Cleaning a Motherboard Using Scrubbing Bubbles

This is my method of cleaning a motherboard. Remove all cables then remove the battery. WASH & DRY.

I've cleaned many motherboards using this technique.

This is the method without using water immersion: Remove all of the cables and the button battery. Remove the processor, memory and any video, audio, isc and pci cards. You should have before you only the motherboard and nothing else.

Take the motherboard to your wash tub or if you are outside to your garden hose. Give the motherboard a gentle spray of water for several seconds, enough to get the heavy crud off the board.

Next, take a spray can of Scrubbing Bubbles [registered trademark of the SC Johnson Company] and as you spray the board shake the can. Cover the board on both sides with the cleaner. The cleaner will foam. Wait about one minute and most of the foam will be gone. You know the Scrubbing Bubbles did its work. Now take the board and rinse it off using a gentle spray of water. Make sure you spray the rinse water into the isa and cpu slots. This should only take about thirty seconds. Once rinsed, shake the motherboard and give it a gravity fling to get rid of the excess water. Tap the board against your palm to dislodge any water from the slots.

Next take a hair drier to the motherboard and dry the motherboard. Keep the drier moving. Blow the air near the IC chips, you will see water come from under the chips. Keep moving the hair drier blowing and evaporating the water from the board. Turn the board over and heat the isa and cpu connections. The heat will transfer into the sockets and promote evaporation.

Now take the board and holding it upside down tap the board against your palm for any remaining water that may be in the ISA or PCI slots and the CPU socket. Repeat this procedeure three times. Use the hair drier and evaporate the remaining water.

You have a like new clean motherboard.

I usually set the board aside for a few days to make sure all water is evaporated before assembly.

If you are certain the motherboard is dry you can assemble the motherboard and put it to use immediately.

Drying time is less if you first blow the water off with a air compressor.

CAUTION: ALL WATER MUST BE EVAPORATED BEFORE PUTTING POWER TO THE BOARD!

I find this to be the best method to clean a motherboard.

Let me know how it works for you. POST A COMMENT.

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• Motherboard
• Cleaning
• Computing
• Computer
• Mainboard
• Electronics
• Bubbles
• Processor

[pmgodfrey]

@rebellis13

The boards were washed before leaving the factory to remove soldering paste and resin. I've washed hundreds of boards during production in my early days of engineering, many by hand. As long as you get all the water out, we used compressed air followed by a low temp oven, you'll be fine.

You have to be absolutely sure ALL of the water is out from under the SMT components.

Very hot water, compressed air, heat. Denatured alcohol and a brush is great for removing solder residue.

[TritonTech]

My god he unleashed his entire storage of cum on that motherboard! o_o

[Sasuya16]

"I used to wash my motherboard in the sink.....until I took an arrow to the knee"-Pedobearmobile TRolololol

[XxChoosingxX]

So many idiots on the comments

[MrGermanBratwurst]

@AustinAlexanderAW :) Not true ;) There is no real danger of putting it in water. Honestly, I wouldn´t do it with my 300$ X58 but with some old ones its perfectly good ;) Then only throw it in the oven and then dry it at ~50C Air! not more ;) Then after some hours lay it down somewhere and if you are sure its dry, you can use it again ;)

[scottishninja93]

HOLLY FUCK you can do that

[KapitaenM]

You can wash electronics, provided they're dry when you run power through them (shorting, duh).

[AustinAlexanderAW]

I'm pretty sure you shouldn't put computer parts in water...

[GeniusFromGeniusHell]

I'd suggest waiting a couple hours after removing the battery to allow electricity to dissipate from the capacitors.

[LaRenuille]

while we're at it why not put it in a washing machine

[spongklongization]

thanks...i have an idea...ill take my motherboard with me in the bathtub during taking my bath...LOL...

[RandyMoss84vikes]

electronics + water = Fireworks yeah