Flux remover

[Hobbyist]

I like to use full-strength isopropol alcohol with acid brushes.  They are cheap and hold the fluid really well.  You can do a google search for "ATD 8235 ".

A good cleaning and a shot of conformal coating can make a nice presentation.

[R O Tiree]

I think you're right, Mike - a lot of different recipes out there. Some leave no oily residue, others seems to do so.

[greaser_au]

Isopropyl alcohol and a stiff brush was usually the weapon of choice  for  the first clean.   For final clean a  vapour phase cleaner is commonly used - a CFC was the solvent (this is before they were outlawed). Tri-nu (triclorethylene) was tested, but that just melted all the plastic parts.

I've used dichloromethane as solvent for cleaning boards by hand - but that is horrible stuff. Now also hard to get.

I suggest using either IPA or a commercially available PCB cleaner.  hold the board upright, solder side towards your scrubbing hand,  edge down. Initially wet a stiff brush and the board with the solvent & scrub to remove the hard stuff - this will leave a residue of sticky mess behind (if you use vero or protoboard it will get on the topside too )  Then flush with clean IPA/solvent and a clean(ed) brush.  I wash the dirty liquid into absorbent paper towels, but you can also use a shallow tray, and pour some solvent in as a 'wash trough' - it all depends  how clean is 'clean enough'

david

[Jdansti]

Isopropanol and a brush for me.  90% works better than 70%.

Watch out for methanol. Use eye and respiratory protection and use gloves.  It's much more toxic than isopropanol. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methanol#Toxicity

General chemical hygiene:
Wash your hands after handling any chemicals including solder and flux.  Don't eat, drink, or smoke while soldering or working with chemicals.  Wash your hands before going to the bathroom (and after ). You'll know pretty quickly if you get ferric chloride on your pecker. 

[J0K3RX]

I really don't see any reason to clean "no-clean" fluxes from most if not all stompbox PCB's unless you are pouring it on like pancake syrup?   Conformal coatings, why?  What a pain in the @ss!
Good read
http://www.assemblymag.com/articles/84286-why-clean-no-clean

If you want really shiny beautiful solder then use pure core! It doesn't cost that much and even if it does cost a little more than what you are using, you don't have to waste time and money on cleaners and scrubbing boards... just a little water and a paper towel and about 1 minute of your time and you will have shiny diamond like solder!
http://www.hisco.com/products/view/Soldering-Desoldering/Solder,-Wire/Water-Soluble/Alpha_W_30

btw - Trichloroethylene "triclor" is a cat 2 carcinogen (may cause cancer) and yes it "was" used to clean circuit boards years ago.
http://www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/hlthef/tri-ethy.html

ferric chloride on the pecker sounds like a pain in the dick

[igor12]

91% alcohol.  Denatured Alcohol works well also.  I let the board soak in it for an hour.  At work we have ultrasonic cleaner.  That works pretty good also.  Harbor freight has them cheap.  I bet hot water mixed with comet would work well also.

[Kipper4]

comet?
what is that please?

[greaser_au]

comet?
what is that please?

Kipper4, 

We (UK and Aussies) would probably call it  Ajax...

david

[Kipper4]

Gottya
thanks
elbow grease and an abrasive surface cleaner then lol

[greaser_au]

I really don't see any reason to clean "no-clean" fluxes from most if not all stompbox PCB's unless you are pouring it on like pancake syrup?  Conformal coatings, why?  What a pain in the @ss!

Agreed, hand made stompboxes are probably not a candidate for mandatory cleaning in any event, but it is a must for proper production-line QA.  And when machine soldering (in all but 100% surface mount where the flux is in the paste), we did apply flux like pancake syrup!    It's been over 20 years since I last racked a board, and I still clearly remember what that liquid flux and it's thinners smells like (it arrived in 5 litre bottles!).

I do like to see a nice clean board, though,  I think it shows care.  

Most stuff we made was conformal coated to protect it from humidity and airborne contaminants. I still do it for some things I build at home - I built an electric fence charger board a while back, it was intended to live outside in a sealed bucket,  I shot a coat of acrylic lacquer! Couldn't see myself doing it  for a stompbox (unless I had something to hide of course, then I'd use a nice thick black epoxy!!!)...

david

[davent]

Better living through chemistry?

Once the flux hardens it will pop off if encouraged with a hard, pointy object, no fumes, no residue, no shredded or saturated paper towel just a little bit of flakey flux dust to dry brush away.