Best way to clean controllers back to factory fresh condition?

[austin532 | 467]

So this is something I feel not a lot of people talk about but if you have any experience doing so, what is the best way to clean controllers so that they feel factory fresh again? Overtime I've noticed controllers tend to adapt this oily feeling from using it for several years. I think it's just a natural thing as the oil from our hands sticks to them overtime. Even though I make sure my hands are super clean before using one, it's something we can't avoid.

I've tried using dish soap and warm water and while it does make it feel clean, after a couple days the feeling just comes back. I've seen some people use de-greasers with ultrasonic cleaners and I'm wondering if that would help?

And yes, I understand that controllers wear down. The texture rubs off and the plastic becomes smooth and shiny, the rubber membranes start to soften up, the sticks become looser, etc. but if there is a way to get them to 90% factory fresh, I'm all for it.

[Tulpa | 3,493]

The membranes/rubber you can replace, as there are several OEM-quality ones out there. You can probably refurbish any that are torn with a small dab of silicone.

Other than that, I generally give mine a good alcohol cleaning on the contact pads and the buttons/receptacles. 

[austin532 | 467]

Right, you can easily clean the board using iso, you can tighten the membranes slightly by boiling them, and you can lube up the sticks. The hard part though is getting the shell and buttons to feel clean again.

[O.G. CIB | 415]

2 hours ago, austin532 said:

So this is something I feel not a lot of people talk about but if you have any experience doing so, what is the best way to clean controllers so that they feel factory fresh again? Overtime I've noticed controllers tend to adapt this oily feeling from using it for several years. I think it's just a natural thing as the oil from our hands sticks to them overtime. Even though I make sure my hands are super clean before using one, it's something we can't avoid.

I've tried using dish soap and warm water and while it does make it feel clean, after a couple days the feeling just comes back. I've seen some people use de-greasers with ultrasonic cleaners and I'm wondering if that would help?

And yes, I understand that controllers wear down. The texture rubs off and the plastic becomes smooth and shiny, the rubber membranes start to soften up, the sticks become looser, etc. but if there is a way to get them to 90% factory fresh, I'm all for it.

I think you may be after the impossible with this one for all the reasons you stated. There is nothing you can do to combat the oil in your hands after even one use. What I have done over the years is clean the controllers after each use which is a pain. I display my controllers so I clean them after to put them back on the shelf. 

[austin532 | 467]

My gut tells me no so that's why I asked if there "was" a way. The only other thing I can think of is get some extremely fine 3000 grit sandpaper or magic eraser to help remove a very fine layer but I'm not doing that.

[drxandy | 3,225]

Naw can't get back to factory but you can do as much as you can to get it nice. Get a couple new sealed controls and treat yo selllllf.

[portabello | 99]

I’ve used a small amount of baking soda and warm water before. It’s just the slightest bit of abrasion to remove grime and make them feel new. Works for me anyway.

[austin532 | 467]

7 hours ago, drxandy said:

Naw can't get back to factory but you can do as much as you can to get it nice. Get a couple new sealed controls and treat yo selllllf.

I was planning to do that anyway.

[austin532 | 467]

So I decided to give it the old college try with this PS2 controller. After several hours of Dawn Ultra soap, hot water, and magic eraser (gasp) it does "look" cleaner.....for now. Not sure how noticeable this is but here are some before and after shots. The shoulder buttons look alot nicer and went back to their dull gray color. The shell went from a shiny black to a more dull black as it should be. The face buttons are still a work in progress but those had the most amount of wear so there is only so much you can do.

[drxandy | 3,225]

Dawn ultra is the best! I hate buying other dish soap and getting disappointed it doesn't work worth a cent compared to the good stuff.

I love repairing stuff, how bad are the sticks? I haven't purchased replacement PS2 sticks so i can't comment too much other than would like to find a good source / if other consoles sticks would fit.

[austin532 | 467]

The sticks are fine but the left one is starting to lose it's springiness. Meaning it doesn't snap back to the center as fast as it should. Not sure if it's dirty inside or just wearing out. The rubber caps are starting to lose their texture as well with the left one being more noticeable. I'll probably just swap them for now.

