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TIL I was cleaning flux residue wrong for 6 years
A guy at a local repair meetup in Austin told me I was using too much isopropyl alcohol on my boards. I always just drowned them in 91% and called it done. He said I was probably leaving a film that traps moisture over time. Switched to a 50/50 mix with distilled water and a soft brush, and now my boards actually look clean instead of streaky. Has anyone else had better luck with a specific ratio?
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emery103mo ago
Same thing happened to me. I was using 99% isopropyl on everything for years and wondering why my boards looked cloudy after a while. A guy at a local makerspace told me to try 70% with a soft toothbrush and honestly it's way better. The lower concentration evaporates slower which gives the flux more time to dissolve. I also started doing a final rinse with distilled water and that stopped the white residue completely. Been doing it that way for about two years now and my boards actually look brand new.
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phoenixk643mo ago
@emery10 I swear 70% just leaves more water residue behind for me lol.
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thea6023mo ago
Distilled water rinse is the real secret, not the alcohol percentage.
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