What can i use to clean pcb! Help

[ih]

Hi
Pcb board from pdc module(parking distance control) has had water ingress i want to try and clean with solution/ spray but have no idea what am i looking for any help/ advise will be appreciated thanking in advance
Hopefull john(burnerman) will advise
Ih

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

The wonderful Mrs Mercury spilt a good measure of full sugar Coke over my ancient Dell laptop keyboard, long story short with thick black glupy coke rapidly drying and nothing to lose I dismantled it and washed the board under the tap, they're washed during they're manufacture afterall, obviously made sure everything was dried before reassembly, everything worked fine except the mouse, not that I ever used it without a conventional mouse so wasn't an issue. Google it, it's not as daft as it sounds. It still works now.

 

[Burnerman]

Solutions based on isopropyl alcohol are the official cleaners but that board doesn't look bad at all.....even a wipe over with meths would be ok.
Obviously when the board was wet there could have been conductivity across the components which may have caused damage
Best dried with a hair dryer or left on a radiator for a while if it's still damp.
John

 

[JohnD]

Water-based drinks are best washed off with warm water, and plenty of it. A little WUL if there is grease or persistent grime, then rinsed away and dried for longer than you'd think necessary.

Coke is both acid and sugary, very damaging.

I've used isopropyl cleaners and they don't get everything off (I particularly remember blood smears when I'd caught my hand on an edge)

My BiL once used a steam cleaner on the casing of some electronic test gear. Brought it up lovely but washed the labels off all the knobs, buttons and switches. Junked.

 

[mattylad]

Use isopropyl and her toothbrush, give it a very gentle brushing when wet with it, leave to dry thoroughly in a warm place.

Do not use water from the tap, it contains crud in it that can continue rotting the joints when dried.
At the factory a PCB may be cleaned but it is not in tap water, although most processes go for no clean these days.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Use isopropyl and her toothbrush, give it a very gentle brushing when wet with it, leave to dry thoroughly in a warm place.

Very careful with the toothbrush - surface mount components are very easy to dislodge.

I have washed lots of PCB under tap water, never a problem providing you make sure they are thoroughly dry before powering up. Never wash anything with buttons similar the remotes, without first removing the rubber button pads, they retain moisture for a very long time.

 

[mattylad]

Hence the suggestion "gentle brushing", that boards looks like it only needs that - perhaps even a new 1/2" paintbrush would be soft enough to carefully clean between those pins.
Tap water contains contaminates that can carry on eating away at the finish on the PCB and cause issues between IC pins.

 

[ih]

Many thanks for all the valuble inputs! John spot on! Regreatful water ingress has damaged one/two solder connectivity i dont know the term but google says integrated curcuit it is the black Sq thing at the bottom with water marks! Mattylad
We used her toothbrush but left it in the kitchen and bickering was on this morning! Lol replacement from ebay will be next
Thing thanks all
Ih
Ps mattylad you are right water has damaged 2 ic pins is what i was trying to say!