I have an old arduino board without an enclosure and it's look dirty and look old.
Which cleaner is suitable for cleaning an electronic board to make it look new ?
If you have a relatively inexpensive small ultrasonic cleaning tub..... then you could try distilled water and ultrasonic cleaning.
Or ... if you have a air compressor machine.... could try using the compressed air to blow dust off the board. Just depends on how dirty the board is.... and whether dust is stuck on hard with oily substance.
Cleaning an Arduino is just like cleaning any PCB. NASA forbids ultrasonic cleaning because it can inadvertently cause separation of component end caps and actually cause damage to bond wires and bond wire pads internal to the IC via ultrasonic conduction of the ultrasonic energy via the integrated circuit lead-frame.
Most people just rub a q-tip soaked with lab-grade (purity) Isopropyl alcohol.
If the application isn't nasa level or life threatening.... and the board is a relatively inexpensive one.... then it should be generally ok to go the ultrasonic route.
The q-tip cleaning is great.... but could take a while. A relatively long while.
isopropoalcohol and a soft toothbrush is what I use
Southpark:
If you have a relatively inexpensive small ultrasonic cleaning tub..... then you could try distilled water and ultrasonic cleaning.Or ... if you have a air compressor machine.... could try using the compressed air to blow dust off the board. Just depends on how dirty the board is.... and whether dust is stuck on hard with oily substance.
Definitely don't risk ultrasonic cleaning, it could easily delaminate something in one of the packages, especially
likely to generate dangerous voltages in the ceramic capacitors as they are piezoelectric.
Why not use a PCB cleaning solvent such as is used after soldering up? Dissolves any remaining flux,
safe for (most) components - scrub carefully with an old toothbrush or similar for any built-up dirt deposit.
Water is a bad idea for any electronics.
MarkT:
Definitely don't risk ultrasonic cleaning, it could easily delaminate something in one of the packages, especially
likely to generate dangerous voltages in the ceramic capacitors as they are piezoelectric.Why not use a PCB cleaning solvent such as is used after soldering up? Dissolves any remaining flux,
safe for (most) components - scrub carefully with an old toothbrush or similar for any built-up dirt deposit.Water is a bad idea for any electronics, distilled or otherwise, as most components have steel parts in
the wires or endcaps meaning thorough drying (ie baking) would be needed before rust got a hold.
I clean using these steps:
Depending on the arduino version you may have to avoid some items like connectors. Technically you can clean them with alcohol but I try not to. If you have a compressor or perhaps a can of compressed air (photo, keyboard cleaner etc) dry it what that but be careful not to create any static.
- 91% isopropyl alcohol or Ethel alcohol (from Home Depot or similar) and a firm toothbrush (I found some at Walmart).
Note: The reset button is supposed to be able to go through a production line wash cycle. However I like to keep it as dry as possible. The connectors as well, not so much for fear of the liquid causing an issue but I don't want any flux that has gone into solution to be redeposited on the contacts
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Dish soap and hot water. Soap and brush well then rinse with hot tap water. Sounds wrong but it is not, production houses use water soluble flux and clean the boards in water as they come off the conveyor. If it makes you feel better you can do a post rinse with distilled water.
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I usually perform a final rinse in alcohol, not so much for cleaning but to help get any remaining water from under the chips.
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Allow to dry well before powering up.
For those who know this process is not for aerospace electronics..... I agree, however Arduinos are not for aerospace either.
MarkT:
While conceptually I agree, I've washed a lot of boards with steel parts. Usually they are plated else they would rust anyway. I use compressed air to clean off the excess and an alcohol post wash to hopefully get some more of the water. I've never had an issue and I've cleaned many boards. But as they say, "there is more than one way to skin a cat" (BTW not a pussy cat but a catfish).
Water is OK and "pure water" is best. Where I work all of the the boards go through a DI water wash after wave solder. Then, they are heat-dried. I've also seen boards hand-dried with compressed air. Compressed air doesn't always get it completely dry, so it's a good idea to let it stand, ideally in a warm-dry environment, before powering-up the board.
