Foaming electronics-safe spray cleaner - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / repair

author: Alex Eisenhut
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 05, 2024, 06:42:44 pm
content: as seen herehttps://youtu.be/4dSBP1dQSdo?t=433I have some higher end Wurth glass cleaner, designed to remove bugs from windshields, that foams up and dissolves like that but I don't think it's safe to use on electronics.What's that blue can?

author: abeyer
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 05, 2024, 10:08:51 pm
content: I think it's Servisol Foam 30, or something like that. However, I also think it's out of production now. There are some similar things from other vendors, though.

author: Alex Eisenhut
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 05, 2024, 10:36:32 pm
content: OK thanks.

author: David Aurora
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 06, 2024, 05:02:51 am
content: Quote from: Alex Eisenhut on May 05, 2024, 06:42:44 pmDamn that looks like it would make my life MUCH easier sometimes

author: factory
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 06, 2024, 08:48:32 am
content: Quote from: abeyer on May 05, 2024, 10:08:51 pmServisol were a brand of Ambersil, both are now part of CRC, the most recent safety data sheets I can find, seem to suggest Ambersil Amberclens (edit: still available) & Servisol 30 are the same product.David

author: Alex Eisenhut
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 06, 2024, 01:29:42 pm
content: I was hoping to make cleaning my vintage smoker's CRT a bit easier, everything's covered in dusty greasy stuff. Even the screws that keep the case together have brown heads...

author: jpanhalt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 06, 2024, 06:38:39 pm
content: How about a water-based flux remover? They are generally "non-ionic." I use diluted acrylic floor wax remove -- same basic composition with a glycol ether.

author: feedback.loop
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 07, 2024, 06:58:20 pm
content: There is something by 3M:https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/p/d/cbgbjw471223/

author: jpanhalt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 07, 2024, 07:23:15 pm
content: The most active ingredient is just butoxyethanol (attachment) -- a glycol ether -- and the very same thing is in the flux removers previously mentioned. They also contain a small amount of ethanol amine, which helps. 3M makes good stuff, but it is expensive. Does an aerosol matter?

author: factory
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 07, 2024, 07:51:17 pm
content: The 90% water content concerns me more, especially with vintage electronics, I've got enough problems with corrosion/rust without adding more water, thankfully the Ambersil Amberclens is still made.David

author: David Aurora
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 06, 2024, 01:39:10 am
content: Quote from: factory on May 06, 2024, 08:48:32 amSo I finally managed to get hold of this Amberclens stuff (kind of). For love or money I couldn't get the aerosol version here in Australia, but I managed to get the trigger bottle stuff.Seems to work pretty well but I'm kind of cautious with it so far given it's not the foamy aerosol spray, it comes out as a pretty thick liquid. Very different to what I saw in the video above, it hangs around unless you really make the effort to scrub and rinse it off.Anyone know if there are certain materials to absolutely avoid with this stuff or is it generally pretty safe for cleaning the guts of things?

author: vk6zgo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 06, 2024, 03:20:35 am
content: Back in the 1990s, At the TV Studio, we bought the stuff showed in the original video from RS Components.It worked well, but the downside was that you had to wash the foam off after use, supposedly with Distilled water, but I used ordinary water on most non-critical boards with no ill effect.It removed most gunk & excess flux very efficiently.

author: factory
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 06, 2024, 06:44:46 pm
content: Quote from: David Aurora on August 06, 2024, 01:39:10 amAmberclens Trigger seems a slightly different formulation & water based?Only things I can think of when cleaning cases, is to avoid any paper labels you want to preserve, also avoid non-laminated plastic or foil labels, as sometimes it will clean the print off.David

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 06, 2024, 07:44:48 pm
content: FWIW, Electrolube Safewash Super (SWAS) works really well. It was available as a foaming aerosol can until about a year or two ago but is now discontinued. However, a coworker, who swears by the stuff, solved the problem by buying the 5 liter canister (now the smallest option) and using a foaming hand soap dispenser. It lathers it up just like the old aerosol cans did!

author: David Aurora
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 07, 2024, 03:24:32 am
content: Quote from: factory on August 06, 2024, 06:44:46 pmIs it different though? I thought the only difference was supposed to be the propellent?http://www.crceurope.com/wwwcrc/tds/TAI3%20Amberclens.pdf