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    Removing coke or sugar syrup from liquid damaged devices.

    Got an Xbox that had coke spilt in it, must not have been there long but it was sticky and my normal solvents were not making it budge so on a time budget I hit it with some Ajax spray and wipe glass cleaner and it brushed off within 20 seconds.

    Whatever's in that bottle is some nasty stuff but it worked a treat!

    P.S. I gave it ISO bath, ultrasonic then ISO bath again after these photos as I thought if it cleans up that well so fast it would very likely corrode if anything was left on the PCB.
    Attached Files

    #2
    Re: Removing coke or sugar syrup from liquid damaged devices.

    I had an old PC motherboard that likewise had cola spilled on it, it came right off with ... plain water, no solvents needed. I suppose it depends on the brand of soda, but sorry I don't know what soda it was.

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      #3
      Re: Removing coke or sugar syrup from liquid damaged devices.

      Just wanted to say… a mixture between warm water and a little bit of Dawn dish detergent does the same thing. I even tried that combined with my ultrasonic cleaner and the heater on 60C and shit comes out like new! No scrubbing and IPA bath required!
      Last edited by CapLeaker; 02-20-2023, 05:10 AM.

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        #4
        Re: Removing coke or sugar syrup from liquid damaged devices.

        yea, it's a water based beverage so treat it like washing the dishes.

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          #5
          Re: Removing coke or sugar syrup from liquid damaged devices.

          I think those "orange" sodas are the ones that may need a small amount of soap but pure water should be able to clean that off too.

          However... coffee on the other hand...

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            #6
            Re: Removing coke or sugar syrup from liquid damaged devices.

            coffee contains oils - you need soap for that

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              #7
              Re: Removing coke or sugar syrup from liquid damaged devices.

              Once you have the chemistry figured out (contamination is water or oil based, acid or alkaline) I find a good long soak helps with thick deposits, 5-15 minutes.
              I usually use hot water and a little dishsoap, a long soak and then the toothbrush scrub and then a rinse and dryoff or air blast.

              I used to fix liquor dispensors, the ones that dispense shots and mix at a bar. It was pretty gross, syrup all over and on the floor, when you go out back to the tank room. One mistake and you get sprayed, like when replacing a solenoid.

              I regularly dump coffee on my PC keyboard, CMStorm Cherry switches and I'll just unplug it fast and toss it in the bathtub for a rinse. It has survived many times so far.

              edit: Australia is lucky Ajax Spray n' Wipe Triple Action Glass Cleaner is loaded with good stuff. Here I can't buy a decent glass cleaner Windex is crap.
              Last edited by redwire; 02-20-2023, 12:19 PM.

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                #8
                Re: Removing coke or sugar syrup from liquid damaged devices.

                When removing residue from price stickers and sticker labels my go-to's are rubbing alcohol or Windex. One or the other almost always works. WRT water, distilled water might be better as a solvent than tap water, since distillation reduces dissolved impurities.
                PeteS in CA

                Power Supplies should be boring: No loud noises, no bright flashes, and no bad smells.
                ****************************
                To kill personal responsibility, initiative or success, punish it by taxing it. To encourage irresponsibility, improvidence, dependence and failure, reward it by subsidizing it.
                ****************************

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                  #9
                  Re: Removing coke or sugar syrup from liquid damaged devices.

                  I find no need for purified water if you blast off the beads with a shake or compressed air, there is no visible residue. Factory boards come with more flux residue. Although compressed air does generate static electricity if you go crazy with it. Hard part is drying water under a BGA. Sometimes I'll toss a board in an oven or let it air dry for days.

                  Household cleaning product formulation varies by nation, so a "brand name" is not always solid.
                  I think Windex sucks because it streaks on my car window after cleaning three times, so I'll never use it again. The perfume, colouring agents or apparently some paper towels have added moisture absorbing chemicals added which is what actually causes the streaking. For windows, I've used Bon Ami (good) and now use Invisible Glass which contains a little acetone. But some regions it's IPA.

                  Nothing works for me with sticker adhesives. IPA doesn't do a thing.

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                    #10
                    Re: Removing coke or sugar syrup from liquid damaged devices.

                    most window cleaner is just water and vinegar mix.

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                      #11
                      Re: Removing coke or sugar syrup from liquid damaged devices.

                      When you have clean sticky/sugar liquid from the pcb:

                      1. soak in water, then brush
                      water mix and dissolve sugar and salt, alcohol (ipa) does not
                      Water is solvent in this case

                      2. rinse with ipa or 96% ethanol
                      alcohol mix and dissolve water in any ratio, so it helps to dry (usefull especialy under bga)

                      3. Hit with compressed air if you can

                      4. Eventuali repeat from 1. till end result is fine


                      If pcb is oil/fat, like butter:

                      1. use adequate detergent (soap) with plenty if live water over it to take it off, scrape it, brush it...

                      2. Rinse vith ipa

                      3 air...
                      Last edited by harp; 02-20-2023, 03:53 PM.

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