Pedal Cleaning And Maintenance

[Simon]

My board gets totally fowl with grime, and every 6 months I bring it home and tear it down.
I use a slightly damp cloth to get all the smegma off.
How do you clean filthy pedals, and what other maintenance should I do?
Do People spray contact cleaner in the in and outputs?
Thanks for the help.

 

[GASaholic]

Pedals with chickenhead knobs tend to fowl with grime the worst.

 

[coltonius]

Simple.. Flip em every few months! You'll only have to do minor dusting before sending them off into the world and receiving a newer, cleaner pedal!

 

[Able Grip]

Rub meat on them and watch as your pets lick them shiny clean.

 

[jimmycupo]

Windex, Formula 49 & of course Goo Gone!!

 

[Simon]

Only one serious reply?

 

[TJT]

a dry cloth for dust and 91% isopropyl alcohol for anything else

 

[DaveKS]

Light wet rag or alcohol if gooey stuff. Dusting with dry cosmetic brush or canned air.

Deoxit gold, wipe light coat on contacts in jack and plugs with qtip when new stops most future corrosion on those from happening. It's also a mild contact cleaner as well as protectant.

Don't spray contact cleaner in you jacks.

 

[TheoDog]

Simple.. Flip em every few months! You'll only have to do minor dusting before sending them off into the world and receiving a newer, cleaner pedal!

It's funny because it is true.

A soft damp cloth (t-shirt scrap) and compressed air are powerful tools. Dual lock only where needed instead of full spans of hook side Velcro is another 'best practice.'

Where is the pedal board 'living' that needs to be brough home from? Is it traveling in the band trailer or living at the practice space/jam room?

 

[rck]

-Goo Gone for sticky residue

-Cleaning Wipes wrapped in cloth for general cleaning/dusting

-Compressed air can for dusting

-pencil with cloth wrapped for dusting to get to tiny spaces b/n knobs, etc...

-wire brush to clean attached velcro of pet/human hair, carpet fibers...be careful not to scratch finish of pedal.

 

[Johnny Moondog]

crevice tool (on a shop vac)

 

[Alchemy Audio]

Here's what I do when I have pedals on the bench for repairs / mods:
Wipe down enclosure with a rag and mild cleaner - using a Q-tip to reach any tight spaces (in between knobs, edges of Boss pedals, etc.)
If there is any sticky residue on the enclosure, Goo Gone works well.
Spray Caig DeOxit D5 on a patch cable plug and work it in and out of each jack a few times (optional: giggle like a 12 year old boy).
If the potentiometers are accessible, I'll also spray some DeOxit in each one and work the knob through its full rotation a few times. Then, use compressed air to clear away any debris and dry the DeOxit.
Tighten any nuts / screws / knobs (and replace any that are missing).
In the case of Boss pedals, replace the rubber grommet holding the thumb screw - which gets brittle with age.

 

[dllb]

Pedals with chickenhead knobs tend to fowl with grime the worst.

lol!! chicken heads getting fowl...

 

[dllb]

I use a slightly damp cloth to get all the smegma off.

The best way to.reduce smegma buildup is to wear pants while you play. Of course it might be unavoidable if you`re in the house band at the local strip club.

 

[elevenstrings]

Might sound like a non-serious reply - but baby wipes work perfect for cleaning pedals and get all that dust out of hard-to-reach areas.

 

[thetangmang]

crevice tool (on a shop vac)

That's all I use and I don't have to worry about knocking my knobs out of place. This is also great for all the pet hair that gets on the loop velcro on the board.