Oh golly, a cleaning carts question...

[King Atari]

This is gonna sound stupid, but I'm King Atari, so it's okay:

 

Ever buy carts with that nasty sticker residue on the back? If I were to go over that with rubbing alcohol a few times, then wipe it off with water, and place it in a stack of carts, would the alcohol somehow hurt the label on the cart behind it? I know it's a dumb question, but I worry about this kind of stuff.

[+-^CrossBow^-]

Just wipe the excess liquid off really well. Then make sure the carts are totally dry before you put them back in with your collection.

 

I actually use something even stronger. It is called De-Solv-It. And cost a few buck at Wal-Mart. Citrus acid based cleanser. Good good stuff. Don't get it on the labels however, or you'll end up with a white label in the end.

[Pitfall Harry]

It's pretty unlikely. Alcohol evaporates very quickly. Also, almost all cartridges have their labels recessed so they don't touch flat against the backside of another cartridge which is stacked on top of it.

 

If you're paranoid, you could (and should) give the cart a quick wipe with fresh water after cleaning it with alcohol. Then towel dry it before putting it back with the rest of your carts.

 

Ben

[King Atari]

Hmmm, I've done pretty well then. After using regular rubbing alcohol, I went over it with water once or twice, then wiped it with a napkin, it was definitely dry. Do these rules apply to other carts as well, such as Genesis or NES, since I've done the same thing with them?

[+-^CrossBow^-]

Well...pretty much those rules apply to all game carts I would think. However, it can be said that I don't know what Nintendo puts on their labels...but man, they are able to stand up to the De Solv it I mentioned earlier. Alcohol doesn't phase their labels either. Must be all that hi-gloss clear coat..heheh..

[King Atari]

Okay, I think I'm doing everything right: Clean with alcohol, wipe with water, dry well, done. Thanks for your help guys, I'll be able to sleep easy tonight !

[Room 34]

The best thing to get rid of sticker residue is Goo Gone. I couldn't find any in my last trip to Wal-Mart so I got this stuff in a little metal can called "Oops!" instead. It seems more synthetic toxin-based than Goo Gone, but with enough ventilation it seems safe to use.

 

It gets rid of ANYTHING. It's great on sticker residue, crayon, even 20-year-old permanent marker! It can even be used on SOME labels (if they're coated heavily enough) without any damage.

 

If you're just removing residue from plastic, Oops! works great. On labels, be a little careful. I used it to remove my initials written with a permanent marker back in the '80s. It took the marker off Pac-Man and Yars' Revenge no problem, but it removed the print from the labels on Berzerk and Space Invaders. It works great on the text-style labels, though, since they have a plastic coating.

[KAZ]

If it is the back of the cartridge and NOT the front, go to town on it with Goo-Gone like room34 says.

 

That gets off almost anything, no lie!

 

It works like a dream on pricetags, this is the area it shines at.

 

Don't you hate it when you try to take one off the "regular" way. If you do it really slowly, you might not leave any sticky gunk behind, do it wrong tho, and you may NEVER get the rest of it off.

 

With Goo Gone, it seems to dry the sticky part out completely, and it almost cakes off right before your eyes.

 

Yes, this is the Truman Show.

[King Atari]

quote:

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Don't you hate it when you try to take one off the "regular" way. If you do it really slowly, you might not leave any sticky gunk behind, do it wrong tho, and you may NEVER get the rest of it off.

 

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That's the problem I have with my Funco. They put these stickers over the end labels, and half the time they come off perfect, the other half I have a big blotch on the end of the cart.