FAQ: Can I use ______ to clean my PC components? The go-to answer.

[Queek]

Isopropyl alcohol (otherwise known as rubbing alcohol or surgical spirit) is perfect for cleaning thermal compound off of your CPU/GPU.  You do not need to use anything else.  It’s cheap, reasonably non-toxic (don’t drink it please), and readily available almost anywhere. 

Let me follow up by saying that I have a Bachelor in Science, majoring in chemistry, and I’m currently in graduate school doing a PhD in chemistry, so this is as good a source as any for this answer.  

 

I can’t remember how many times I’ve seen a thread start on this forum asking whether the OP could/should use {insert solvent solution here} to clean their PC components.  I thought I might make a thread where we can send everyone to answer those questions.  Here is the blanket answer for those questions:

No, you do not need to use that to clean your CPU, use isopropyl alcohol instead. Put a small amount of isopropyl alcohol on a soft cloth (microfiber cloths are recommended) or cotton balls, and wipe away the thermal paste.  When clean, allow the residual solvent to evaporate before applying more thermal compound and installing the heatsink.  

 

In most cases, the suggestions are reasonably good solvents, and most of those will clean (read: dissolve) thermal compound, but you have to take into account the effect that those solvents will have on your components.  For example: will that solvent oxidize your components?  Will it start to dissolve the PCB?  Will it strip cosmetic paint?  Will it cause electrical shorts? 

 

If in doubt: use isopropyl alcohol.  

 

I've heard from several people that you can't buy isopropyl alcohol easily from stores in the UK.  However, most stores seem to have isopropyl swabs, which are a perfect replacement.  Effectively these are just pieces of wipe that have the solvent that you want pre-applied.  In a pinch (with no access to isopropyl alcohol), you can use these to clean your CPU and such.  You should be able to order isopropyl alcohol from Amazon if you can wait for a few days.

 

Isopropyl alcohol is also really effective at cleaning brushed aluminium finishes on cases and such.  

 

I’ll dedicate the rest of this post to listing other solvents that I’ve seen questions about, and giving good reasons why you should/shouldn’t use them.  If you want to know about a particular solvent that I don’t have listed here, reply to the thread and I’ll see if I can add a blurb for it. 

 

DISCLAIMER:

I have not used any of the following solvents for cleaning my PC components.  I stand behind the use of isopropyl alcohol for cleaning PC components (this is what I use).  If you decided to use a solvent on this list (or not on it), you’re doing so at your own risk, and I assume no responsibility for the damages that might result.  When using solvents, it is highly recommended to wear eye and hand protection, and use only in a well ventilated area. 

 

## % solutions

Solutions come in many concentrations, and when they are sold to the public, these are usually depicted as a ## % solution.  The primary component remains the same, but the diluting solvent can sometimes cause problems.  For instance, a 70% solution of isopropyl alcohol is likely diluted with water.  Water evaporates much more slowly than alcohol, so to use this properly, you will have to carefully dry the cleaned components quickly after use to avoid water damage (instead of just wiping away most of it and allowing to air dry).  Be careful when using diluted solutions, particularly of the diluting components.  It will always be better to use >98% solutions of isopropyl alcohol.  

 

Water

Water is a great polar solvent, which means it’s great at pickup up ions (read: salt).  I can guarantee that no matter what water you have access to (be it distilled water or the misleadingly named “deionized water”), it will contain ions.  Even if you found water with no ions in it, it would pick up ions from the surrounding environment very quickly (this is why water-submerged computers are not a thing, even though water has a better heat capacity than mineral oil).  In addition, water is great at oxidizing metals (eg. copper).  Water is a great way to short electronics, can oxidize your components, and it doesn’t evaporate particularly quickly, so it really is a poor choice for cleaning PC components. 

However, it is commonly recommended to clean the fan filters of your case with water (sometimes with soap).  This is fine, as there are likely no electrical components on your fan filter.  I would recommend trying to dry the filters with paper towel (or equivalent) as quickly as possible, as sometimes they are held together with metal rivets, which may be rusted by the water.

 

Consumable spirits (vodka, rum, gin, etc.)

