On Jan 14, 10:29, Claude Ceccon wrote:
> Some comments on cleaning electronics which have been despoiled by
> biorchid rodents and other sources:
[lots of good stuff that I wholeheartedly agree with]
Except:
> If you use soap do not use one that is extremely caustic - you can
> remove things that you want like the copper runs.
Copper does not dissolve in any common alkalis. Strong detergents
(some dishwasher detergents and some industrial detergents) however may
damage other things. Don't ask me why I had to re-polish the magenta
handles on a couple of DEC boards.
> Distilled water can be used in a pinch,
> but be aware that the stuff is corrosive.
That's news to me, and every chemist I know :-)
If you don't have deionised or distilled water handy (the contents of
your dehumidifier are pretty good), or your local tap water is
reasonably soft, do the final rinse with a tiny amount of a wetting
agent (common liquid detergent will do but laboratory detergent is
better because it doesn't contain dyes, thickeners, or perfume). Then
blow off as much as possible with *low* pressure air, or wave the board
around to shake off the excess, and let it drain. That's the
equivalent to what photo labs do, and I can assure you that
photographic emulsion is far more susceptible to water damage than
electronics.
The only thing I'd add is that before you start washing, it's worth
protecting or removing any labels -- especially paper labels -- that
might be damaged.
--
Pete Peter Turnbull
Network Manager
University of York
Received on Wed Jan 14 2004 - 16:11:00 GMT