Cleaning Consoles: Nintendo Nes and Other Video Game Systems

By: DKOldies

Remember that these games have been sitting around collecting dirt for over 20years. When you insert them into your system the metal connectors of the game have to touch the metal connectors in the system. If there is dirt inbetween than there is no connection. You need to remove all the dirt from that game and then it will run like it was in 1985.

Dip a Q-Tip in the rubbing alcohal and rub wet the metal contacts on the dirty cartridge. Then use the dry end of the Q-Tip and rub hard until you remove all the dirt. You may have to do this several time and go through several q-tips until all the dirt is removed. You want to repeat this step until the Q-tip is clean after cleaning. Now that your game is clean we can quickly clean your system using that clean game. Just take the game and put it in the system and remove it. Now clean the game and repeat. Every time you will be taking dirt off the System chip and transfering it to your game to be cleaned. After this you should have no problems. Your system and games shopuld be working fine.

This cleaning trick will work for Nintendo NES games but also Super Nintendo SNES, Nintendo 64 N64, Sega Genesis Games and most other cartridge based games. Check out www.DKOldies.com for more tricks on cleaning your games and systems. We also sell a wide variety of Classic Games with Free Shipping.



  1. Remove the screws on the underside of the system.

  2. Turn the system over and lift off the plastic top.

  3. Remove the screws holding down the metal RF shield and remove the shield.

  4. Remove the screws holding down the black plastic cartridge holder. Note how the small plastic tab on the front of the holder slides underneath the motherboard. Slide the holder forward and remove (it's all right if the motherboard bends slightly).

  5. Lift the back of the motherboard up and pull off the set of contacts in the black plastic housing. (They will resist a bit but just rock them back and forth to slide them off.)

  6. Dip a toothbrush (preferably not yours; use a loved one's) in the cleaning solution and scrub contacts off.

  7. Rinse contacts off with water and allow to dry.

  8. Lift up the back of the motherboard and slide the contacts back into place.

  9. Lift up the front of the motherboard and slide the cartridge holder onto the contacts. Be sure the tab on the front of the holder clips underneath the motherboard.

  10. Reattach the cartridge holder's screws. (The long ones go in the second set of holes from the back.)

  11. Plug in the system and test with clean cartridges. (It's perfectly safe to do so with the top off.)

  12. If the games still won't work, the system contacts may be bent out of shape.

  13. If the system is working properly, replace the cover (you can leave the RF shield off if you like; I won't tell the FCC) and reattach the screws on the bottom.


Love playing your old games but are tired of the Blinking system. Are you always blowing inside your games thinking that will help or are you constantly tapping the side of the console? Use our instructions to keep your games clean, free of dirt and grime and playing to perfection.

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