Is it safe to clean a DCC throttle with Chlorox wipes? I just got over the flu and I was running trains the night it hit me, so wiping the throttle down with some kind of disinfectant seems prudent.
Modeling the Pennsylvania Railroad in N Scale.
www.prr-nscale.blogspot.com
Just so long as it is not powered when you do, I don't see why not.
I clean computer keyboards and mouse, along with cordless phones with them all the time, without causing damage to them.
Why should a DCC throttle be any different?
Now, I will sit back and watch as 30 people all scream "NOoooooo" loudly and point out why I am wrong......
Ricky W.
HO scale Proto-freelancer.
My Railroad rules:
1: It's my railroad, my rules.
2: It's for having fun and enjoyment.
3: Any objections, consult above rules.
ricktrains4824Now, I will sit back and watch as 30 people all scream "NOoooooo" loudly and point out why I am wrong...
You don't want to use any material that crazes the plastic or softens rubber, that causes any lettering on case or buttons to dissolve or flake off, or that gets into cracks and either sticks things up or starts corroding parts inside.
I personally would use alcohol wipes (91% or better) for disinfection; that's the approach my wife's company uses for telephones, keyboards and mice, and similar personal-contact items. Hand sanitizer has a gellant that leaves residue where you won't want it, so I don't advise it unless you're very careful. But be sure to check your documentation, or with your manufacturer, as to what to use.
The 'second-best' approach would be to get something with quarternary ammonium salt detergents, in fairly strong concentration, and then dilute this to recommended 'antibacterial' strength. Then use clean water to rinse any remaining film off the surface after it's sat on there a bit post-application. Many products recommend up to 10 minutes 'wet on the surface' for adequate disinfection at "commercial dilution" -- who has the time to wait that long?
I wouldn't recommend anything with Clorox (hypochlorite) around contacts or electronics. And, whatever you do, do not use a Simple Green product!
Yes, clean it with the power off, preferably unplugged with any backup batteries removed or disabled ... and do not reconnect it until THOROUGHLY dry. That usually takes hours longer than you think. I'd almost recommend the 'baggie full of rice' trick for overnight just to be certain...
Your flu Germs should be long gone after 48 hours. Read your manual about cleaning the controller if it is dirty.
Clorox wipes probably have bleach in them and would not be my first choice.
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
I would unplug them and wipe them with a cotton swab saturated with sodium or potassium meta-bisulphite. Did I say saturated? Yes, but not dripping wet...squeezed forcefully first in order to prevent any drippings while you wipe the surface.
I would invert the throttle so that the buttons face the floor, button surface parallel to the floor. Wipe the cotton ball all over what can be wiped, and then let the item air dry. That process should disinfect for spores, bacteria, and viruses.
Or, isopropyl alcohol would do nicely as suggested. I mentioned the other because I routinely have both in the house. I have begun to use a CPAP machine which needs periodic 'maintenance', cleansing and disinfecting of the nose tube and nose mask being the aim. I don't believe the alcohol would be good for the mask material.
You could wash or use a a hand sanitizer on your hands rather than the controller.
As noted by others, Clorox is a corrosive.
Ammonium compounds are used to clean the copper out of gun barrels and can errode the steel. Not sure that is a good choice for electronics either.
Simple green can be corrosive to aluminium, what is the concern with electronics.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
Clorox wipes do NOT contain bleach - who would want to use a wipe in their hand that was saturated in bleach? There's a slight amount of two kinds of disinfect and 99% "inactive ingredients" which is mostly water. I clean my computer screens, keyboard, and mouse with them all the time.
Alcohol is better though. It evaorates faster and kills the nasties just as good as any of that funky chemical stuff - at least if you use 91%.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
OvermodI personally would use alcohol wipes (91% or better) for disinfection;
I don't think I'd want to use 91%, since we use that concentration to remove paint. If anything, use 70%.
You can't beat the price.......and they work:
https://www.walgreens.com/store/c/walgreens-alcohol-prep-pads-sterile/ID=prod6223050-product?ext=gooPLA_-_Health_Care&pla&adtype=pla&kpid=sku6194672&sst=d502f552-9998-4ca3-bb4f-2b3a211bb24f
Take Care!
Frank
NCE dealer recommemded wiping with alchol to me.
Good luck,
Richard
BATMAN Your flu Germs should be long gone after 48 hours. Read your manual about cleaning the controller if it is dirty. Clorox wipes probably have bleach in them and would not be my first choice.
Not even that long. Flu can barely survive outside of a host. Like less than a day. Studies indicate on soft surfaces, it might only survive 15 minutes.
NittanyLionNot even that long. Flu can barely survive outside of a host.
This is correct, and although it can survive longer in droplets of body fluid or in biofilms, it doesn't last long without host cells to hijack. Concern with 'disinfecting' things a day or two later (or indeed, if the throttle is dry inside and out for very long) wouldn't apply to the flu, or in fact a range of viral diseases. There's a range of other pathogens of concern, including several that might be involved in hand-to-throttle contamination, and it may make sense to 'know the prophylaxis' for future operating sessions.