Cleaning and storing your cartridges (methods, etc.)

[Pepe_el_mago]

Hi guys, i collect mainly cartridges from NES, SNES and N64, and this is my story.
I started cleaning all my games with brasso (later i discovered that is no good for the pins of the cartridges, and they look so clean after finishing because you have removed all the gold layer from the top, wich prevents corrotion). After i learned this, I stopped using this method and started cleaning with a white rubber and isopropyl alcohol. The thing is, i am really worried because i cleaned all my games with brasso first, leaving them shining silver. I have 2 questions:

1. Are my games doomed to be corroded and stop working? Im really worried because i love my collection and have put a lot of money on it.

2. I started making boxes with VHS cases (in my country i cant buy universal cases), and the work fine, but my cartridge is exposed to carton (in the inside of the boxes). Could there be any risk if the games are directly exposed to carton? (and maybe solidified liquid silicone, i used that to paste de carton). I have also made "dust covers" for most of my games of carton. Is there any risk in this?

Im really worried and i would appreciate an answer from someone who knows of this things.

Thanks a lot, loving the forums.

[Pepe_el_mago]

By carton I mean cartuline (blue) that we use in school.

[wiggy]

I have no idea what cartuline is and I don't see anything useful when googling it

If you want them to last a long time and have worn away some of the contact material, then I would suggest applying a thin coat of dielectric grease to the contacts to prevent further corrosion and place them in air-tight containers (UGCs are good enough to keep air from moving around, and I imagine VHS cases would work equally well) along with something to absorb moisture such as a silica gel packet.  I would avoid using paper products to protect and cover the games.

[Ozzy_98]

I think he means cerulean, betting a non-English speaker who did every good English who had one spot that didn't convey every well.

[Pepe_el_mago]

I have no idea what cartuline is and I don't see anything useful when googling it

If you want them to last a long time and have worn away some of the contact material, then I would suggest applying a thin coat of dielectric grease to the contacts to prevent further corrosion and place them in air-tight containers (UGCs are good enough to keep air from moving around, and I imagine VHS cases would work equally well) along with something to absorb moisture such as a silica gel packet.  I would avoid using paper products to protect and cover the games.

do you think paper products to rotect the games are bad? why?

[wiggy]

They can contain corrosive acids (non-archival) and don't do a very good job of preventing moisture from reaching you games.

[Pepe_el_mago]

I use black cardstock to line the walls of the case, and i make a "dust cover" made of blue cardstock for my games, to protect the pins from dust. I would like to know if this is dangerous.  And what about the removal of gold plating? did I screw up? I would like to upload photos of this but I don't know how (file too big).
Please help me, thanks a lot!

[kingjohn3]

here's a dumb question...would putting a clear tape over the end keep air out enough? not on the contacts themselves but I was thinking clean contacts, let them dry if needed and then put tape over the opening. Oooor do I not know enough about electronics? There's always that

[e_brugal]

i use brasso to clean my contacts too, but i never clean them so hard to remove the gold layer. when the dirt is out clean any brasso left and then clean again with  isopropyl alcohol

[wiggy]

here's a dumb question...would putting a clear tape over the end keep air out enough? not on the contacts themselves but I was thinking clean contacts, let them dry if needed and then put tape over the opening. Oooor do I not know enough about electronics? There's always that

Yeah, that'll do the job, but I think you'd be better off just casing the carts or buying plastic dust sleeves to be honest.

[sheep2001]

here's a dumb question...would putting a clear tape over the end keep air out enough? not on the contacts themselves but I was thinking clean contacts, let them dry if needed and then put tape over the opening. Oooor do I not know enough about electronics? There's always that

I wouldn't.  You'll seal in any humidity - could cause corrosion, depending on the cart.

[kingjohn3]

What about just storing at room temperature for long period of time? Can games be damaged simply by sitting on a shelf provided environment is suitable (air is dry, out of sunlight, etc)

[sheep2001]

Carts are pretty robust, bearing in mind people have stored them in dusty attics and cellars, sometimes for decades, and they usually still work fine after a clean up, I would say, a well ventilated room at ambient temperature, there isn't going to be much to worry about.

[kingjohn3]

Carts are pretty robust, bearing in mind people have stored them in dusty attics and cellars, sometimes for decades, and they usually still work fine after a clean up, I would say, a well ventilated room at ambient temperature, there isn't going to be much to worry about.

sweet. Thanks for the tip. Any idea if storing them flat or on their side is better?

[sheep2001]

Well, I have no scientific proof, but I would store then with the opening down, to minimize the amount of dust that can settle in there