While these alcoholic beverages do contain both ethanol and water (which are great solvents), they also contain remnants of whatever fermentation process made them into beverages.  The alcohol and the water are likely to clear away the thermal compound on your CPU, but after you wipe off the resulting gunk, those solvents will evaporate away and leave behind whatever was in the drink itself.  These beverages tend to be sweetened with sugars, and flavoured with various aromatic compounds, which will pyrolyze into a terrible gunk when you heat up your CPU.  Although I can’t say for sure, I expect that this gunk would be a poor thermal compound.  While alcoholic beverages may seem like an okay choice for cleaning PC components, they are likely to leave behind a film, defeating the purpose of cleaning your components.

 

Ethanol (ethyl alcohol)

Ethanol is one of the few choices that would be suitable for cleaning PC components, except that all of the commonly available ethanol is denatured, and that denaturant can cause problems.  It is a good solvent, and has a high enough vapor pressure that it will evaporate quickly off your components.  In most locations, ethanol is likely more expensive than isopropyl alcohol, which means that you’ll probably use isopropyl instead of it.  One thing to make note of is the denaturant used in the ethanol you’re buying.  A denaturant is an additive which makes it unfit for consumption (read: poisonous).  Most commonly in ethanol, these denaturants are methanol (toxic) or bitterants (which make them taste really, really bad).  This breed of solvent is commonly called “methylated spirits”, and you should be careful when purchasing them as PC cleaners, as some of these additives may significantly harm your PC components if you spill them on anything other than your CPU heatspreader.  So yes you may be able to use ethanol to clean your components, but unless you know specifically what is in your denatured alcohol, I would recommend just going with isopropyl alcohol. 

 

Methanol (methyl alcohol, wood alcohol)

This is also a really good solvent, and is inherently poisonous, so you don’t have to worry about denaturing additives.  However, methanol is such a great solvent that it will probably start dissolving paint on your PCB if you spill it.  Given the toxicity of this solvent and the risk of damaging your components, I would recommend against using this as your PC component cleaning solvent. 

 

Acetone

Acetone is a great solvent for dissolving many plastics.  If it doesn't dissolve the plastic, it will usually result in a swelling of the plastic, and will also cause the dye in the plastic to seep.  There are few plastics that are inert to acetone, so I would really, really not recommend using this as your cleaning solvent for PC components. 

 

Miniral spirits

Mineral spirits are a petroleum fraction (it is distilled from oil), and therefore no one knows what the hell it has in it.  Yes, they might have a general idea of the composition, but no one will know the exact composition of your solvent.  This solvent is used commonly for stripping paint and degreasing engine components.  By now you should have guess that this will probably be a poor choice for cleaning PC components, as you don’t know what it will do to your components. 

 

Lighter fluid

The primary component in lighter fluid is usually butane, which is an organic hydrocarbon.  This may work as a solvent, and might not damage your components if you spill it.  However, depending on the composition of the thermal compound, this organic solvent may not completely dissolve all of the thermal compound (polar components of the compound are unlikely to dissolve in this solvent).  This solvent might work, but it may be a difficult clean requiring plenty of rubbing.  

 

Paint thinner

This is a solvent which will have a similar composition to mineral spirits, but with additional solvents thrown into the mix (eg. acetone, dimethylformaamide).  This would be an even poorer choice for cleaning PC components, as it contains acetone, and is almost certainly going to damage your components.  Also, as the name suggests, it will probably strip the paint off your motherboard.  Don’t use this.

 

Hexane (or hexanes

This is a fantastic solvent for cleaning computer components, but it has the major drawback of being very toxic and carcinogenic.  In the interests of your health, I don't recommend using this solvent.  There have been instances in the past of hexane poisoning in factories which fabricate electronic components.

 

Ethyl acetate

If you can get ethyl acetate in a reasonably pure form, this is probably an okay solvent to use for cleaning PC components (it is used commercially for this purpose).  It is reasonably non-toxic and will evaporate reasonably quickly.  In all likelihood, it will be easier to come across isopropyl alcohol than this, but it should clean your components without damaging the surrounding area.  I’ve never personally used this stuff for PC cleaning, so use at your own risk. 

 

Nail polish remover

While the most common component of nail polish remover is ethyl acetate, the solvents specifically sold as “nail polish remover” tend to have additional fragrances, and may have other solvents like toluene and formaldehyde.  Along the same lines of the alcoholic beverages blurb, if you use nail polish remover to clean your components, you are likely to leave compounds behind on the heatspreaders, and the additives may damage your components. 

