Any ideas for cleaning up a breadboard?

I've found on this forum a number of contact cleaner alternatives such as WD-40 and low-water isopropyl alcohol (IPA), or both. Using IPA to remove the residual mineral oil left from the WD-40 seems popular. I have both on hand.

My breadboard is old but not too bad. It's not badly corroded (the cats didn't have the pleasure of peeing into it), it's just used and a little dirty from that normal use.

I'm starting a new project soon and my board is empty. I've already vacuumed out the grunge and now I want to freshen it up. I'm not interested in buying some super expensive magic spray.

 

You're supposed to clean them?
I guess I would use soapy water and a hair dryer.
Maybe followed by a day in the attic to dehumidify it.
There's no flux. What could get in there except fingerprints and dust?
If there's nothing exotic in it, don't use anything exotic to clean it.

 

The ones I'm used to were plastic, pins and a paper backing. If you loose the paper backing, you'd have a bunch of pins to contend with.

So, I'd go with something mechanical: air, brush etc. What to use to clean the plastic depends on the crud.

Remember the old chemistry thich where you end with something that displaces water and evaporates quickly. e.g. IPA

 

pins and a paper backing.

I didn't know they have paper in them.

 

I didn't know they have paper in them.

I'm pretty sure mine does have a stiff 'paper' backing.

 

If there's nothing exotic in it, don't use anything exotic to clean it.

I think a lot of the contamination is from, I think, occasionally using tinned wire instead of sticking to clean copper. So the crud is like the stuff that grows on the tip of a soldering iron. Black, oxidized crap. There's not much of it and I'd probably be fine just leaving it.

 

Any ideas for cleaning up a breadboard?

Most of mine are from the 70's and I've never done anything more than blowing off dust.

 

Poxy brush: http://www.gumbrand.com/gum-go-betw...m_term=1100908740416&utm_content=String Floss

And for exotic, and not worth it, http://www.gordonbrush.com/nylon-.0...th-stainless-steel-stem-end.-p-3315-l-en.html