Clean your PCB board?

• touchmonkey

  Posts 14

  Joined: Jan 23rd, '14, 15:00

  Jun 17th, '14, 15:21

  Hi,
  I'm fairly new at this and was wondering if people clean the flux off the pcb board when they're done?
  I've been researching this and it seems as though there are both opinions out there so wondered how some of you more experienced folks approach this? Is it necessary?
  
  I'm using Kester rosin core solder 63/37 which states it doesn't need to be cleaned but seems as though some people feel it should always be done.
  thanks.

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lfo2vco

Posts 85

Joined: Jan 4th, '14, 21:07

Jun 17th, '14, 18:52

Indeed, I use a big bottle of Isopropyl Alcohol. The board is liberally swabbed down using lint free cloths, taking care not to get the Alcohol in any pots and switches. Rather than leaving all the cleaning up to the end (which is a chore), I cleaned up after each session. Then once over again at the end.

I have heard that modern lead free solders are quite acidic, indeed the tip on an old soldering iron was eaten away in one session (modern tips are more robust). I think this alone makes it worth cleaning up your boards, imagine what that residue will do to the components over time.

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