 

Hydrogen peroxide

This is not a solvent, it is a strong oxidizer.  Although hydrogen peroxide and isopropyl alcohol usually live side by side in the cupboard (usually for medical uses), do not grab the wrong bottle.  You are very likely to damage your components if you use this as a cleaner. 

 

Brake cleaner, engine degreaser

Don’t use this.  Brake or engine cleaners tend to be hybrid mixtures of solvents specifically designed to be the most effective at dissolving gunk of any shape and form.  Common additives are methanol, acetone, methylene chloride, tetrachloroethylene, and plenty more.  Nearly all of the solvents used are toxic, and will almost certainly begin to dissolve your PC components.  Don’t use this. 

 

Hybrid solvents (super solvents)

It is a common practice in industry to make up hybrid solvent mixtures which perform fantastically.  There are various chemical compositions of these mixtures, and all of them will perform very well for the use on the bottle, but the chances are very good that one or more components in that mixture will damage your PC.  Generally speaking, if the bottle or can doesn't tell you that it is a specific solvent, it is probably a hybrid and you shouldn't use it.  If you want to check, ask for the MSDS and see what the cleaner is comprised of.  

 

Windex

Windex is a hybrid mixture consisting mostly of water, with the second solvent being isopropyl alcohol.  The solution also contains a weak base (ammonium hydroxide), as well as other additives including water softeners, perfumes, and surfactants (compounds that lower the surface tension between two liquids).  The ammonium hydroxide can result in undesired oxidization of whatever you're cleaning, so its use on delicate computer components is not recommended.  While this will likely work as a cleaner solvent, residue from the spray after evaporation may result in poorer than desired heat transfer or pyrolysis of the residue on the heatspreader.  

 

 

Cleaning other components

Displays and touchscreen devices

LCD screens (the screen of your monitor) generally have coatings on them which fall into the similar unknown category of screen protectors.  It is very likely that you will damage your screen in some way by using a cleaning solvent such as isopropyl alcohol.  For cleaning your screen, you should use a damp (with water) soft cloth to wipe away whatever is on your monitor.  This may take several repeats, but should clean your monitor just fine.  Be careful to avoid dripping water down the screen; this is a wiping procedure, not a washing procedure.  

Linus shows you how to clean effectively in this TechQuickie video. 

 

In this LinusTechTips video, Slick recommends the use of either Windex or isopropyl alcohol, but I would lean my personal recommendation to isopropyl alcohol (read above for more details on Windex).  

 

Screen protectors

Screen protectors are not glass, but end up getting just as grimy as the glass would itself.  However, because this isn't glass, and the compounds used in their making can vary a lot, one can't just assume that isopropyl will do the trick.  In fact, isopropyl alcohol will probably end up damaging the coating, as will most of the other solvents above.  In this specific case, you should use a damp (with water) soft cloth to wipe away the oily residue coating your screen.  This should be safe to do as most screen covers are water-proof or -resistant as a feature.  This may take several tries and a bit of time, but you don't want to dissolve your screen protector.  

[Gung Pow Chicken]

I use a leaf blower to clean the dust out of my pc and a toothbrush to get in the heatsinks/radiators.

 

To clean the thermal paste off of my cpu I normally use wodka, its a lot less water based than normal vodka.

[Kryptyx]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i97cJYP49Nc

[Albatross]

Good thread. I've seen a lot of people asking about this, should help them!

 

For me, I always use isopropyl alcohol to clean my CPU and fans. First I use an air compressor to blast the dust off parts individually and then wipe them clean with little isopropyl alcohol swabs (a full box is around 6$ for me) so that they really are clean and shiny, and then I reinstall the hardware. For my CPU cooler, I blast it with the compressor. The air compressor turned an hour long cleaning into a ten-fifteen minute cleaning as before I used just the swabs, a toothbrush for the fans/cooler and small can of air I used to buy at Rite-Aid.

 

I'm extra careful when cleaning, too. :lol:

[DJfern94]

This question I have kind of fits in here.... does anyone know where I could find a compressed air gun that plugs into the wall?

