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So whilst having a bit of a pedalboard rearrange earlier I realised what an absolute state my pedals are in and I've never found a decent way to clean them. I'm not trying to get an immaculate TGP praise & worship board (my Gator pedal tote and lead spaghetti wouldn't pass muster anyway) but my pedals are all covered in several years of accumulated dust and gak and I have a slight urge to do something about it, especially with the higher-end stuff - I like to think people wouldn't drop £200 on a jacket or something then just leave it screwed up on the floor gathering dust when they're not wearing it... What do you all use for keeping your pedals ship-shape?

I asked about this a year ago and the best suggestion was just use a little kids paintbrush.

Summation of this older thread is: soft paintbrush? (lostinmusic beat me 2 it )

But yeah, I keep 'em covered when not in use & wipe any excess dirtiness with a low dilution of rubbing alcohol on a clean cotton rag (better for hi-manufactured pedals, less so for the non-to-less clearcoated stuff), or clorox wipes for bigger messes (you'll know it when you see it).

I'm pro-canned air in small amounts, but never any de-oxit (love and its opposite). But an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of de-oxit, any day.

I've used baby wipes, clorox wipes and cotton swaps. I've also used alcohol on ones that were horribly disgusting from ILF members that are horribly disgusting.


I liked Jean's leaf blower idea.

Kitchen surface cleaner, nothing containing bleach though.

More for keeping your pedals clean than cleaning them but I use this on everything, it rules.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail ... aning-tool

My go to is: Blow of surface dust with compressed air, and then wipe 'em down with an t-shirt or rag. If more cleaning required, I carefully use warm soapy water.

For dust and stuff, I use a microfiber cloth meant for cleaning eyeglasses.

If there's spilled beer etc, I use a slightly damp washcloth if I think it won't mess up the decals etc.

I’ve had rubbing alcohol remove some finishes on commercial products but I used it at full strength - anything with a silkscreen that may be already scratched is a good indication you might want to stay away from alcohol and definitely avoid it on vintage things. Pedals with epoxy based screen prints are fine but it can be difficult to know or be able to tell.

I would go with what Jero said. And I’ve used a tooth brush with much success for very grime ridden pedals.

...eye glass cleaner cloth and a strong lung.

DannDubbleEwe wrote:I’ve had rubbing alcohol remove some finishes on commercial products but I used it at full strength - anything with a silkscreen that may be already scratched is a good indication you might want to stay away from alcohol and definitely avoid it on vintage things. Pedals with epoxy based screen prints are fine but it can be difficult to know or be able to tell.

I would go with what Jero said. And I’ve used a tooth brush with much success for very grime ridden pedals.

Yes, same — rubbed off part of the silkscreen on a Freeze. Probably means all production EHX pedals would be the same.

Get a load of you pansies acting like you're too good for saliva and cotton balls.





....but seriously I prefer green wipes for light to moderate cleaning. You can use them on pedals, your computer keyboard, cell phone, et cetera. Dampness can be inconsistent, so sometimes you need to wring them out before cleaning some surfaces. I would advise against using these on vintage wood furniture. I once cleaned an end table that wasn't sealed and it took away some color. I've used them on hundreds of pedals, though, and never faded any paint or peeled off any labeling. (EQD magic marker serial #s can be rubbed off easily though)

spacelordmother wrote:

DannDubbleEwe wrote:I’ve had rubbing alcohol remove some finishes on commercial products but I used it at full strength - anything with a silkscreen that may be already scratched is a good indication you might want to stay away from alcohol and definitely avoid it on vintage things. Pedals with epoxy based screen prints are fine but it can be difficult to know or be able to tell.

I would go with what Jero said. And I’ve used a tooth brush with much success for very grime ridden pedals.

Yes, same — rubbed off part of the silkscreen on a Freeze. Probably means all production EHX pedals would be the same.

EHX silkscreens can be crap, IME. I've seen scotch tape pull them off...but that can be nice if you don't like the graphic

echorec wrote:Get a load of you pansies acting like you're too good for saliva and cotton balls.

Maybe some of us suffer from sidonglobophobia