Cartridge Cleaning

=Cleaning Atari 2600 cartridges

Atari 2600 cartridges come in many shapes and sizes. Atari had no way of locking out 3rd party developers and thus each publisher seemed to have their own cartridge shell. That should not be an issue as the all clean up the same way.

==Items Needed

• cotton swabs
• 99% Isopropyl Alcohol (if not go for as high of a percentage as you can get.)
• tooth pick or paper clip
• Optional eraser
• Optional Brasso

==Directions

• • Step One: ** Check to see if the cart has exposed pins. If they are proceed to step two. If not the Atari branded or Telegames Cartridges have a plastic dust shield that hides the pins until the are I served into the console. You need to put slight pressure on the bottom dust protector and wedge the toothpick or paper clip into one of the two slit like holes on either side of the dust protector if done while slight pressure is applied it should depress the dust protector do the other side until you can push the dust protector all the way back. Then hold it there and proceed to step two.

• • Step Two: ** Take the alcohol and wet one end of the cotton swab. Apply moderate pressure with the wet end on the exposed pins and move it quickly from side to side then like a toothbrush back and forth quickly on the pins flip the cart over and do the same with the pins on the other side. Once done take the dry end and do a once over to quickly dry and soak up any excess alcohol on the pins. Then proceed to the next step.

• • Step Three: ** test the cartridge in a 2600 does it start right away and is glitch free then you are done if not repeat step two once it is playable you should be done if not playable more intense and possibly damaging methods can be used as such they should only be used if the first method fails.

• • Step Four Optional possibly damaging use at your own risk** you can get an eraser and cut half of one end out sanwich style so you have an flat eraser nub on one end. Place the flat end in between the pins and the cartridge case while applying moderatw pressure on the pins move the eraser back and forth and up and down quickly on the pins on each side then take a dry cotton swab and make sure all debree is wiped clean from the cartridge and go to Step Threw