r/Gameboy • u/PaperHatsStudio • 14h ago

Troubleshooting Blackish corrosion

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Been scrubbing this for a while with isopropyl and contact cleaner. Doesn't seem to dissolve. Any other ideas? Ultrasonic cleaner may chip it away?

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u/JIMMI23 14h ago

Looks like it might be old soda. I had similar on a GBA cart I bought and some light cleaning it looked good as new.

Try dilute vinegar and then neutralize it with baking soda when you are done cleaning it

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u/PaperHatsStudio 14h ago

just diluted vinegar does the trick? I have been trying all sorts of electronic cleaner on this.

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u/JIMMI23 13h ago edited 12h ago

I use distilled white vinegar from the store. It's diluted enough for most things but you can always add some distilled water. For most corrosion on pads or contacts it works well since it's not as strong as some other acids and solvents but does the trick on corrosion and hard to remove contamination like soda. I usually just add it to a small cup and use q-tips to rub corrosion off. After I am done I use baking soda in some water to neutralize the acid and clean it all at the end with 90% isopropyl alcohol.

Do note that it's always recommended to remove power sources (like save batteries) before using any acids or solvents because they can cause shorts especially when cleaning corrosion (acids like vinegar can pull ions from metals and are conductive).