How to clean a lever switch ?

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I am restoring a tube tester and have an array of single pole 3 position lever switches that are hard to turn and just dirty - its about 50 years old.

I have read online how some have use Deoxit (spray can??) and that has either fixed it or some used too much and caused a short??

What do you suggest and the method you used to clean something similar?

Thanks in advance
Neville
 

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WD-40 works in a pinch, but better cleaners will evaporate completely after washing the oxidation and crud away. Radio Shack used to have good spray contact cleaner, but I haven’t bought any from them in many, many years. If you don’t wish to order from an electronics supply house, try a local electrical supplier. Spray the contacts liberally, and rotate the switch. Wait a short while for the excess to evaporate, and repeat at once or twice.
 
Well, Deoxit is what professionals use here. I have been using the stuff for 30 years, and have yet to find it causing any problems. The stuff is not conductive, and if it ever caused a short, the only way it could do that would be if it flushed out a loose flake of something conductive that then got back into the works.
 
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WD-40 works in a pinch, but better cleaners will evaporate completely after washing the oxidation and crud away. Radio Shack used to have good spray contact cleaner, but I haven’t bought any from them in many, many years. If you don’t wish to order from an electronics supply house, try a local electrical supplier. Spray the contacts liberally, and rotate the switch. Wait a short while for the excess to evaporate, and repeat at once or twice.

"WD" have a new product out specially aimed at this kind of thing,
Electronic Contact Cleaner, Cleaner for Electronics
 
I was about to get Deoxit D5 - was reading up about how non conductive it is but I would need to be really careful to keep it away from the phenolic wafers because they are porous. But now Mooly mentioned a new WD-40 product......I'll look into that as well.

Thank you.
 
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