The best overall substitute for contact cleaner is 90% or higher Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA) applied via cotton swab, microfiber cloth, or a spray bottle. It dissolves grease, oil, and light grime while evaporating quickly. Always unplug the device and ensure it is fully dry before turning the power back on.
Isopropyl alcohol is available at drug stores and also known as "ISOPROPANOL 99%". Denatured Alcohol is great stuff to use, but also evaporates quickly. Carburetor cleaner mixed with a drop of water, to reduce its acidity against plastics, also works if you only do it once or twice.
Common solvents include isopropyl alcohol, heptane, acetone and synthesized solvents like isoparaffinic hydrocarbon. The evaporative properties of these solvents ensure they do not damage sensitive components or leave conductive residues after cleaning.
This is old and you likely know and /or don't care anymore, but in case someone else is confused: They are the same thing, they just rebranded it.
Isopropyl alcohol (91% or 99%) Isopropyl alcohol is a great DIY cleaner for electrical contacts. This alcohol is tough enough to dissolve dirt, grime, oil, and corrosion but gentle enough on delicate electrical parts. Isopropyl alcohol also dries quickly, so there's little risk of the liquid damaging the contacts.
Electrical contact cleaner is simply compressed air with a cleaning agent that evaporates, such as isopropyl alcohol. It is useful for cleaning electric components that have food, grease, or oils on them. It can dislodge foreign elements and clean components.
Other alternatives for contact solution: Saline!
This solution is the safest option to store contact lenses as it won't scratch your contacts or harm your eyes, but it will not kill all the bacteria on the lenses. Saline solution is typically made with boiled water.
A contact cleaner is a solvent cleaner designed to remove contamination from electrical contacts, the conductive surfaces of connectors, switches and other electrical and electronic components with moving surface contacts.
Can be safely used on all types of electrical connectors and systems like ignition systems, motors, relays, sensors, switches, plugs etc. Thanks to its patented Smart Straw technology, WD-40 Contact Cleaner blasts away oil, dirt, flux residue & condensation with pinpoint precision.
On the mild chemical side, an acid like vinegar can be used, and other agents may work for battery terminal cleaning, such as baking soda. Regardless of the cleaning material, it must be rinsed off, as a cleaner strong enough to remove rust could continue to work on unintended metal surfaces.
No, WD-40® Multi-Use Product is non-conductive and has a dielectric strength of 38 000V per 2.5mm which basically means that you would require more than 38 000V per 2.5mm of space between two metal contacts for electrical breakdown/conductance to occur.
WD-40 Specialist Contact Cleaner is designed to clean sensitive electronics and electrical equipment for optimal perfomance 1. The quick-drying formula cleans oil, dirt, flux residue, and condensation without leaving residue behind.
The only thing you can use in a true pinch is a commercially prepared sterile saline solution, and even that is just for a very brief time until you can disinfect them properly.
After disconnecting the battery from its load, you can use a cotton bud dipped in vinegar to loosen and remove any corrosion, and polish the metal underneath. Wash the vinegar away with clean water using another cotton bud. The vinegar is an acid so you must remove it thoroughly or it will corrode the contacts itself.
Wall sockets and switches
If you find any deteriorated terminals or electrical connectors, treat them with a spray of WD-40® Specialist® Fast Drying Contact Cleaner. This will eliminates various types of residue and condensation on electronic equipment, including delicate materials.
I wouldn't recommend it though. WD-40 is “Water Displacement formula number 40”. It's primary intent is to displace water. If your electrical connections are wet, you have bigger problems.
Conventional petroleum-based grease (i.e. Vaseline) is NOT a substitute for dielectric grease. The petroleum base can attack the rubber, polymer or silicone-based seals of electric connectors and cause major problems with moisture and dust intrusion.
Not Recommended-Silicone grease use on electrical connectors. Silicone oils are dielectric and so is silicone grease, silicone is generally low cost and widely available. However we do not recommend using any silicone based lubricant for use on electrical connectors or contacts.
Can WD-40® be used as an electrical contact cleaner? We don't recommend using any WD-40 product as a contact cleaner apart from our Fast Drying Contact Cleaner. Our specialist contact spray is designed to remove residue, condensation and dirt from electrical equipment with pinpoint precision.
Moisten a microfiber cloth with a mixture of 70% isopropyl alcohol / 30% water. The cloth should be damp, but not dripping wet. Excess moisture should be removed if the cloth is wet before wiping the product. Using any material other than a microfiber cloth could cause damage to your product.
Like saline solution, contact lens solution is a compound. However, it has a lot more than two ingredients. In general, they contain a disinfectant, surfactant, wetting solution and a preservative. The disinfectant kills pathogens that can cause infection.
Saline Solution or Saline Nasal Spray
Saline solution can be used to rinse your eyes or contact lenses — for example, to flush out dirt or debris. However, it needs to be a store-bought sterile eye wash, not a DIY or homemade version.
The answer is no—you should never put your contacts in water! Water and contact solution may look similar, but that's where the likeness ends. Using water in place of contact solution can potentially cause serious harm to your eyes as well as damage your lenses.