Contact cleaner

Contact-cleaner, also known as switch-cleaner, is a term for a chemical, or a mixture of chemicals, intended to remove or prevent the build-up of oxides or other unwanted substances on the conductive surfaces of connectors, switches, and other electronic components with moving surface-contacts, and thus reduce the contact resistance encountered.^[1][2][3] The use of contact cleaner can help to minimize the wetting current across a pair of contacts.^[4]

An example of a simple contact-cleaner is isopropyl alcohol^{[scientific citation needed]}.^[5][2]

Some contact-cleaners are designed to evaporate completely and rapidly, leaving no residue.^[6][7] Others may contain lubricants.^[8][9] Lubricants themselves should not necessarily be used as contact cleaners, especially if they are designed to leave an unsuitable residue.^[10] However, appropriate lubricants may work well as contact cleaners.^[11]