Well, I know this one is going to seem a bit trite, but I suspect that I will get an answer here faster than what I could find on the net...
I want something that will clean the oily smudge marks off of the front of all of my shiny new pieces without marring the finish, and I seem to remember there being some sort of Gun cleaning solution that would not only take the oils off, but also make it resistant to marks on a daily basis.
Does this ring a bell for anyone?
I know that there are some Gun fans on these pages - Bridgeman? - Bigjohn? and just know someone will be able to point me in the right direction.
Thanks!
I can't help you, but will be watching for the answer as I'd also like to know how to handle the smudges.
Just to share what may be helpful to some about regular cleaning:
We have one of those upright vacs that have a long removable hose...sometimes called a "drape wand". I've purchased a separate, long and soft-bristled brush for that vac for cleaning my production equipment (getting in-between sliders on mixers, etc. can be frustrating otherwise! I simply marked the brush as "Equipment Only" and keep it with my cables, etc... It ensures that I can vacuum all my electronics without fear of using the regular vac "brush tool" that is used in all sorts of really dirty environments. Three bucks that was worth it!
Another thing I've done fairly recently is to buy a real feather duster... it's a "Texas Feathers" brand that I got at Home Depot. Maybe this was obvious to everyone but me, but I typically cleaned furniture with a furniture polish and glass/equipment with Windex. I had never owned an actual feather duster....at least not in the past twenty years!
Anyway, this thing really attracts dust like a magnet, is soft on the equipment, and with it's extra long handle, reaches the back of the top surface of my equipment!
Mark,
Not to hijack but could you repost those pix of your center channel stand. you can start a new thread so as not to continue my hijack.
Thanx Jake
I use nothing but a little soap and water and a damp cloth on all my gear. Works perfect but remember I said damp, not wet. Stay clear of Windex and other alcohol based cleaners.
When I get really energetic, I also treat all my inputs and outputs with Caig Pro Gold. Not always, just once every few months.
I'll look around. I wouldn't recommend any of the gun cleaning stuff I use on audio equipment, it's mostly a 125 year old forumula of various solvents and carcinogens.
I'm guessing it's one of the new silicon sprays I have seen in the stores but never really looked at. Stay tuned...
Yeah, what got me to the Gun thing was remembering my Dad using something on his guns that retarded the buildup of oily fingerprints on them after cleaning. And while gazing lovingly at my new pieces last night I was stuck at how noticable these oily smuges are, and then it struck me that the surfaces seemed remarkably close to guns, even though I know that this is aluminumn and guns are steel.
I just do not want to use something that will have a negative effect on the aluminumn.
Seems to me that there would be something out there.
Might go over to my Sweetheart's Dad's place today and pose the question to him. He is a big gun guy and might have the answer.
The one thing to watch out for is that most gun cleaners are designed to remove powder residue AND OTHER METALS from steel, so they can be really bad news on some metals. Some of the most benign gun cleaners (eg. Hoppes) will strip nickel plating right off the gun if you give them some time.
Seabear,
If you are talking about removing smudges from your audio equipment, then as NH said, a light solution of regular dish soap and a damp cloth is all that is required.
Sunlight soap was the most common detergent used in cleaning crude oil from seabird feathers during the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill just to give you some perspective. Any light base solution will dissolve oils but in the nice, non-caustic way.
For daily dusting, I just use a swiffer or my Billy Bags Audio Duster. Not to sound cliche, but both do attract dust like a magnet. Every few months, I use Endust for Electronics (sprayed on a cloth diaper) on the front panels of my receiver and amps, and the top, bottom, and sides of the non-ventilated stuff. I never touch my equipment though, so most of the time it is unnecessary. I also use Pro Gold once a year.
I love the swiffer duster,I use that for general cleaning.For finger prints I use orange clean wipes.
TJ, as has been mentioned, a little soap and a damp cloth should take it off. The long-term solution that I found to the problem of greasy components was to stop eating kolbasa with my fingers.
Why am I suddenly reminded of BigJohn?
You know i've always liked the idea of a swiffer duster, until i actually got one and unlike the commercial, when i shake mine, millions of little dust partilcles go flying about.
I really beliieve that is another case of borderline adverstising fraud.
Nothing beats the age old damp cloth.
You just had to shake it now didn't ya
.Now I might have to rethink my cleaning method's.Darn it Chess
We hated the swiffer broom/mop thing, but the pads work remarkably well for dusting (just don't shake them!)
Yes yes, they work great for dog hair on the hard wood flooring, but shaking them? That's obviously a no no.
I used one on my monitor yesterday, for the first and last time.
How useless was that?
It left more dust than it picked up, yet on the countertop of my desk, overall, it did a reasonable job.
Darn static.
i use Hoppe's gun cleaning products. they offer both a heavy gun oil, for the intense cleanings or storage purposes. and they have a lighter gun cleaner that is good for quick wipe-downs.
i have NO idea how they would work if used on the face of your stereo equip? thats an experiement i would not be willing to try. the gun cleaning solvents are designed to break up and remove oil and carbon deposits, but they might be too intense for the types of metal that component faces are made of.. i think there would be a great risk of permanent discoloration. so, i think the other ideas of a damp cloth and mild soap, might be a better option.
if you do decide to try and use one of the cleaning oils, then try using on the side panel first, that way if it does affect the metal, it cant be seen.
bigjohn
Sunlight dish soap for greasy marks (just a bit goes a long LONG way on a damp rag... just tap a damp rag against the crust on the top of the spout)... and for less greasy marks and for display screens, I use the same glasses cleaning solution I use on my glasses. If it's safe for the Nikon lenswear coated specs that sit on my face all day, it should be fine for any plastic surface... (spray on the cloth, not the equipment, don't want it running behind)
Bren R.
Ive used windex without problems forever. I also just use a microfiber towel with nothing on it. also works.