[Albatross]

This question I have kind of fits in here.... does anyone know where I could find a compressed air gun that plugs into the wall?

 

Your local hardware store. If you have Lowes (or something similar) they should have air compressors as well.

[Enderman]

I use a bike pump with a small plastic nozzle from aerosol cans to provide compressed air for cleaning my PC components.

For cleaning thermal paste off the CPU I just use a damp paper towel with just a bit of water. Works perfectly fine

[gilm0re3]

This is sooo wrong on sooo many levels.

[Bagmup]

I don't see Windex on your list...

[Lazmarr]

Wooooo another scientist I'm studying a bachelors in Biomedicine

Oh and you sir make some fine scientific statements.

Btw Acetone is also capable of removing the dye from some electronic components, and can also cause softening and deformation of some plastics used

[Queek]

I don't see Windex on your list...

I hadn't thought of that one.  Added.  

[Queek]

Wooooo another scientist I'm studying a bachelors in Biomedicine

Oh and you sir make some fine scientific statements.

Btw Acetone is also capable of removing the dye from some electronic components, and can also cause softening and deformation of some plastics used

*fistbump science*

I figured I didn't need to elaborate on the effects of acetone on plastic, but I might as well 

[Constantine]

When I was working in electronics manufacturing, we used the 99% IPA (Isopropyl Alcohol) to clean residue.

 

I still use it whenever I clean CPU+GPUs. You can get them in small spray bottles at most electronic hardware stores (the DIY kind) or drug stores.

[Bagmup]

I hadn't thought of that one.  Added.

Haha, I was joking but thanks

[JigglyPufflez]

This is sooo wrong on sooo many levels.

pretty confident it isn't that wrong, as long as it is not running. In this case it isn't and what he could try is let it dry in some rice, and it could possibly work. (Linus' laptop was drenched with water and he fixed it)  Of course it is not recommended.

[Queek]

pretty confident it isn't that wrong, as long as it is not running. In this case it isn't and what he could try is let it dry in some rice, and it could possibly work. (Linus' laptop was drenched with water and he fixed it)  Of course it is not recommended.

 

In theory it is fine, but in practice it is very, very risky.  You might also notice that the running water really didn't do anything to clear that gunk off.  I'm betting that that amount of isopropyl alcohol would have cleared that up, and not risked the components.  

Although with that amount of alcohol, you'd probably want a fire extinguisher nearby, just in case.  

[Kryptyx]

I did it once to an old motherboard I didn't care about, it actually worked fine. Used a toothbrush to get in the hard spots. Dried it with a hair dryer then let sit for a day just to be sure. Just need to be sure to remove the battery.

[stevv]

Nice write up! Is the definition of  "PC Components" in this thread limited to internal components?  

 

The screen and other external components come to mind, here are my thoughts from my experience.  

 

• I keep both 70% and 99% isopropyl alcohol around.  
• I find the 70% is better for surfaces that like screens, keyboards, mouse, laptops, phones... etc, as the water content helps dissolve other solids like food and dirt better.  Since these are external components, and more often then not, would need cleaning.  So long as there's, some common sense... not drowning area or using soaked and dripping rag/towel.  
• Isopropyl alcohol + microfiber cloth doesn't stink up like Windex after a few uses.
• For some stubborn thermal compounds, I use the combo, letting 70% sit for a minute, wipe off and 99% to finish.
• Other internal components, only soft dry toothbrush and compressed air (with no moisture).  Sometimes just very lightly moistening it with 99% alcohol.
• Nail polish remover great for smoothing out plastic after the dremel and file lol.
• Cleaner solvent for "sticker/adhesive" goop? 

[Queek]

 

Nice write up! Is the definition of  "PC Components" in this thread limited to internal components?  

 

The screen and other external components come to mind, here are my thoughts from my experience.  

 

• I keep both 70% and 99% isopropyl alcohol around.  
• I find the 70% is better for surfaces that like screens, keyboards, mouse, laptops, phones... etc, as the water content helps dissolve other solids like food and dirt better.  Since these are external components, and more often then not, would need cleaning.  So long as there's, some common sense... not drowning area or using soaked and dripping rag/towel.  
• Isopropyl alcohol + microfiber cloth doesn't stink up like Windex after a few uses.
• For some stubborn thermal compounds, I use the combo, letting 70% sit for a minute, wipe off and 99% to finish.
• Other internal components, only soft dry toothbrush and compressed air (with no moisture).  Sometimes just very lightly moistening it with 99% alcohol.
• Nail polish remover great for smoothing out plastic after the dremel and file lol.
• Cleaner solvent for "sticker/adhesive" goop? 

