So, you've acquired some old tech, and it's in dire need of cleaning. What do you do? As I get more into retro technology, I thought it'd be good to have a resource page for that type of information.

There are 3 aspects to cleaning a CRT: The screen, the chassis, and inside the CRT.

First, the screen. Before starting, determine if your screen has any sort of anti-glare coating, or tinting on it. If not, you're probabl0y ok to use Windex. However, I prefer to err on the side of caution. You can generally clean a CRT screen just fine with a dust wand, or a (clean) microfiber cloth and with some water (preferably distilled) on it. However, if you have just a consumer grade TV, then you're probably fine to use like lens/glasses cleaner as well. Just be careful, use soft cloths, and smooth motions.

For the chassis, if you're not disassembling it, then just stick to dusting. However, a better option is to remove the back shell and clean using soap and water or isopropyl alcohol, depending on if it's plastic or metal.

I haven't disassembled a CRT yet, so I can't comment yet on cleaning the internals. But, canned air/air compressor should be safe. If you do this, be sure to discharge properly because you can get killed by these things if you touch the wrong hot spot..

The Consolemods wiki has a great in-depth cleaning guide.

If you are going to discharge your CRT, at least watch this, first.

If you buy cheap batteries, and leave batteries in electronics for years at a time, eventually you will run into battery leakage ruining a remote or something. I don't recommend Costco batteries for this reason, even though I love Costco. It seems to be a really common problem for their brand and I've had it happen several times.

The signs are easy to see. The white, powdery residue is the enemy here. You simply need to remove that powdery stuff so that the batteries can properly connect again.

Worry not, for this is actually easily fixable. Way easier than I ever thought! Just buy some WD-40 Contact Cleaner! All you do is shake it up and blast the battery terminals. Let the excess fluid drain out, let it dry for a few hours, then put your (higher quality) batteries back in. If it still doesn't work, just repeat the cycle a few times. If the battery leakage was the only problem, this method should absolutely work.

Another option that you might already have at home, is something acidic, like white vinegar. This will help dissolve the residue. As long as you can clear all of the residue and powder from the terminals, it will work again. Even Energizer recommends this method.

I was just gonna say blow on it, but that might not actually be correct. Isopropyl alcohol is the way to go. The WD-40 contact cleaner might do the job here, too.

With discs, your problem is probably scratches over dirt and grime. Honestly I've not had this issue too much, I always kept good care of my discs, and mostly play things off hard drives anyway, but check out this Wikihow article.