I do pretty much the same thing for computers from smokers homes that come into mine, but with one difference, I trash any machine from a smokers home unless it's something I'm looking for, rare, or unique.

For the ones I do clean I tear them completely apart giving all parts a good wash with dish detergent, followed by blowing drops of water out crevices on both PCB(s) and chassis parts with an air compressor. I then wipe down chassis parts with windex and reassemble. Systems usually look a lot and smell much better after that, but not prefect.

The things I avoid washing are PSUs since they are dangerous and usually easily replaceable and very rare/desirable parts.

What kind of system do you have?

this is a powermac g3 , and no I'm not going to be replacing it or any of it's components , just need advice on cleaning the electrical parts

I washed a few psus with no problems. Just make sure that everything is dry and run it without anything valuable plugged on it to test them. I once had a smoker's PC and it took a long time after the day I washed it before the smell was gone. Speaking of PSUs, on these machines, they must be the most nasty and smelly things in those PCs. You won't make the smell to go away without cleaning them

Deksor wrote:

I washed a few psus with no problems. Just make sure that everything is dry and run it without anything valuable plugged on it to test them. I once had a smoker's PC and it took a long time after the day I washed it before the smell was gone. Speaking of PSUs, on these machines, they must be the most nasty and smelly things in those PCs. You won't make the smell to go away without cleaning them

So should I just remove the power supplys pcb and wash it with soap and water?

I also agree that the power supply , and the cd and zip drive are going to harbor much of the smell inside them

emosun wrote:

I recently bought a powermac that came out of a smokers home. This machine reeks soo badly of cigarettes that I decide to take it completely apart and wash every single part before I allow it in my own house which is cigarette free.

Cleaning the plastic panels and metal chassis was very easy with simple soap and water and they smell 100% smoke free. But now I have to clean the electronics. I do know that sometimes you can simply wash a motherboard but I'm wondering if that's my only option. I also have to clean the proprietary power supply as well.

How is "smelly" the same as "damaged"?

kanecvr wrote:

How is "smelly" the same as "damaged"?

Smoke damage is physcial damage that is caused from the smoke created by a fire but not the fire itself.

So yes weather it's smoke damage from a house fire , or smoke damage from excessive cigarettes , if the machine is coated in a thick layer of smoke byproducts it's very much considered damaged and in need of repair to return it to how it previously was.

What I would do as an insane person is douse it all in high concentration Isopropyl Alcohol as it's non conductive, and the high concentration stuff doesn't leave a conductive film.

You can use like a dishwasher or something among those line, provided you dry it all very well, and you remove whatever batteries from it. Look at Techmoan's video on washing a Macintosh SE motherboard.

If you have a lot of time, get some paper towels, like 500 Q-Tips, and just start corner by corner, edge by edge going at it with the IPA (Not the beer). This is probably the cheapest and safest option.

Ampera wrote:

What I would do as an insane person is douse it all in high concentration Isopropyl Alcohol as it's non conductive, and the high concentration stuff doesn't leave a conductive film.

You can use like a dishwasher or something among those line, provided you dry it all very well, and you remove whatever batteries from it. Look at Techmoan's video on washing a Macintosh SE motherboard.

If you have a lot of time, get some paper towels, like 500 Q-Tips, and just start corner by corner, edge by edge going at it with the IPA (Not the beer). This is probably the cheapest and safest option.

91% or higher Isopropyl is great for cleaning crap like this off.

Just stick it in a spray bottle and douse it.

Let it sit for a bit to loosen up and then rinse it off with more alchohol.

Repeat until rinsing it produces clear runoff.

I won't put something that nasty in the dishwasher where I usualy put my dish though

I clean this stuff with a shower and soap and while it's in the water flow, I brush it to remove the dust that is stuck on the board

Stop it.

WD-40 is one of the most powerful names in the world, head to head with coca-cola. Only 3 people know its formula.
You encounter it in every corner of the world. However it seems people are afraid of the propaganda or cliché.
Also, it will totally remove the humidity from your parts and endows protection against rust.

And really, man. They are right about the PSU.
Clean it up at some open environment using compressed air, hold your breath and immediately run to the hills.
You want advice ? I give you this advice. Not even kidding here.
Once I got sick for one whole day cause I didn't believe dust or whatever was that could do that to me.

Don't even think about cleaning electronics with WD-40. It's not meant for that. WD-40 is for mechanical parts, metall, current switches etc. - not for electronical parts. Also, it will leave a thin film of oil, which is something you certainly don't want on a pcb. Oh, and it smells like hell, so for this particular problem, it's not a solution anyway. 😉

Believe it or not, folks, we are in the presence of a myth here.
WD-40 is free from silicone. No grease aspect at all and it is not conductive.

I will take the blows, no problem, but call stands - I use WD-40 and it never gave me a single issue.
The contrary. It's only been a friend and a outstanding cleaner.

Great aspect for your parts and yes, a thin protection (no oil).
Cigarettes stinks, not these type of products and you guys know it.

Any further questions ? Just ask. 😈

WD-40 has a tendency to melt various amorphous plastics like ABS, Polycarbonate, and PVC. The first one is fairly bad as most of those plastics, as well as various case and bezel elements tend to be ABS.

It IS grease, consisting mostly of a material akin to kerosene. It will leave a grease layer, and it won't come off easily as it's designed to repel water (That's why it has the grease in it). It does stink, and it is not intended as a household cleaner.

Isopropynol is the best way to go. It doesn't melt hard or soft plastics, it doesn't leave a smell (The desired goal), it's non conductive, it doesn't leave a combustable/flammable residue, and it will get rid of almost everything remotely considered dirt or crap.