How to Clean Arduino Boards
If your Arduino board is not working properly or causing sudden power loss and reset on its own, then there is a good chance of dirt or corrosion on the Arduino board. There are few different treatments than can clean an Arduino board and make it look like a new one.
i: Manual Cleaning
Cleaning the Arduino board manually using brushes and microfiber cloths is the most prevalent method. Any types of contaminants or remaining solder substance can be removed using manual cleaning. Manual cleaning is a simple method for cleaning an Arduino board. However, it is time consuming, and you can only clean the Arduino board section that can be reachable through brush or cloth. As a result, this might not be the optimal choice if Arduino boards are severely damaged with dust.
ii: Compressed Air
Compressed air is one of the safest non disruptive cleaning methods for Arduino boards. It can remove any type of dust accumulated inside electronic components of Arduino. Using compressed air, we can remove dirt from input output headers used in Arduino boards.
iii: Baking Soda
If the Arduino board is corroded or its components have rust upon them then baking soda is another household solution for cleaning Arduino boards. As baking soda contains sodium bicarbonate which can easily remove corrosion and tough grime layer from Arduino PCB. It is an economical and feasible way of cleaning Arduino boards.
iv: Isopropyl Alcohol
Isopropyl Alcohol can be used to clean Arduino boards. It can remove any type of grime. We just need a small brush or cotton cloth. Remember it is a highly reactive chemical so cleaning an Arduino board using IPA (isopropyl Alcohol) should only be done under a proper vented environment, preferably under a fume hood. While dealing with IPA, always handle it with care and remember to wear gloves and goggles. Before using the IPA, disconnect the Arduino board from the power supply. Use any air blower or duster to remove any residue dust. While reconnecting, the Arduino board waits until all the isopropyl alcohol evaporates.
v: PCB Cleaning Agent
Multiple PCB cleaning agents are available in the market aside from isopropyl alcohol, ranging from acetone to different chemicals made specially for cleaning purposes of electronic equipment. These cleaning agents can remove multiple contaminants such as grime, wax, or solder flux. While using them with Arduino, remember not to use strong agents as they can damage Arduino components. It is recommended to try it on some old PCBs board before applying it over Arduino. It can cause damage to Arduino capacitor jackets or can remove components marking.
vi: Ultrasonic Cleaner
Ultrasonic cleaning is one of the most expensive techniques. First Arduino boards is soaked inside ethyl alcohol solution which help to lose some dirt and contaminants attached to it after that it is put inside Ultrasonic cleaner machine which emits high frequency sound waves causing liquid solution to create tiny bubbles, which can explode and remove any type of dirt on Arduino board this process is known as cavitation.
Note: Ultrasonic cleaning technique lost some favor because it causes tiny components to lose their connection along with grime and dirt. It can cause damage to components end caps and PCB tracing.
Conclusion
Corrosion, wax, and other contaminants like dirt can damage Arduino boards, cleaning Arduino boards is highly important to improve its functionality. Here we highlighted all the possible ways for cleaning Arduino to get its maximum potential back. Among all the methods compressed air and Isopropyl Alcohol is best and feasible for Arduino boards.
