WD40 Contact Cleaner?

Kroars

Kroars

Well-known member
So, I recently went to pick up a few more cans of my trusted CRC QD Contact cleaner and noticed it was out of stock. I happened upon WD40 “Specialist” Contact cleaner and noticed it was slightly cheaper as well. Curious if anyone here has used the WD40 Contact cleaner and if so how did it fare?
In the link it mentions the word “lubricant”, although nothing about lubrication in the description, hopefully that’s the case…

Electrical Contact Cleaner Lubricant | WD-40

Apply the WD-40 Specialist electrical contact cleaner spray to establish strong electrical connections on circuit boards, controls, switches and more. This electrical contact cleaner lubricant removes dirt and residue and dries quickly to leave a clean surface for contact.
www.wd40.com www.wd40.com

Hope everyone is well.
 
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I find WD-40 too hard on the eyes. I use Bausch & Lomb Contact Cleaner.

202x218_sensitive_eyes_daily_cleaner_01.jpg
 
Not too long after replying to a thread about tight potentiometers where I said I never felt Deoxit was worth shelling out the cash for, but that it was, as I understood it, the gold standard ... I did, and man do I regret ever wasting my time with anything else.
 
Well, I used the WD40 contact cleaner along with the CRC QD cleaner side by side and I have to say the WD40 contact cleaner worked great! It took about 30 additional seconds to dry completely (after the pcb was soaked and scrubbed and soaked again) compared to the CRC, but other than that I couldn’t tell the difference once both boards were dried. The WD40 being less expensive and seemingly more readily available Id certainly suggested it to anyone. Have a great weekend everyone!
 
thewintersoldier said:
Are you using it to clean flux off the board?
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Mostly, yes. After each build I’ll spray the solder side really good, scrub with a toothbrush, then turn over and scrub the wire terminals and lightly around components. Then I’ll spray the both sides of the board real good to “wash off” the remaining crud. Got to have a nice clean board. :)
 
I've got some of the QD cleaner and it just seems so gnarly. Maybe it's just the can it comes in, but it reminds me of carb cleaner. I've only used it a couple of times (I prefer iso). I do love the smell of WD40, though....
 
thewintersoldier said:
Same reason I built so many model cars as a kid, I loved the smell of the glue. Explains a lot...
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I grew up in a car wrencher family as a kid, so for me it's that rich mix exhaust that I love. I know it's awful, but whenever an older car comes gurgling by I've gotta stop and smell the petrol.
 
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JamieJ said:
I use it on my bike. I imagine it leaves an oily residue to the board?
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Just to be clear, we’re not talking about WD40 standard aerosolized lubricant spray. Please don’t spray that on your pcb. I’m referencing WD40 Contact Cleaner which is a particular solution made solely to clean electrical components, connectors, pcb’s etc. It has the consistency of rubbing alcohol and behaves the same way -perhaps even evaporates faster leaving no trace of the liquid.
 
Kroars said:
Just to be clear, we’re not talking about WD40 standard aerosolized lubricant spray. Please don’t spray that on your pcb. I’m referencing WD40 Contact Cleaner which is a particular solution made solely to clean electrical components, connectors, pcb’s etc. It has the consistency of rubbing alcohol and behaves the same way -perhaps even evaporates faster leaving no trace of the liquid.
Click to expand...
Haha 😂 oh what an idiot I am. Glad you’re not lubing up your PCBs @Kroars 🤣
 
Before and after:

Also, why does it always make my photos sideways when posting images here?
 

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Kroars said:
Just to be clear, we’re not talking about WD40 standard aerosolized lubricant spray. Please don’t spray that on your pcb. I’m referencing WD40 Contact Cleaner which is a particular solution made solely to clean electrical components, connectors, pcb’s etc. It has the consistency of rubbing alcohol and behaves the same way -perhaps even evaporates faster leaving no trace of the liquid.
Click to expand...

Furthermore, standard original WD-40 is NOT a lubricant, but rather a solvent (with perhaps some mild lubricating elements mixed in with it). It was originally designed to ungum stuck nuts on bolts etc.

JamieJ, what parts on your bike are you spraying regular WD-40 on?
Incidentally, common dishwashing liquid is really bad for your bike's paint job. Better to use a cleaning agent designed for cars.


Kroars, are you taking pics with your phone horizontally? It'll appear on your phone correctly, but post sideways. I've had this issue with my old "smart" phone — the only work-around for me was to take all the photos with the phone held vertically.
 
Feral Feline said:
Furthermore, standard original WD-40 is NOT a lubricant, but rather a solvent (with perhaps some mild lubricating elements mixed in with it). It was originally designed to ungum stuck nuts on bolts etc.

JamieJ, what parts on your bike are you spraying regular WD-40 on?
Incidentally, common dishwashing liquid is really bad for your bike's paint job. Better to use a cleaning agent designed for cars.


Kroars, are you taking pics with your phone horizontally? It'll appear on your phone correctly, but post sideways. I've had this issue with my old "smart" phone — the only work-around for me was to take all the photos with the phone held vertically.
Click to expand...
Just the drive train when I run out of proper lube.
 
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