Grease covered computer

[Prop Joe]

I need to clean out a computer which is covered in grease from a kitchen. 

 

Would it be okay if I disassembled everything except for the cpu from the motherboard.and i poured methylated spirits/ rubbing alcohol over it to get the grease 

to run off? 

 

Could I do the same for the powersupply?

 

 

any help with this would be awesome! 

[kels]

I... don't even know how to answer this. 

[manikyath]

if you're absolutely 100% sure theres no charge anywhere (take out cmos battery as well) you can put all of it in a dishwasher if you want.

 

just make sure its completely 100% dry before applying any kind of power source to it.

 

EDIT: should mention, i dont advice doing this, that was just an example to say how tough pc components are these days.

[StackUnderflow]

Alcohol isn't really the best for cleaning grease if I remember my chemistry correctly. Gasoline (or any hydrophobic carbon chain compounds) or ether (not sure where you'd get this outside of a chemistry lab) would be better. (they are super hydrophobic and will quickly evaporate, so a rinse in these things should dissolve out the oil)

 

Make sure they don't dissolve your PC before cleaning with them though.

[W-L]

-SNIP-

 

I would say it depends how bad it actually is, if it's just a bit you can give it a bath in 99% isopropyl alcohol and gentle scrub but from the sounds of things things aren't good. Sounds like it would be better to replace it for the most part.

 

Do you have photos of it?

[PlayStation 2]

You mostly need to soak the case.

[thatguyyouknow75]

There has to be a good story behind this

[cynicaldriver]

TEST THIS!!!

Brake cleaner fluid could do the job nicely. It cuts grease extremely well, but I am not too sure how well computer parts will handle it, so I advise trying it on a board you no longer need or something before spraying any on the important parts.

[iNoa97]

How did this even happen?

Did you like deep fry your computer?

[RichieXtheXboss]

i really want to know what happened

[ToniBamboni]

Poor thing

[johnny5c]

I'm a former machinist and have seen some of the worst oil soaked computers from CNC machines.  The best way to clean oil and grease off a PCB is to use a dry absorbent like Oil-Dri or even kitty litter.  Poor about a inch of the absorbent into a pan or plastic tub, place your components on top then add more absorbent until they're completely covered.  Let it sit overnight and then clean with compressed air and a static-free brush.  I've used this method on a few motherboards and it works great but I wouldn't try it on a bare CPU socket so leave the CPU on the board.

[Cory_plays_games]

I don't know but I would like to know I have an old i7 optiplex that's got that liquid dog food on it.

[Lethal Seraph]

Maybe rubbing alcohol would do it. If it's not too bad, I'd probably just end up salvaging whatever part that's still viable for a completely new build.

[REDHOTIRON2004]

Pics?

[Patrick3D]

I did a summer job once where I supervised a crew and we went around to every school in the Santa Clara Unified School District (heart of Silicon Valley). To clean the computers in the shop classes we used 409 Engine De-Greaser (it had a purple handle IIRC). To make it easy to apply without getting everywhere we sprayed it into small dishes then dipped our cleaning cloths in it. We did the same thing using a 50/50 bleach and water mix in a large bucket for the bulk of the cleaning. Worked great on metal, plastic, and keyboards. You can take a soft nylon scrubbing brush and dip it in the cleaning dish then scrub keyboards with that. Just be sure to wipe clean with water using a lightly damp cloth and dry thoroughly before plugging anything back in. For the interior of the cases we blew them out using reversed shop vacs and didn't bother with light surface dust.

[MEC-777]

TEST THIS!!!

Brake cleaner fluid could do the job nicely. It cuts grease extremely well, but I am not too sure how well computer parts will handle it, so I advise trying it on a board you no longer need or something before spraying any on the important parts.

 

^This. Brake Cleaner all the way! Comes in a can with a spray straw (like compressed air) so you can get into all the tight crevasse of the board.

 

BUT, do so at your own risk. I have never done this to a motherboard and I'm unaware of any adverse effects it may have on electronic components. However, it's my understanding that it will not damage the board or components. It evaporates very quickly so as long as you let the board sit for at least 30 mins to an hour, you can be fairly confident it will be all gone by then. 

[BlueChinchillaEatingDorito]

How did this even happen?

Did you like deep fry your computer?

 

Have you ever wondered why Kitchen Range Hoods get all grease even though they're not in direct contact with cooking surfaces? Same principle.  

[You_are_a_cunt]

I don't even want to know why your problem even exists

[BOT Edward]

I heard Jet fuel works perfectly! It also can't melt the steel on the components.

kek

[Patrick Bateman]

next time when your drunk don't try to deep fat fry the PC

[Guest]

Alcohol isn't really the best for cleaning grease if I remember my chemistry correctly. Gasoline (or any hydrophobic carbon chain compounds) or ether (not sure where you'd get this outside of a chemistry lab) would be better. (they are super hydrophobic and will quickly evaporate, so a rinse in these things should dissolve out the oil)

 

Make sure they don't dissolve your PC before cleaning with them though.

 

Holy crap do NOT use gasoline to clean electronics