The Idiot's Guide to Using DeOxit (revisited) | Audiokarma Home Audio Stereo Discussion Forums
Clean Jacks and Socket Contacts, Too:
8. After you have finished cleaning all the pots and switches along the faceplate, you still aren't quite done. Look at the jacks where the headphones get inserted. There will be some springy metal strips there, that make contact with the headphone jack when it is inserted. Clean those off with the red DeOxit, using small mascara brushes (or Q-tips) inserted through the jack-hole, or even just reached in through the side if there is room for them. [Use DeOxit red stuff from the little bottles for this, not the spray. Clean them well, then add a layer of the ProLube/Gold stuff. Just apply it with a Q-tip or brush, same as the red stuff. Alternatively you can just put some of it on the headphone plug, and run it in and out of the jack a few times, turning it a little, as a means of application. Again, you don't need to "work" the lube so hard: use the red stuff for the cleaning, and the gold as a final step, just to add a protective and lubricating film to your newly-cleaned surface.
Repeat this process for any other contacts that haven't been cleaned, such as microphone jacks if there are any, in the faceplate area. At this point, you should have cleaned every pot, switch or jack in the faceplate area.
After the Front-side contacts, Clean the Back-side Ones, Too:
9. Now turn to the BACK of the receiver. There will be more contact points there, where RCA jacks are inserted for inputs and outputs. You'll need to clean each one of the jacks. Don't just clean the outside parts you see from the outside. It is critical that you clean the INSIDE parts, where the center shaft of the plug goes in. Use either pipe-cleaners or mascara brushes, with some DeOxit brushed on them from the little DeOxit bottles. Brush in-and-out with the DeOxit-ed mascara brushes or pipe cleaners, as if they were, uh... well, you know, "getting it on"! You'll probably be able to see the contact surfaces from the inside, and can see that they are getting cleaned. When you think they've had enough and are fully clean, add a final dose of the ProLube/Gold stuff to lubricate and protect the newly-cleaned surfaces.
Make Sure You Clean ALL the Connector Surfaces:
10. Now, having cleaned all the RCA jacks, look at what else is on the back of the receiver. You probably have some more contact surfaces there, where electrical contact is made between two conductors, such as screw-connectors to attach antennae, and some form of speaker connectors. Clean each of those surfaces, too, following the same steps as above (a good scrubbing with red DeOxit, followed by a protective bit of the gold stuff). By this time, you should be able to do this "on autopilot", while enjoying background music from your other system.
Don't Forget to Clean the Fuses, too:
11. There is another type of contact surface that you shouldn't forget: the fuses! There will probably be one power fuse, accessible from the back side of the receiver. Unscrew the cap that holds it in place. You may be able to do this with your fingers. Otherwise it will probably have a big "x" you can use a thin coin like a dime or a large phillips-head screwdriver to loosen it up with. Remove the fuse and clean both ends of it, as well as both ends of the fuse holder. You'll probably need to stick a DeOxit-carrying Q-tip, mascara brush or pipe cleaner into the hole, to clean the inside contact surface. Again, you can follow-up with the Gold stuff (but you knew that already by now, huh?).
Now look at the inside areas of the receiver. There will probably be a few more fuses scattered around the circuit boards inside. One by one (so you don't mix them up!), remove and clean the ends of the fuse itself, along with the little holders that it clamps into. Then replace the fuse, and move on to the next one. Repeat until you've cleaned up every fuse you can find.
You Are ALMOST Finished!...
12. At this point, you should have cleaned up every electrical contact surface --pots, switches, and jacks-- in the front and back of the reciever, as well as all the fuses. Basically, you are FINISHED with the DeOxit cleaning process!
