Help/Support ► Cleaning stuff. (We all have to..) Any tips/tricks guys?

[maryadavies]

The other day, my brother came in here and complained on how dusty my consoles were. Well, that got me into a cleaning spree. I bought some supplies (including a reusable microfiber duster for the consoles..) and let them have it, and some homemade spray I use and wiped down my controllers. Then it occurred to me.

I'm not the neatest person to begin with, but I'm sure all of you got your own tricks for cleaning controllers/consoles. Me, I tend to not have that much mmm..disposable income, and also my sister is allergic to a LOT of chemicals. (a lot of multipurpose cleaners make her reach for a emergency inhaler!) So my go tos are usually white vinegar, rubbing alcohol, and baking soda. I also try to be careful what I use; with the homemade spray, that's 50/50 rubbing alcohol and regular tap water btw. (One of my fav sites for figuring out formulas is one called Clean My Space, btw.) The only commercial cleaner I use is Iklear for my touch devices since that does not seem to bother her.

So, anyone around here got tips/tricks?

 

[Dreaded_Desire62]

I got my floor cleaner from the dollar cleaner.

 

[Grono]

Honestly, I've never really disinfected my controllers. I always had tricks for adding grip and comfort to them, but I've never really disinfected them at all. It's definitely got to be hard without chemicals, though.

 

[maryadavies]

Grono; it isn't too bad. 50/50 rubbing alcohol and regular tap water does the job, and disinfects too; I just do it b/c controllers DO get gross. Your hands are oily (they always are oily) and you wouldn't believe the CRAP that gets in the buttons and sticks (not to mention the crack on the side that holds the two halves of the controller together.). Ugh. I just use a toothbrush that I never use for brushing teeth, a microfiber cloth, a piece of paper (for getting in the cracks), my electric duster (for blowing out screw holes; crud gets in there too. Dead skin and yuck. If you don't have a electric duster, canned air is a good substitute) and that alcohol mix. I could use a bleach wipe/disinfectant wipe instead of my spray (Sis isn't allergic to bleach) but we have to kinda save those, since my brother lost his job recently. (And I would NOT use straight bleach anywhere near my controllers. Might damage them. Bleach wipe is one thing, straight bleach is another. Straight bleach might damage the plastic.)

I use the same mix for mouse cleaning and also for wiping down my PS4 when it needs it, just have to be sparing. It evaporates fast, so it's good for most electronics, tho I wouldn't try it on my touch screens. ^^ That reminds me, my wireless mouse is starting to look gross too..

 

[catcake]

Hmm what is it called in english, compressed air in small cans? Anyway, that's really good. Haven't cleaned any of my own consoles but we tried to revive my friend's PS2 last year for a long time, and the air can really helped. It took some time and the console is still not 100% reliable, but it mostly works.

 

[Recon]

You want to use green clean products. These are solvents that are typically good for the environment and don't involve many chemicals.

 

[maryadavies]

Catcake: It's called canned air here. I just have this since it saves us money in the long run. Canned air costs money that we might not have.

Recon; that might be a option when we have money. Such things are kinda pricy; that's why I stick to rubbing alcohol, white vinegar, dishsoap, and baking soda. Don't laugh, it works. And I bought a huuuge bag of baking soda from Sam's Club just for cleaning. She's my go to for formulas and stuff.

 

[Dreaded_Desire62]

You want to use green clean products. These are solvents that are typically good for the environment and don't involve many chemicals.

How is the cost regarding them?

 

[Recon]

How is the cost regarding them?

They do vary. Here are some cheap ones. Look for anything eco-friendly.

 

[Soldier]

For the consoles/controllers, i mainly use wipes for glasses, but dry them out a bit so they don't short circuit the electric parts. For the most part, this is pretty effective, especially with something like a 3DS.

 

[Elysium]

This isn't really a cleaning tip exactly--more of a preventative measure lol--but whenever I'm not using my PS4, I unplug it and then after it's cooled down for a while (don't want to cause a fire) I cover it with a towel so dust can't gather.

 

[Alja]

Grono; it isn't too bad. 50/50 rubbing alcohol and regular tap water does the job, and disinfects too;

If it's important for you to disinfect, I'd suggest going for a 70% alcohol solution! Cleaning works fine with your mixture, but it doesn't disinfect too well.

 

[Dreaded_Desire62]

If it's important for you to disinfect, I'd suggest going for a 70% alcohol solution! Cleaning works fine with your mixture, but it doesn't disinfect too well.

The alcohol is really important with cleaning since otherwise you're just using water, right?

 

[Alja]

The alcohol is really important with cleaning since otherwise you're just using water, right?

Yeah? I mean water with a dash of dish soap will be more effective, but not recommendable when you're wiping down your electronics. Alcohol itself is a solvent and can clean up the less serious grime and since it evaporates more quickly without residue, it's better for electronics.

It all depends on what you use it for. I personally buy my cleaners because I have no issues, so I have not that much experience with mixing them. Can't really give tips though because I'm not American :/

 

[maryadavies]

Alja, not everyone in the US does either. I just mix my own b/c of my sister's allergies. Heck, I can't even have most all purpose cleaners around! The common ones make her sick..

And I'll remember that if I really need to disinfect; but really with the consoles/controllers, I just want to get the grody off them and yes, you don't want to use soap and water. You'd ruin the item, and considering those things are expensive, I want to make sure whatever evaporates pretty fast. So rubbing alcohol is the way to go.

 

[Alja]

Oh I just mentioned that I'm not American because as such, I can't give tips on low budget allergy friendly cleaners and such since the brands are different! (And even the ingredients might be sometimes...)