Note: The reset button is supposed to be able to go through a production line wash cycle. However I like to keep it as dry as possible.
Right. Some (most?) switches, pots, and piezo buzzers are not supposed to have water inside. Some switches/pots have some kind of lubrication, and the water can be retained inside after drying long enough to start corrosion. In production, these parts are often hand-soldered and hand-cleaned after wave solder.
...A long-long time ago I saw a demonstration of a powered-up and running board submerged in deionized water for cooling. It was a shocking thing to see but I guess pure water is an insulator.
For home use I've found tap water, especially hot water works fine. Our water comes from community wells and it contains a lot of lime. The trick is to wipe/blow it away before it dries. I found the same with my black car. If I didn't wipe it dry there were watermarks all over it. Black cars look nice when clean but are a bear to get that really shiny black without spots or swirls.
DVDdoug:
...A long-long time ago I saw a demonstration of a powered-up and running board submerged in deionized water for cooling. It was a shocking thing to see but I guess pure water is an insulator.
I've not seen a DI water demonstration but I have seen an old "Fat" MAC immersed** and running in fluorinert.
** Unit, screen, keyboard....everything. The demonstrator had reached into the fluid container and was typing on the keyboard. You could see the text he was typing displayed on the screen!
MarkT:
Definitely don't risk ultrasonic cleaning, it could easily delaminate something in one of the packages, especially
likely to generate dangerous voltages in the ceramic capacitors as they are piezoelectric.Why not use a PCB cleaning solvent such as is used after soldering up? Dissolves any remaining flux,
safe for (most) components - scrub carefully with an old toothbrush or similar for any built-up dirt deposit.Water is a bad idea for any electronics.
We use hot deionized water in a circuit board washer for all printed circuit boards, except for ones with a component that the manufacturer says is not water washable. Very few of those. Generally those are added after wash with no-clean solder flux.
Paul
"Ya ask ten engineers, and ya get 11 answers."
None of these fine methods however will make an old Arduino look brand new, like out of the box. At least on my (official more so than clone) boards, the silk screening begins to wear on pin labels after I've plugged and unplugged them a few dozen times.
I do agree that the reset button could be an issue ---- as in, the water gets in, and could take a while to dry on the inside of it. And hopefully not leave behind any problematic residue on the surfaces of the contacts of the switch (internally) once the water has dried up. Could always replace the switch I guess, as they're a dime a dozen (or 12 dozen).
Easiest and lowest cost way for me may be 91% isopropyl alcohol or PCB cleaning solvent for cleaning my boards.
And I will be careful about some parts to keep it dry.
Thanks everyone.
PoundXI:
Easiest and lowest cost way for me may be 91% isopropyl alcohol or PCB cleaning solvent for cleaning my boards.
With a soft, long bristle painting brush to physically dislodge dirt.
And an air compressor with a dusting lance.
Used at correct distance of course!
Buy a new one and copy the code across. Much easier than getting deionized water.
Why does it have to look good?
MorganS:
Buy a new one and copy the code across. Much easier than getting deionized water.Why does it have to look good?
They sell distilled water in grocery stores for a buck twenty nine a gallon (3.8 liters.) They don't have Arduinos though.
Morgan's because he wants it to look good? Or he wants to sell it, or he wants to give it away as a present, or, he just doesn't want to spend money on a new one while he can clean-up his old one?
And like ChrisTenone said, easier to get demi water than a new arduino, go to the shop around the corner done
I order parts from Sparkfun, Adafruit or Mouser at least twice a month.
The closest store to me which I know has deionized water is 12 miles away and I go there less than once a month. The deionized water is down the back and much more difficult to find than the "reorder now" button on my recent-orders list.
It's possible to make D.I.Y. distilled water quite easily, right?
Otherwise..... could probably buy distilled water via ebay.