I also cleaned up the rubber membranes as they were shiny on the bottom. You want those to be not shiny so it creates a better connection.

I've never given this controller a deep clean like this so this is the cleanest it's been since I opened the sealed package 6-7 years ago.

[drxandy | 3,225]

Maybe try cleaning the stick box with 91% or higher isopropyl alcohol.  I would soak a qtip and get in the gear box as good as you can, they can gunk up with hair and dust. 91 or higher will evaporate quick enough that it's ok if it's a little juicy in a case like this.  If it's traveling too much I know there are replacement stick boxes but not sure on quality.. unless stock is trashed replacing isn't always the best choice.

[austin532 | 467]

I tried that. I think the spring inside is just worn. Not bad by any means. Just noticeable if you compare it to a new one.

So I put it back together and it is a little bit better. Not 90% but better. We'll see how long the cleanliness last. The face buttons took several hours of soaking and magic eraser but they are no longer oily smooth. Fun fact, the Square button gets pressed the most and not X like you would expect. Makes sense as square was the Action button for most games back then.

[Space Jockey | 20]

I tend to have good luck with alcohol pads on cleaning hard to get grime off controllers.  That and either a toothpick and/or moist q-tip to clean between the gaps in the controllers.  Assuming you don't want to open them up, you get a nice long line of dead skin cells that come off.  I still have the shiny problem though like others have said which doesn't really ever seen to go away due to the grease buildup.

[Tanooki | 4,933]

I just make my own pads using paper towels I rip into strips then fold over into a nice rectangle pads.  That with some 91% isopropyl alcohol for most surfaces, where it's not the right size, I'll take the paper still, but use a flat bit like a screwdriver or tweezer head to get into the cracks, q-tips in small deep spaces for the rest.  That seems to cure anything short of actual hardware degradation or failure, then you're into part and internal contact pad replacements.

[Tekdrudge | 126]

I do a cleanse with soap and water to get the basics off, then I use the cleaner hardly anyone knows about...WD40! After you soak it in WD40 for an hour or so give it another clean up with soap and water. I've restored super grimy controllers this way and it has never failed me.

[austin532 | 467]

That sounds like the worst thing to do. WD-40 is heavily oil based.

[Tanooki | 4,933]

It actually works, and yes it's oily, so you need to clean yet again after to get that off.  I did some research on the stuff recently due to a local careless prick with a truck that sprays paint to refresh horse fences locally.  Dude let the thing splatter all over driving around and made my wifes new Outback (white) look like someone dipped it in cookies n cream.

The best methods I found to get that black paint off the car was: Heavy amount of dawn soap+hot water, if that fails, WD40 (then the wash), and also auto detailers clay block.  I thought the WD40 choice was strange, but I read up and it's actually solid as a choice for cleaning up all sorts of painted, plastics, and other surfaces without causing damage while eating off some really heinous stuff.

[a3quit4s | 4,097]

If you like watching console/controller restorations check out Odd Tinkering on YouTube that dude works magic. 

[austin532 | 467]

I'm guessing the WD-40 trick works is because it's also acid based.

Oddtinkering is entertaining but he doesn't clean systems/controllers as well as I would.

[drxandy | 3,225]

Never would have thought using wd40, thanks yalll

[Tekdrudge | 126]

Yeah, I've been using it for years. I try and spread the word about how good it is when even the topic of cleaners comes up. Most people give you weird looks when you mention using WD40 as a plastics cleaner, but then they thank you later.

[austin532 | 467]

And there is zero harm to the controller afterwards?

[cartman | 195]

In my experience the notion of cleaning the contacts has been overrated it's really always about the rubber membranes under the buttons wearing out. But many controllers are also turds straight from design they have this plastic disc with d-pad directions as opposed to individual arrows on a + design. Genesis, PCE and even xbox360 have this shit going on and they all suck ass accordingly.

[TDIRunner | 2,735]

On 8/27/2020 at 9:19 PM, Tanooki said:

The best methods I found to get that black paint off the car was: Heavy amount of dawn soap+hot water, 

What brand are you using?.  Most dish soaps will eat away at the clear coat on car paint.  I know you were technically putting it on another substance that was on your car paint, but it would be pretty difficult to completely keep it off the car paint.