How to Clean Vintage Stereo Equipment: Step-by-Step Guide

A simple guide to cleaning corrosion, oxidation, and dust from old audio equipment

Co-authored by Nicole Levine, MFA Reviewed by Claudia & Angelo Zimmermann

Last Updated: December 11, 2024 Fact Checked

Choosing a Cleaner

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Cleaning the Equipment

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Video

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Q&A

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Tips

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Warnings

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Things You'll Need

Buying vintage stereo equipment is a hobby that can quickly become an obsessive and overwhelming collection. The look, feel, and tone of vintage audio components have a unique charm, which often rivals newer models in quality. Unfortunately, old and neglected stereo components are often found in pretty rough shape, which means you'll need to learn how to clean vintage stereo equipment before use. This guide will walk you through cleaning the interior of any vintage stereo component using a basic contact cleaner.

Things You Should Know

Opt for a plastic-safe contact cleaner to safely clean vintage stereo equipment without harming its delicate internal components.
Use a small amount of contact cleaner to remove oxidation and corrosion from jacks, plugs, switches, pots, faders, and removable connectors.
Remove dust from the stereo's interior with short bursts of compressed air.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Choosing a Cleaner

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1
Choose a quality contact cleaner to avoid damaging your vintage equipment. This is extremely important. Contact cleaner is a spray or liquid product designed to dissolve corrosion on metal electronic parts, typically the main cause of scratchy and popping sounds while moving volume controls or intermittent rotary or push-button switches (for speaker selections, modes, source), headphone or microphone jacks , etc. While all contact cleaners work on metal-only parts, most will destroy plastics and the lubricants inside and outside every volume control potentiometer and switch. If a poor-quality contact cleaner cracks, melts, or otherwise damages the internal parts, they may be impossible to replace.
- Buy a bottle of contact cleaner labeled as "safe to use on plastics." Plastic-safe contact cleaners offer quick-drying, no-residue applications, which is important as you won't be able to dry many of the internal components by wiping. CAIG DeoxIt is an industry-standard contact cleaner popular with audiophiles and throughout the broadcast world. Their D5 product is specifically for cleaning vintage stereo equipment without harming the plastic components and lubricants that most audio potentiometers contain.
- You can buy contact cleaner at any electronics store, including online retailers that sell stereo equipment and musical instruments like Sweetwater and Musician's Friend. Just make sure that if you buy contact cleaner online, it can be shipped to your location. Some contact cleaners are flammable and have shipping restrictions.
- Avoid WD-40, as it is not intended for use on most pieces that contain or touch plastic parts or have lubricants required to be able to turn. ^{[1]
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Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Cleaning the Equipment

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To make sure that no electricity will flow through the internal components while you clean, unplug all components. Do not simply turn the power switch off; remove the plug entirely from the wall outlet, as serious injury or death could otherwise occur.
2
Remove the cover of the stereo component. The case is usually removed by loosening a few small screws or bolts. Often these screws will be found on the sides, back, and bottom of the unit. Not all screws on a given surface are for the casing, so look carefully at what you are unscrewing to only remove the casing screws. After removing them, set them aside or put them into numbered containers to match them up with the correct holes. You can put stickers on afterward; taking pictures can help, too. Gently lift the case away from the chassis.
- Warning: If you've been using the stereo, be sure to discharge the capacitors before handling to avoid electric shock. You can do so by laying an insulated screwdriver (the kind with a rubber or plastic handle) across both terminals of each capacitor.
If the interior components look particularly dusty, you can clear away the dust using a spray can of compressed air. Do not attempt to wipe dust away using a cloth, as a clumsy hand can easily dislodge or damage delicate electronic components or scratch a shiny plastic faceplate.
4
Spray contact cleaner on parts sparingly. Contact cleaner can remove corrosion or stubborn dirt from many of the stereo component's internal parts, but typically, you should only clean contacts that cause problems beyond looks. Spray a fine, even coat of the contact cleaner on problematic components, such as those with oxidation , and a thicker coat in areas with significant corrosion. Spray jacks, plugs, switches, or removable connectors that are not soldered . Always wear safety goggles to protect your eyes when using contact cleaner. ^{[2]
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- Cleaning battery contacts may require additional friction to clean. You may need to replace the contacts if they've been eaten away by alkaline battery acid.
- Avoid spraying things that should not be sprayed, such as rubberized belts, friction wheels, pulleys, motor shafts, meter displays, light bulbs, audio or video heads, and window or dial faces. Good luck cleaning any of those off if they get a mist on them.
- Avoid flooding your high-voltage power switches with contact cleaners, as they rarely need to be cleaned and are safer to replace if they do. Soaking these switches is dangerous and could cause them to ignite.
The pots, or knobs, are the components most likely to display corrosion. To clean them, find the small hole in the back assembly of the pot or typically larger opening where the pins are soldered to the board. Spray some contact cleaner sparingly into the hole or the openings (there are typically two separate openings for stereo potentiometers), and then work the knobs back and forth frequently for about a minute. This will spread the contact cleaner throughout the inside of the pot.
To clean faders and push buttons, you'll have to sometimes spray the contact cleaner behind the controls from the front of the unit if access is impossible from the inside without major disassembly. After spraying the cleaner, push the button or slide the fader back and forth for about a minute. Any excess cleaner that drips down the faceplate of the unit can be wiped away with a microfiber scratch-resistant cloth.
After applying contact cleaner to any part of your vintage stereo equipment, let the unit sit with the case off for a few hours. This helps ensure that all the contact cleaner has dried.
Replace the case gently, and secure it using the screws or bolts you removed, screwed back together first by fingertip, then by screwdriver. Be certain not to force or over-tighten, as this can strip the threading and certainly crack any plastics easily. Remember the force required to undo the screws in the first place? Only after the case is back in place should you plug the audio equipment back in and test it. Any extra screws should mean rechecking your assembly because every screw is there for a reason. Good luck!

