RF Generation Message Board

What is the best way to clean carts? I know I saw it mentioned here
before, but my son isnt giving me much time to look.

I usually fill a bucket with soapy water and then dunk each cart in it. Then I shake them out and leave them to dry.





P.S. Just to make sure everyone understands, the aforementioned method of cart cleaning is NOT a good idea.

Depends on what you want to clean. The contacts point can be done with rubbing alcohol or an eraser (like on the back of a pencil). I never bothered to clean them any further than that. It's not like I'll eat off them.

Here's what I do, 9 times out of 10 I can make a shitty looking cart like new:

Contacts: rubbing alchohol and a q-tip

Stickers, Regular: Peel the sticker off and grab a piece of duct tape. Apply duct tape over sticky residue and remove. Repeat process until all sticky shit is gone. NOTE: Rub the duct tape after applying it then pull it away real fast on first application. After that just stick it on and pull it away real fast till the stuff is gone.

Stickers, Silver/Rental: remove sticker, using your finger (and/or nail) scrape all of the silver stuff into one "pile" on the cart. Then use the above mentioned duct tape method.

Stickers/Old: if you have a sticker that just chips away but is a bitch to get off, take a cotton ball soaked with rubbing alchohol and go over it a few times. Then scrape the sticker away. If there is sticky stuff left use duct tape.

Marker: First use a cotton ball soaked with rubbing alchohol over the area. While its still wet use a toothbrush on it to get into the pores. Then go over it with a cotton ball soaked with rubbing alchohol. Repeat process until marker is gone or faint to your satisfaction.

General/NES Labels: cotton ball with rubbing alchohol.

The duct tape is actually less time consuming than using goo gone if executed properly. It also doesn't leave a residue. You CAN use duct tape on cart labels but be careful and gentle. If using duct tape on a label, be sure to pull the duct tape from the middle of the label toward the edge so you don't end up ripping the label off.

Wow, thats like a FAQ. Thanks much people. Even Leon. :o

Eventually I'm gonna write an FAQ type deal with photos on my sub.

I found that when you have stickers on boxes, a good way to take them off is to take a hair dryer and use it on the sticker for a couple of minutes.  The heat makes the glue on the sticker melt making them alot easier to peel off, and it doesn't leave nearly as much residue behind.

And I still subscribe to the Goo Gone method.   ;)

Thats good to know now i can get rid of all the Blockbuster stickers on N64 boxes.

Do NOT use rubbing alcohol on most paper labels (5200 style).  Sometimes the alcohol will take the ink from the label right off; sometimes it won't.  On 5200 labels, for instance, the blue bar where the game's title is comes right off, whereas other inks on the label are more resistant.  If you have any doubts about a label type and how to clean it, always test a really crappy and uber-common cart from that console that has the same label type first.

Imagic and Spectravision carts are real tricky too. they have chrome labels. most cleaning solutions will eat the printing right off the chrome label. Windex and a light touch works, wipe too hard though and you've got a blank label.

anyone know a good way to get stickers off boxes?
i used a little water and a soft cloth but it still wiped some of the image off around were i rubbed

Stickers, Regular: Peel the sticker off and grab a piece of duct tape. Apply duct tape over sticky residue and remove. Repeat process until all sticky shit is gone. NOTE: Rub the duct tape after applying it then pull it away real fast on first application. After that just stick it on and pull it away real fast till the stuff is gone.

Stickers, Silver/Rental: remove sticker, using your finger (and/or nail) scrape all of the silver stuff into one "pile" on the cart. Then use the above mentioned duct tape method.

Stickers/Old: if you have a sticker that just chips away but is a bitch to get off, take a cotton ball soaked with rubbing alchohol and go over it a few times. Then scrape the sticker away. If there is sticky stuff left use duct tape.

According to antimind.

OK i am using a damp soft cloth and it is peeling away more of my NES boxes images . I dont want ducktape ripping half the friggin box away... but thanks anyways. i will try the cotton ball attempt

I just bought a GENESIS cart cleaning kit, and console cleaning kit on eBay.

the alchohol was worse on my NES box... i recomend not using it.
I also recommend not buyin shit with stickers on it |D.

;)

I dont have a hair dryer either.

You can pick up a really cheap one at Walmart.  The 10 bucks that you will spend on it will save you sooooo much hassle later on.

Rubbing alchohol on stickers should ONLY be used on CARTS. Logic tells us that liquids and paper materials don't mix...

they do mix, they make a kinda gooy paste.