to have this certain smell to it.

Meanwhile...perhaps my cleaning efforts will be worth it provided I can finally get around to diagnosing circuit issues...

[Ed Oscuro]

A brush scrub with dishwasher soap will take care of that PCB.

[spadgy]

Of course, I should have stepped in early and made sure people are talking bugs specifically; what with bugs and beetles being utterly different (beetles have jaw parts and bugs have needle like 'beak' mouth parts, for starters). And, of course, bugs are but one of the may orders of insects, so most insects are not bugs at all. Ants, wasps and bees alone outnumber bugs.

Not that I'm sure which order of insects' infection of a given console impacts the method through which to remove them.

[Ed Oscuro]

Bug Hunt protocols still apply: Nuke it from orbit, just to be safe.

[McCracAttack]

Meanwhile...perhaps my cleaning efforts will be worth it provided I can finally get around to diagnosing circuit issues...

A 1chip SNES, eh? Not bad. Hopefully that will make up for some of the grossness.

[CkRtech]

Well guy - success. After cleaning it, I diagnosed the power issue as stemming from the good ol' pico fuse (as usual). The multi-out needs a reflow, but I ultimately ended up with a 1CHIP-02 that cost me about $9.25.

[Gekiohsan]

I remember this happening to me once with a dreamcast one time. Had went to an associates house that had a spare one that was having issues turning on. Should have seen the red flag when i was questioning his living conditions. I wondered why there was black spots all over the outer casing but at the time they were still going for 100.00 a pop and if i fixed it i could have it. Anyways, opened, unscrewed, saw joes apartmet inside, proceeded to chuck out of the window.


Kudos for being able to handle that situation better than i did