Community Q&A

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Question

What is the best chemical to clean the metal faceplate on my Pioneer RT-909?

Community Answer

First remove the knobs, then the faceplate. Lay faceplate flat on old towel and spray with diluted glass cleaner (two parts cleaner to one part water), let it sit for two minutes until the grime is dissolved and wipe it off with a clean, damp rag. Rinse the rag thoroughly with clean water and wipe down the faceplate again to remove any glass cleaner residue. Wipe it dry using clean, soft rag or towel, and then reassemble.

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Question

I have a Kenwood KR 4140 stereo receiver that has been sitting on a shelf for 20 years. What should I do if it isn't working?

Community Answer

Take the cover off (10-12 screws). Get a can of compressed air, blow dust and cobwebs off each board (from one side to the other so as to not blow dust one way, then back the other way). Now inspect each capacitor (hard wired batteries) for acid leakage. If there is any, remove the capacitor, clean up the acid with a cotton swab and rubbing alcohol, and replace the capacitor. Next, look at solder points on everything (I know, tedious, but you don't want a short!), you want to make sure each transistor, resistor, and capacitor wire is secure. Also, look to see that solder is only touching one trace per wire, or you could have a short. If everything looks okay, assemble, plug in, and turn it on (assuming it's not wet from alcohol). Repeat if necessary.

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How do I get the knobs off my vintage stereo equipment?

Community Answer

Use two old soup spoons, one on each side of the knob, and place the bottom of the spoon against the face plate. Use the spoons to gently pry off the knobs. The bottom of the spoon will act as a pivot and lever. Push the handles toward the face plate to remove the knob. This will not scratch the knobs or the face plate, and makes the removal safe and easy.

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Tips

Equipment damaged or destroyed by contact cleaners that are unsafe on plastics can sometimes end up on the internet (where you can't try before you buy) with no reference to seized or cracked controls. So, ask sellers if the knobs still turn or slide freely without excessive force or have shaft or neck breakage hidden by glued knobs, etc. You can typically buy a few basic models of low-cost modern reproduction volume controls over the internet and test different contact cleaners on them to see what works and what doesn't before risking your stereo equipment's rare original pieces.

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The exterior of your audio equipment can be wiped clean using a regular all-purpose cleaner or mild soap.

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Tips from our Readers

The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.

Straight white ammonia mixed with warm water in a 10-20% solution will remove stubborn residue on the exterior of your unit. Everybody smoked in the 50's, 60's and 70's- nicotine residue can be difficult to remove.
Never use rubbing or alcohols however as it can ruin the glossy finish of plastics.

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Warnings

Make sure all components of your stereo are unplugged from power. Do not touch the capacitor(s) unless you know they are discharged.

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Contact cleaner is highly flammable and should not be used near open flames, lit cigarettes, or extreme heat sources.

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The instructions above should only be used for cleaning transistor-based equipment, not vacuum tube-based equipment. Vacuum tubes can hold a lethal electrical charge for months after being unplugged and should be serviced by professionals only.

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Things You'll Need

Stereo equipment
Screwdriver
Compressed air
Contact cleaner
Cloth
All-purpose cleaner

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How to Clean Vintage Stereo Equipment: Step-by-Step Guide

Things You Should Know

Steps

Choosing a Cleaner

Cleaning the Equipment

Community Q&A

Video

Tips

Tips from our Readers

Warnings

Things You'll Need

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