 

Thanks! 

For this thread, I was mostly referring to heatspreaders as the "PC components", as these are things that most people are likely going to want to clean, and this is focused on solvents.  Although the information is probably true for all PC components.  Isopropyl alcohol should be sufficient for cleaning monitors, keyboards, mice, phones, etc. as well.  I also use it to clean my brushed aluminum, and it gets rid of fingerprints quite well.  

 

70% is fine for more external components, as long as you allow for sufficient drying time.  Many folks don't wait long enough, which is why I recommended higher % solutions.  

Windex is actually pretty bad for anything other than windows.  It leaves behind an annoying residue than can be very difficult to get rid of.  

Nail polish remover (I expect that's acetone-based nail polish remover) is great for that particular purpose (smoothing rough plastic), which is exactly why people shouldn't use it as a cleaner for PC components 

 

Sticker/adhesive goop can be challenging.  The obvious first step would be to try isopropyl alcohol, but that probably won't be enough.  If you have access to methanol, that would probably be the next step, but be careful around paint (it dissolves many types of paint).  If that didn't work, try water with a bit of soap (dab and brush with slight pressure), which will have to be wiped with water after to get rid of the soap residue.  If that hasn't worked, PM me and I'll suggest some other solvents 

[Patrick3D]

Engine desgreaser actually works great for cases. I worked on a large project once where we went to every school and administration building in one of the largest school districts of California where we cleaned every computer. Gloves are needed if you have sensitive skin, and of course a reasonably well ventilated room. Spray a bit of degreaser in a mixing bowl or dish with some water to dilute and then use a rag to apply and soft nylon brush to scrub things clean. These were exceptionally filthy cases though, especially all of the "shop" classrooms.

[Queek]

Engine desgreaser actually works great for cases. I worked on a large project once where we went to every school and administration building in one of the largest school districts of California where we cleaned every computer. Gloves are needed if you have sensitive skin, and of course a reasonably well ventilated room. Spray a bit of degreaser in a mixing bowl or dish with some water to dilute and then use a rag to apply and soft nylon brush to scrub things clean. These were exceptionally filthy cases though, especially all of the "shop" classrooms.

Did you use them on just the cases or the motherboard and electronic components included?

That seems like a recipe for disaster, and I'm glad it worked without incident.  

[D_Hybrid]

Dear Smart Person, I need to clean off some thermal compound off my cpu and was wondering if antiseptic solution (active ingredient: Chloroxylenol) that contains ethanol will be alright to lightly dampen my cleaning cloth/towel/paper/thing, in order to clean off the dried paste.

 

Would appreciate any help, thanks.

[Queek]

Dear Smart Person, I need to clean off some thermal compound off my cpu and was wondering if antiseptic solution (active ingredient: Chloroxylenol) that contains ethanol will be alright to lightly dampen my cleaning cloth/towel/paper/thing, in order to clean off the dried paste.

Would appreciate any help, thanks.

That will probably work, but the chloroxylenol may stay as a residue after cleaning. It's not ideal, but it will probably work and won't damage your components. Be careful with it if you have pets, that stuff is really toxic to many animals.

[D_Hybrid]

That will probably work, but the chloroxylenol may stay as a residue after cleaning. It's not ideal, but it will probably work and won't damage your components. Be careful with it if you have pets, that stuff is really toxic to many animals.

Awesome, thanks a lot, would use isopropyl but it's tricky to obtain where I'm at

[SpaceNugget]

In theory it is fine, but in practice it is very, very risky.  You might also notice that the running water really didn't do anything to clear that gunk off.  I'm betting that that amount of isopropyl alcohol would have cleared that up, and not risked the components.  

Although with that amount of alcohol, you'd probably want a fire extinguisher nearby, just in case.  

that gunk may be there to keep water from getting under anything that might be hard to dry. Apparently its kneaded eraser, so he can just peel it off in a clump, the water isn't to remove it.