Console Cleaning

[Lee]

What is the best way to clean the surfaces of buttons, knobs and faders on a console for hygienic purposes? I have been using dry cotton ear buds, and wondered if there is something that I could apply to soak up the scum even more effectively without affecting the console in anyway. What does everyone else do?

[Kurt]

Wipe with a warm damp\soapy cloth if it's really that grubby. Otherwise a paintbrush to dust with. Maybe pull of the fader caps\knobs and wash them in soapy water if they look yuck.

[Lee]

Thanks Kurt, does anyone have another method/substance they use to clean with?

[Gian]

Baby wipes unscented

[Lee]

That's interesting Gian, would that affect the plastic/printed lables in any way? I'm talking about Neve and SSL consoles if that influences anyones response. My goal is to hygienically clean the surfaces of buttons without causing any damage to the consoles.

[stosostu]

Pull all the knobs and put them in the cutlery basket of a dishwasher. Wash on the gentlest cycle. While they are off, clean the surface with baby wipes, unscented. If there is some hard on grime, a liitle isopropyl alcohol on a wipe will usually do the trick. As always, check on an unobtrusive part first.

[Gian]

I've found baby wipes can be gentle when cleaning things as it doesn't have alcohol in t, and it cleans grime away quite well. Can't confirm how it would go on Neve, etc

[Kurt]

A babywipe is just an expensive soapy, damp cloth btw...

[Hookemeister]

Pull all the knobs and put them in the cutlery basket of a dishwasher. Wash on the gentlest cycle.

Be careful doing this with old consoles like Neve's as the white paint marker strips on the the knobs may come off.

[Lee]

I have also been advised to use Isopropyl with cotton buds like cleaning tape heads. I know that it does not leave residue and kills germs but could it affect the plastic or is it safe?

[Kurt]

Cleaning a desk with a cotton bud seems a little like painting the Sydney Harbour Bridge with a brush..

I have also been advised to use Isopropyl with cotton buds like cleaning tape heads. I know that it does not leave residue and kills germs but could it affect the plastic or is it safe?

[Alastair Reynolds]

I use Electrolube AFC Antistatic Foam Cleanser, about $9 from WES components for a 400ml can, great for PCBs and user surfaces, knobs etc, doesn't lift writing (Always test first though). One can will do a whole console with plenty left over.
I would typically take a bunch of the knobs/ fader caps , put them in a little bucket with a liberal spray of the foam, leave for 5 minutes then loosen any tough bits with an old toothbrush then rinse in hot water and dry on an old towel and blow out with air compressor. then depending on the rest of the console surface , spray on or apply indirectly with cloth/ cotton buds or small paintbrushes to other areas
AFC easily lifts the "browny/grimy" deposits left on consoles and tape machines

And finally, no I don't have shares in Electrolube

[Stephen C]

Interesting about the Electrolube foam, I'll grab a can next time I'm getting something from WES. I usually try a damp cloth, if that dosen't work I use Mr Sheen, which I have used on heaps of electronics, Midas live consoles and a few modern SSL consoles over the last 6 years. Only seen it cause problems once, when (I think it was a black anodised AMS delay front panel) it made a black panel go a bit grey. But its about the only thing that can safely clean perspex. Good for polycarbonate and also good for cleaning vinyl covered seats but careful, they'll get slippery and you might slip off!

Incidentally I saw someone clean a whole Midas XL3 console with cotton tips once. Mental, but it was clean!

A friend of mine has cleaned lots of Neve console knobs, I'll find out what he used.

[Drumstruck]

The microfibre cloths you can get from auto spares (e.g. supercheap) do a good job - antistatic and don't leave lint - and cheap.