Fiberglass scratch brush pen .. clean electronic gear

I have used a similar brush from Harbor Freight for a couple years. I find it to be too coarse for use on solder joints--it will damage the surface of FR4/PCB material. It does a great job cleaning plated battery terminals in portable equipment damaged by failed/leaking manganese batteries.

I keep a small stock of these hanging around.. they are especially useful for cleaning brass buttons on steppers in the old pinball machines I collect.


Here is another use for them I have found completely by accident..

*Warning - before trying this do a test spot*

I found that using deoxit and a fiberglass brush I could really clean up a brushed metal face plate on a vintage preamp.

I had a dirty, but otherwise nice Harman Kardon Citation I preamp. This has a brushed finish on the face plate.. so I wondered what I could to to clean it. I thought the fiberglass brush would give me the control to clean near lettering without wiping over it. Just for the heck of it I tried a spritz of deoxit and guess what! It did a fantastic job of cleaning up the faceplate. Just remember to move the fiberglass brush in the direction of the brushed pattern on the faceplate.
BTW I got deoxit on lettering with no ill effects..

*disclaimer, do this at your own risk. It worked for me, but do your own experimenting!

Those little pads made by Mr. Clean also work wonders on corroded contacts and you can find them in any grocery store, even out here in the sticks.

use pipe cleaners for tube sockets