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

[LuckMan]

How about Ethanol (or Ethyl alcohol, I guess, I don't know, I'm not an expert chemist)?
I have a bottle of alcohol, the label says 95% alcohol, antiseptic & disinfectant, nothing else. I don't know what type of alcohol it is. But, because I don't hear isopropyl that often in my country, I assume it is an ethanol.

The question is, can I use it to clean my cpu and heatsink?

Is there a difference between isopropyl and ethanol in terms of cpu cleaning that I need to worry about?

[Queek]

On 2/18/2016 at 9:48 AM, LuckMan said:

How about Ethanol (or Ethyl alcohol, I guess, I don't know, I'm not an expert chemist)?
I have a bottle of alcohol, the label says 95% alcohol, antiseptic & disinfectant, nothing else. I don't know what type of alcohol it is. But, because I don't hear isopropyl that often in my country, I assume it is an ethanol.

The question is, can I use it to clean my cpu and heatsink?

Is there a difference between isopropyl and ethanol in terms of cpu cleaning that I need to worry about?

My apologies for the late reply, I don't check this forum as often as I did in the past. 

Ethanol is just fine, there's a blurb on ethanol in my original post, but it seems that the spoiler nesting was ruined in the transfer to the new forum layout. I'll fix that. 

[Steel_Wind]

On the subject of brake cleaner and cleaning PC parts in used computer builds, generally, the following video breaks many of the warnings and conventional wisdom posted here:

Brake Cleaner, ISOpropyl wipes (conventional) and CRC 5-56 (this product is *very* similar to WD-40, the market leader in North America)  My guess is that his brake cleaner is not one of the chlorinated kinds, which is hardest on plastics. It also does not show him wiping it off very soon thereafter and finishing off with 98% isopropyl, which he says that he does.  Still Bryan swears by it and he has a LOT of used PC builds on his YouTube channel and Bryan claims that he has left parts for 48  hours after brake cleaner was applied before finishing off with ISO and all was still well.

What adds some credibility to his claims that where the rubber meets the road are a LOT of used PC builds on his channel that feature it and all is well guys.  So, here's some pretty strong documented proof to the contrary here. Brake Cleaner, ISO and basically WD-40 works for him.

Not sure I'd want to use brake cleaner all the time though...
 

 

And here's an interesting approach on cleaning old RAM. Soap, water and a scrub brush. Seriously? Yes, seriously.
 

 

 

[brolaugh_]

is a toothbrush,toilet paper and some isopropyl alcohol good enough??

sorry if its such a dumb question

[lolxd]

I use windscreen washer fluid and it works fine for me.

[Borat Cousin]

What about using water and detergent to clean the gunk and then washing away the residue with ether?  This is how we cleaned things in my chem labs