Joe417 wrote:
Depends on how clean you want to get it and how dirty it is before you start.
Air will blow most of it out. A brush is usually required to loosen the stubborn dirt. But even a little cleaning will help if it's real dirty.
If compressed air damages anything then it was already a bad solder joint.
If you do use a brush you need to be reasonable but something like a paint brush should be soft enough.
I don't recommend it for most but you can wash circuit boards.
I washed one with water and soap a couple of years ago when cooking oil spilled in it.
You just have to dry it good before powering it back up. Depending on requirements, manufacturers routinely wash electronic assemblies especially on high reliability and many military products.
LOL, that brings back memories! I used to clean circuit boards from aviation electronics that had been submerged during floods or crashes. 409 makes gold contacts shine like jewelry!
FWIW, washing is fine but it's best not to soak things like transformers, inductors, potentiometers or anything that can absorb water.
Placing the board in an oven, pre-heated to around 130~150 degrees and then turned off as you put the board inside will dry everything out safely as it slowly cools down.
