cleaning cables?

[len]

What's your preferred method/products for cleaning cables covered with booze?

 

[JD]

What's your preferred method/products for cleaning cables covered with booze?

Bucket of hot water with dish-washing detergent in it and lots of rags! 20 years of doing clubs and it was just old fashion cleaning. If not cleaned, you end up with the cables covered in a fine white mold after awhile. Needless to say, the trick is to make sure you don't wet down the connectors.

 

[Call911]

Goo be gone or wd40 work wonders for me. Wd40 is good because just about every venue has it laying around. You so need to wipe it down with water and let it air dry after.

 

[Footer]

Our local audio shop actually goes the extra step and armoralls their cable after it is cleaned. They tell me it helps keep them clean longer. Personally, I think they are a bit insane... but... might be something to try after you get those things clean. I always did the soap and water thing as well.

 

[techieman33]

Our local audio shop actually goes the extra step and armoralls their cable after it is cleaned. They tell me it helps keep them clean longer. Personally, I think they are a bit insane... but... might be something to try after you get those things clean. I always did the soap and water thing as well.

That sounds like a really bad idea to me. Aromor all has alchol in it and will dry out the jacket, not to mention being a dust magnet.

 

[Footer]

That sounds like a really bad idea to me. Aromor all has alchol in it and will dry out the jacket, not to mention being a dust magnet.

These guys are a little insane when it comes to gear looking good. With the client list they have and the installs they do, it seems to work for them. Not saying they do it to everything, but if your going to run a cable on a stage for a big corporate gig, they'll make sure its shiny.

 

[techieman33]

These guys are a little insane when it comes to gear looking good. With the client list they have and the installs they do, it seems to work for them. Not saying they do it to everything, but if your going to run a cable on a stage for a big corporate gig, they'll make sure its shiny.

I'm all for clean cable and good looking gear for events like that, I always prefer to keep it entirely out of sight if at all possible though. And shiny cable is more likely to draw attention to itself. If it works for them though then that's great, and when your doing lots of corporate stuff you can afford to replace cable on a regular basis. I just wanted to point out that it is damaging the rubber jacket, and isn't something you would want to do unless it was necessary for something specific.

 

[TimMiller]

I have armorall'd cables before for corporate gigs. I have not had any issues with the jackets failing. I have also done the same with lots of gear including movers and speakers. It makes them look brand new but it does make them slippery.

 

[shiben]

Bucket of hot water with dish-washing detergent in it and lots of rags!

Also a load of interns or students who need shop hours to do the actual washing...

 

[cmckeeman]

These guys are a little insane when it comes to gear looking good. With the client list they have and the installs they do, it seems to work for them. Not saying they do it to everything, but if your going to run a cable on a stage for a big corporate gig, they'll make sure its shiny.

if i had to run a cable on stage it would be taped down with gaff so the shiny would be useless in my opinion

 

[BillESC]

WD-40 is the ticket.

 

[soundman]

I like simple green for cleaning cable, goof off for colored cables that get black smudges.

 

[ship]

Lots of was including laying it out in the parking lot and power washing it with or without soap. Years ago "bad kittie" my once cat used to pee on the cable stored in the house for the day the theater group got back together.

Stacked the stuff up in the shower with me and took showers with the stuff in removing cat pee. Suppose a shower for a few minutes with beer on cable would be sufficient.

Agree with the corporate show gone is good but also with above in intern and or if it really wants to look good concepts. Would be more in fear of it harming a car tire than cable - so if works on a car tire, should be fine - though kind of insane in the amout of care given. Still if the labor pays for the grade of shows this employeer gets due to the gear.... alll the Kudo's to this in paying the labor costs for keeping the gear to that level.

Only wee problem in doing this is that if printed on the cable instead of molded into it, this might rub off the printing on the cable. Any cable by NEC requirements that doesn't have stuff like type, gauge and maker presented is to be removed from service. Should this constant cleaning process remove it, you will go thru a lot of code compliant cable in making it really nice. Other than that.. wish we had time to do that more than on the nasty stuff. Don't do it any of the above ways, but more removing tape goo from cables if needed. That or as above if full of mud - washing it off in involvement.