Cleaning the heatsink

[Walthor]

Can you use denatured ethanol or a mixture of different alkanes? Or does it need to be a polar solution?

[Deleted]

I am interested to hear a response on this as well, I give it a good vacuuming but there is always that visible dust residue left. I don't think I will be using denatured alcohol or ethanol, but does anyone have a pain free solution to keeping the heat sink looking new?

[Lemonlust]

Always use 100% Isopropyl alcohol

[DeltrusDisc]

All I've ever used is a try Q-tip and/or kleenex. Typically the stuff comes right off.

[Cellery]

I used rubbing alcohol & q-tips. Seems pretty standard.

[DeltrusDisc]

I used rubbing alcohol & q-tips. Seems pretty standard.

I remember you.

[Cellery]

I remember you.

Lies. Figment of your imagination. And q-tips.

[Ghâzh]

All kinds of alcohols work. Doesn't have to be 100% but it dries faster. Isopropyl, propanol, methanol, ethanol etc. Make sure if it aint pure (100%) that it doesn't contain anything else then distilled water. Be especially carefull if it has oil in it. Denatured ethanol would work if it doesn't contain dye.. now that I think of it, leave the denatured ethanol, they shove too much crap in it :P

[Fuzzykins]

I'm curious, are you talking about the surface that comes in contact with the CPU or the heat fins. I haven't found reason to use anything else than a pipe cleaner and compressed air for my heatsink. I have a bottle of cleaning solution specifically for heatsinks that I got with some TIM lying around here somewhere, so I use that whenever I need to clean off some TIM or something from the contact surface.

[Walthor]

I meant the surface that comes in contact with the CPU. The only thing I have at home now that I could use is some denatured alcohol. I'll stop by the shops to see if I can find isopropanol, or some ethanol without additives somewhere. I also know for sure I can get some nafta or white spirit for sure if that can be used instead.

[Wries]

Last time, ignoring all hints of sanity, I took off the TIM by squeezing a lemon for its juices (I was after the citric acid). I'm no chemist but I think it leaves residue, so not optimal bordering on stupidity perhaps :P

[vecnuh]

100% Ethanol will also work no problem

[Cellery]

Last time, ignoring all hints of sanity, I took off the TIM by squeezing a lemon for its juices (I was after the citric acid). I'm no chemist but I think it leaves residue, so not optimal bordering on stupidity perhaps :P

>> acid is not a solvent, so doesn't tend to be used for this type of purpose... and even if you WERE going to use acid to remove something, lemon juice has sugar in it which will most certainly make a mess of the contact. I'd NOT recommend it :P

Simple rubbing alcohol from the drug store is less than a dollar and works just fine.

[Xuvial]

Yeah I waited around before answering this because I was confused whether OP was talking about the heatsink fins or the CPU-contact.
I always use Isopropyl. Unfortunately I left my last little bottle with a loosely-screwed-on cap, and now most of it has evaporated -_-

[Deleted]

Unsure why you can't just use compressed air unless you are in a smokers type environment.

[Icpie]

I've gone ghetto and used some Jose Cuervo before.

[Milkshake86]

Always use 100% Isopropyl alcohol

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Alcohol exaporates insanely fast and does the job for everything electronics to glass smoking items O.O

[Ecwfrk]

I've used Carburetor Cleaner, Acetone, Xylene, Alcohol and several other things to clean heatsinks in the past.

Now though, I use Denture Cleaning tabs. They work great.
I look for anything labeled as being for smokers that isn't flavored as they tend to work the best. They work really well on heatsinks without having to deal with any kind of nasty smelling chemicals. Just fill a bowl with hot water, drop in a tab, soak for 30 minutes then rinse, dry and reinstall. They're very gentle and have never caused any kind of corrosion or tarnishing on aluminum, copper or silver heatsinks.
They're also really good for cleaning all kinds of other things made of metal, plastic, porcelain or glass like coffee pots and mugs, vases, pipes, eyeglasses, etc...

[Milkshake86]

I've used Carburetor Cleaner, Acetone, Xylene, Alcohol and several other things to clean heatsinks in the past.

Now though, I use Denture Cleaning tabs. They work great.
I look for anything labeled as being for smokers that isn't flavored as they tend to work the best. They work really well on heatsinks without having to deal with any kind of nasty smelling chemicals. Just fill a bowl with hot water, drop in a tab, soak for 30 minutes then rinse, dry and reinstall. They're very gentle and have never caused any kind of corrosion or tarnishing on aluminum, copper or silver heatsinks.
They're also really good for cleaning all kinds of other things made of metal, plastic, porcelain or glass like coffee pots and mugs, vases, pipes, eyeglasses, etc...

Absolutely ridiculous but i love it

[noremac]

I use Isopropyl alcohol at least 90% or higher. Some say you need 100% but it really doesn't matter.

I don't reccommend using Q-tips however because the fibers can come off and stay on the surface. I use coffee filters which wont leave anything behind since they are lint free.