I use a variety of techniques depending on the equipment, what I’m cleaning and how dirty it is, some of which I’ll briefly describe here.

Exterior

For most metallic, painted and plastic exteriors, I recommend starting with carefully dusting the surfaces to be cleaned. Then, a damp microfibre cloth and mild detergent/water mix can be gently applied. Be careful with older gear as logos and other markings are sometimes printed with ink that becomes fragile with time. Solvents other than water, and occasionally even water alone, can remove this fragile ink, so test a small inconspicuous area first.

Wooden exteriors can be cleaned with a soft cloth, followed by wood soap and then a furniture-grade oil or wax. I use fine furniture oil and beeswax for most wooden finishes. These work very well to bring out the grain and lustre of the wood.

Knobs can be removed and soaked in a mild detergent/water mix and then finished with a toothbrush and fresh water. Be sure to use the correct-sized flat-blade screwdriver or hex key to loosen any grub screws, where present. I’ve lost track of how often I’ve found these damaged when they should never be.

Plastic lenses can be dusted and then cleaned with mild detergent/water and microfibre cloth. A little high-grade plastic or automotive polish with microfibre cloth can be used where lenses and bezels are dull and/or scratched. Again, avoid polishing printed surfaces as these may be degraded by this process. Also be careful not to polish matt or satin finishes or they will end up glossy.

Interior

Interior cleaning is more technical and requires more care. There are electronic and mechanical parts to consider, high voltages and one must be very careful not to damage anything through the cleaning process. It is always better to err on the side of caution and not clean something than risk damaging it.

High-velocity air works well as an initial duster, combined with a very soft bristled paint brush, but must be used judiciously. Beyond this, I recommend deeper cleaning regimens including ultrasonic and mild solvent cleaning which should be carried out by someone familiar with them.

Be very careful with turntables. Turntables and cleaning cloths don’t mix well and many have learned this the hard way. Soft-bristled paint brushes work well in sensitive areas but as always, each case is different and care must be exercised when cleaning anything, especially tonearms, cartridges, etc.

Avoid WD-40 and similar chemicals for cleaning electronics as they leave oily residues and are especially problematic around circuit boards, switches and relays. If in doubt, don’t touch it.

Deep Cleaning and Detailing

Deep cleaning and detailing are specialised aspects of maintenance in their own right. I recommend booking your equipment with someone able to perform this deep cleaning, along with other important service work, as it makes sense to have one skilled person complete this work at one time.

I’ve developed deep cleaning regimens specifically for circuit boards, chassis parts, fascias and more. Some I’ve adapted from techniques used by manufacturers to clean laboratory test and measurement equipment, and others I’ve created to suit the equipment I work on.

All are founded on science and industry best-practice. They typically involve specialist cleaning products, foams and solvents, cleaning media, high-pressure air, a drying oven, and the removal of sensitive parts before cleaning, where necessary. Whilst these techniques are very effective, like any technical process, problems may arise when they are used incorrectly or by folks unfamiliar with them.

I’m often asked for details of my cleaning regimens, step-by-step instructions and so on. As with other aspects of my work, the details would require time and hands-on demonstration/training that I am unable to provide and that would only scratch the surface anyway. These techniques are typically reserved for equipment that comes to Liquid Audio.