Cleaning Motherboard...

[hell_storm2004]

Hi Everyone,

I have a motherboard which has become very dirty and I know that Isoprpyl Alcohol is used to clean PCB's. But i didn't find Isopropyl Alcohol anywhere. I have a bottle of Acetone, is it OK to clean my motherboard with it?

 

[o1die]

No. Never rub anything against your board. Use a canned air product with special solvents that evaporate quickly. You just spray it on. I use "perfect duster" sold at frys electronics for around $4-5.

 

[hell_storm2004]

Unfortunately i am from India. I didn't find any such products here. Well acetone is quick drying... isn't it? 🙁

 

[Computerrock1]

Do you have a balloon pump? That's what I use, just as powerfull as compressed air, and its refillable.

 

[hell_storm2004]

Sorry.. negative again!

See... i had local cabinet before i bought my CM690. In that cabinet the motherboard didn't fit! So i had to keep my PC open. Soon enough, it became an ash-try for my cigarettes, dustbin for my potato chips packet and a house of worms and dust! So when i fitted everything into my CM690 i was able to remove all the dust, except a thick layer of oil and dust which is coating my motherboard. It has stuck to my mobo like glue so i have to remove it by some sort of force! Surprisingly everything works no performance degradation whatsoever! But i just don't like the thick layer! 😀

 

[hell_storm2004]

bump!

 

[JDFan]

Smoking around a PC is not a good thing -- the Tar from the smoke will build up on the MOBO and is near impossible to remove and once it coats the board the normal dust build up will stick to it causing a thick layer that can cause heat to really build up - you can try cleaning it but usually buying a new MOBO will be needed as nothing will really remove it - even with the alcohol it is going to take alot of work to get it decently cleaned and the possibility of breaking something while scrubbing it off is pretty high.

See HERE for Pics of the Damage it can cause

This pretty much shows what it can do :