Cleaning games

Jack burton

I couldnt find a thread for this, and I didnt want to clog up the general discussion with this.

Just want to give and get some tips on cleaning games, I dont know about most of the people but I know that I love my games clean. I'd also liek to know some more methods that people use

Since I mostly have megadrive games I'll talk about them:

Cleaning the connectors:

What You Need: Hot Water,Cotton Swabs. Lightest type of Sandpaper and Rubbing Alcohol if needed.

Dip your cotton swabs in some hot water and clean the connectors and the areas around the connectors, I usually use the opposite side of the swap to dry the area as much as I can before leaving to dry for a little while to dry, If the connectors are really dirty use a 50% Water 50% Alcohol to get them nice and clean


Cleaning the Cartridge:

What You Need: Cotton Swabs or a Lint Free Cloth, Hot Water, Some form of cleaning products ( Cilit Bang etc )

For just normal cleaning of a cartridge, just using hot water with a tiny drop of fairy liquid with your cotton swabs or cloth will get the cart nice and clean and remove any musty smells.

For the removal or marker usuall some cilit bang works for me, using a small bit sprayed on a cloth a little bit of rubbing to remove the marker will give good results, I always make sure to wash off any clilt bang left on the cartridge as it would do some damage if left on. Always be careful not to get the sticker wet.


As for the manual I dont really know, I have a few manuals that are in great condition but there is a bit of a musty smell off them

Anyone know any good ways to clean them, apart from airing them out

Andrew76

Thanks for the post Jack.
I was just searching youtube the other day to get tips on cleaning MD cartridges. Cotton buds + rubbing alcohol seemed to be popular for cleaning the connector pins. One chap also used a rubber (eraser!) to clean the connectors after using the bud+alcohol method. This is the link I think http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkOJvyw2gjk.

I use baby wipes to clean the plastic boxes themselves.

o1s1n

I was going to come along and say an eraser but I see someone else got there before me!

Something else worth keeping in mind is how to deal with battery leaks. One thing you'll need to do (after removing the battery) is cover the whole area in baking soda to neutralize the acid.

The acid can travel up along the traces too, so you want to be pretty liberal with the application. Just mix it with some water so it forms a paste. Then leave it on for 20-30 minutes and wash off.

Also, sandpaper on the cart connector? That sounds a bit excessive! I'd exhaust all other options first before doing that. Can't say I've ever come across anything on a cart that rubbing with an eraser/cotton swabs wouldn't get off.

Jack burton

Yeah your right about the sandpaper, I never had to do it, I only heard it was useful for gmaes that are otherwise completly ****ed.

Thanks for the baking soda tip aswell, I'll keep that in mind!

any tips for cleaning the manuals?

ghostchant

For cleaning NES game connectors I use windowlene with qtips, have been able to get a good few games with filthy connectors going again using that.

o1s1n

Jack burton wrote: »

any tips for cleaning the manuals?

I've never really had to clean manuals. The only thing that's really wrong with any of the ones I have (from memory anyway) is that a few are falling apart. Nothing cleaning can really fix

LoGiE

This may fit into the retro repair sticky...

Jack burton

o1s1n wrote: »

I've never really had to clean manuals. The only thing that's really wrong with any of the ones I have (from memory anyway) is that a few are falling apart. Nothing cleaning can really fix

Yeah just airing them out is the best best I suppose

Myrddin

Jack burton wrote: »

Yeah your right about the sandpaper, I never had to do it, I only heard it was useful for gmaes that are otherwise completly ****ed.

Thanks for the baking soda tip aswell, I'll keep that in mind!

any tips for cleaning the manuals?

Sandpaper? Jesus thats a new one on me. You have to wonder with some people, I mean whats next - "I used an angle grinder to fix my Dreamcast disc readin issues"?

Atavan-Halen

For cleaning discs I use lynx. Spray it around the disc and wipe off with something soft from the centre out. I'll do nothing for the scratches but good for getting fingerprints and muck off it. Don't ask how or whit it works, but it does :P

Then there's also toothpaste for the scratches which o1s1n is always banging on about :P

I've actually never had to clean a cart or it's connectors, all mine have worked first time or else it's nothing a gust of air wouldn't fix

CiDeRmAn

Cleaning Games?
How about this beauty!



Or did I misunderstand the OP's thread title completely?
I did didn't I!
D'oh!

landsleaving

atavan-halen wrote: »

Then there's also toothpaste for the scratches which o1s1n is always banging on about :P

Does it actually work? A few of the mountain of ps2 games I've picked up lately are pretty scratched

o1s1n

atavan-halen wrote: »

Then there's also toothpaste for the scratches which o1s1n is always banging on about :P

Feck off

As long as the scratch isn't deep and touch the data it works great!.

atavan-halen wrote: »

I've actually never had to clean a cart or it's connectors, all mine have worked first time or else it's nothing a gust of air wouldn't fix

If you need to use a gust of air it technically needs to be cleaned. Blowing on carts just eventually makes them worse and gunkier.

I'm lazy and really guilty of this myself

There was an interesting test on a website somewhere. A guy had two of the same cart. He blew on one every day for a year (or whatever amount of time) and left the other one alone.

As far as I remember, the one he was blowing on showed signs of nastyness on close inspection. It required more and more effort and blowing to get it to work.The other non blowing cart stayed perfect.

I guess that's an extreme example though as nobody is going to be blowing on a cart every day.

landsleaving

o1s1n wrote: »

As long as the scratch isn't deep and touch the data it works great!.

Thanks! Worked a treat on my copy of crazy taxi, but the ps2 games are in bits. I'll see if game's special amchine can save them.

Actually, can you buy one of those machines? Be handy to have one around

CathalDublin

Brasso works a treat for discs that no longer work with bad scratches.
I've use sandpaper on a few mvc carts that has the contacts corroded badly.