True cleaning of bronze contacts/surfaces ?

[Externet]

Hi.

There is several contact cleaners on the market, but none I have seen truly restores bronze/brass surfaces as factory new.

What formulation could you suggest that would leave all surfaces shiny with no deposits, removing surface corrosion to bare metal ?

[chenbeier]

You want to clean electronical parts like the multiswitch on the picture? 

https://www.electrolube.com/blog/2018/05/22/how-to-clean-electrical-contacts/

[MigL]

You do know that brass is relatively soft and the act of 'wiping' across the socket ( or other ) contact removes any oxidation.
It is usually dirt/grime that prevents this wiping action, and causes bad connections,

Or is this for aesthetic considerations ?

[John Cuthber]

I think those contacts are silver plated (and then tarnished).

 

[Externet]

Thanks, gentlemen.

Switches similar to that pictured one, not silver plated are intermittent and totally blackened with tarnish. Not about aesthetics.  Commercial  products usually work at the contact points when they are exersized while wet with the cleaner,  but the rest and crevices stay corroded unless brushed which is risky to wipe/brush because of fragility of unobtanium replacements.

Besides commercial cleaners, seen suggested  warm ammonia, lemon juice+baking powder,  salt+vinegar...  Am looking for something that will avoid wiping/brushing that you may suggest.  For my scuba equipment, I used diluted formic acid leaving everything super clean just by wetting a couple of minutes.   Something 'magic' that will work like that would be great.

 

[StringJunky]

24 minutes ago, Externet said:

Thanks, gentlemen.

Switches similar to that pictured one, not silver plated are intermittent and totally blackened with tarnish. Not about aesthetics.  Commercial  products usually work at the contact points when they are exersized while wet with the cleaner,  but the rest and crevices stay corroded unless brushed which is risky to wipe/brush because of fragility of unobtanium replacements.

Besides commercial cleaners, seen suggested  warm ammonia, lemon juice+baking powder,  salt+vinegar...  Am looking for something that will avoid wiping/brushing that you may suggest.  For my scuba equipment, I used diluted formic acid leaving everything super clean just by wetting a couple of minutes.   Something 'magic' that will work like that would be great.

 

Try erasers on pencils cut to the optimum shape, then clean with isopropyl alcohol-soaked cotton tips to remove eraser residue off contact surfaces.

Edited December 30, 2018 by StringJunky

[John Cuthber]

Given that 

silver tarnishes + turns black and these are

"

23 hours ago, Externet said:

totally blackened with tarnish

and that wafer switches are commonly silvered, how sure are you that they are 

 

23 hours ago, Externet said:

not silver plated

?