Circuit boards are crucial for the basic functioning of the majority of electronics and tech gadgets. Any defects in these circuit boards can lead to the complete failure of a device. Due to this reason, it is important to maintain and clean them from time to time to keep them from possible risks and problems.
Over time, due to the frequent working of these circuit boards, these can gather debris and dirt that hampers their performance in the long run. Cleaning these circuit boards with alcohol is a common practice, but there are other alternatives available that can help you in this regard. We are going to discuss them in this post for you! Let’s get started!
Why Clean a Printed Circuit Board?
Some people often think about why cleaning a circuit board matters. There are many reasons for it. We need to maintain these circuit boards so that they can serve us longer. Plus, these can remain protected from possible dirt and debris as well. Thus regular cleaning of circuit boards saves a producer’s time and reduces the chances of reworking as well.
· Improve the Aesthetic Appearance of the Printed Circuit Board
The overall appearance of PCBs matters a lot in this industry, and due to this reason, producers have to pay close attention to it. One way of making these PCBs is to clean them properly. Dirty and greasy PCBs are not aesthetic, and due to this reason, there are more chances of short circuits and poor performance in the long run.
· Enhance the Reliability of Printed Circuit Board
Clean and maintained PCBs are more reliable for sensitive and high-frequency devices. The measure of PCB cleaning is important for making them reliable to perform under pressure conditions easily. The reason is that due to the accumulation of dirt and debris, there are chances that PCBs can undergo short circuits and technical failures from time to time.
· Control Printed Circuit Board Component Corrosion
The best part about PCB cleaning is that we can save sensitive PCB parts from rusting and corrosion over time. Proper cleaning can easily prevent this problem and removes the moisture from these parts that initiate corrosion.
· Avert Adhesion Issues
Problems occur when we cannot handle the flux on PCBs properly. Due to this reason, adhesion can occur, and it can ruin the conformal coating and sensitive PCB layers at the same time. It means we can solve the adhesion problem by cleaning PCBs.
· Evade Dendritic Growth
Sometimes workers can leave out the flux remains that are ionic particles. After some time, these can interact with moisture and can develop dendrites when the current is passing. This results in poor performance of PCBs for the electronics. The dendritic chain formed in this way can be a major cause of current leaks and other technical complications.
What are the causes of Printed Circuit Board corrosion?
There might be electronic devices that do not come with circuit boards. These are highly significant in the fine performance of devices as well. When we frequently use our electronic devices, there are chances that, with time, they can undergo complete failure due to the accumulation of dirt and debris, leading to holding back our devices to perform smoothly. In some cases, the presence of moisture in the circuit boards can make them undergo corrosion as well.
Why Avoid Alcohol for Printed Circuit Board Cleaning?
There is no doubt that using alcohol for circuit board cleaning is a common practice, but there are some concerns the experts have regarding it. Alcohol is good for intensive cleaning of circuit boards fastly, but some circuit boards are too sensitive to tolerate the impact of alcohol on them. Using alcohol on such circuit boards can erode their structure, and the metal on them might strip off as well.
Essential Precautions Before Cleaning
Below you will find some effective safety tips that you have to consider while cleaning circuit boards by following any type of cleaning method:
- Power Off and Unplug: Make sure to turn off/power off the electronic device that you want to clean and plug it out from the power source.
- Antistatic Measures: Always make use of antistatic measures like weaning an antistatic wrist strap and using a mat to ensure quick discharging of static entities on the whole.
- Visual Inspection: It is better to visually check the circuit board before cleaning and see if there are any broken traces and damaged components or not. Since any type of cleaning agent can easily do more damage to these damaged components of the circuit board.
- Isopropyl Alcohol Concentration: Alway uses alcohol with 70% or less concentration since it won’t be harmful to the sensitive circuit boards.
Methods to clean a circuit board without alcohol
Now we are going to see the alternative methods that we can opt for cleaning circuit boards other than alcohol. Let’s check them out below:
Method 1: Compressed Air
Compressed air is important when we want to reach the congested areas and remove the dust and debris tightly stuck in these restricted areas of the circuit boards:
- Hold the compressed air device and make sure to use small blows for cleaning the circuit board since harsh blowing can damage the components.
- Make sure to blow the circuit board from some angles where you see excessive debris and dirt that needs immediate removal.
- Take care of the compressed air can as well since problems can occur if you want to make full use of this device in the long run.
Method 2: Soft Brush and Cotton Swabs
You can even rely on a soft brush and cotton swabs for complete cleaning of circuit boards. These are fragile, and you can reach out to sensitive circuit board components through these tools quite easily.
1. Brush Cleaning: A brush with soft bristles can easily clean the circuit board without compromising the circuit parts.
2. Cotton Swabs: Immerse the cotton swabs with distilled water and then use them on the circuit board.
3. Spot Cleaning: Make sure to follow the spot cleaning approach that ensures complete debris removal from a circuit board.
Method 3: DIY Cleaning Solution
Another method is to use a DIY cleaning solution that you can easily make it home for the circuit board cleaning.
1. Take a little amount of distilled water and mix it with a less-invasive cleaning detergent.
2. Now, take a damp cloth and do not make it too wet since it can cause problems.
3. Do gentle strokes and carefully clean the sensitive circuit board parts.
4. Now dry the circuit board with a dry soft towel.
Method 4: Baking Soda Paste
Baking soda is effective for intense and rigorous circuit board cleaning. Due to this reason, we have to be extra careful with it to drive positive results.
1. Make a paste of baking soda & distilled water.
2. Take a soft brush or a cotton swab and dit it in the mixture.
3. Rub it on the dirty and greasy areas with utmost care.
4. Use a dry cloth to remove any moisture left on the surface of the board.
Method 5: Distilled Water Rinse
We can even use distilled water for solo rinsing of the circuit boards, and this is one of the easiest methods of cleaning circuit boards without alcohol.
1. Use a soft cloth and dip it in the distilled water for cleaning.
2. Remove any grease, residues, and debris on the surface with this cloth.
3. Don’t forget to dry the circuit board using a dry cloth.
4. Give the circuit board a compressed air blow to make sure that there is no moisture left in the setup.
Method 6: White Vinegar Solution
Diluted vinegar is also good for removing the chemical stains left on the circuit boards. Let’s see how we can use it effectively.
1. Use diluted vinegar and distilled water to make a mixture.
2. Use soft brushes and dip them in the mixture to use them for cleaning.
3. Now clean the stains with the help of these brushes.
4. Dry out the circuit board carefully to remove all the moisture.
Tips for Safe Printed Circuit Board Cleaning
- Never rely on invasive chemicals and intense cleaning agents for cleaning the circuit boards.
- Make sure to clean the circuit board in an open area that allows seamless ventilation.
- Try to cover your face and eyes while cleaning the circuit boards to prevent any sort of skin and eye infection.
- Wear protective cleaning equipment while cleaning the circuit boards.
- First, make sure to dry the circuit board before plugging your device back in.
- In any confusion, seek professional help from the experts.
Conclusion
Cleaning circuit boards matter a lot for the performance of electronics. In this post, we have described effective methods that you can perform if you are unable to use alcohol for this purpose. From now on, you can easily maintain your circuit boards from dirt, debris, and possible damage from corrosion on all counts!
