Clean the board - how it works

If you want to clean a circuit board, this theoretically also works with a normal wash in the dishwasher. In this practical tip, we explain whether this is true, how and why you should clean a circuit board.

Cleaning the circuit board - why is that useful?

• UV radiation, heat, air humidity and above all dust attack the various components of a board over time. Cleaning can not only be advisable after a few years, but also necessary.
• If your circuit board is still working properly, contamination can still leave its mark. The electrical surface resistance as well as the tracking resistance decrease, so that the performance of the board is impaired.
• Boards and the electronic components on them are usually waterproof. Nevertheless, you should be very careful when cleaning.

Clean the circuit board: that's how it works

• The easiest way to clean is with warm water and a detergent. However, the detergent should not be foaming. Allow the liquid to take effect, gently clean the board with a toothbrush and let it dry for at least a day.
• Cleaning with isopropyl alcohol works just as well. You can get this from every pharmacy. Here, too, the circuit board is easy to insert and then easy to clean. However, be aware of the potential fire hazard.
• Cleaning with a cleaning spray is more convenient. The "CRC Kontakt Chemie" spray costs around 10 euros and is simply sprayed onto the circuit board. No further steps are necessary here.

In the next practical tip, we will show you how to bake and repair your defective graphics card.