In part 1 of this article, I shared what I use to keep the stage clean and the headphones I like to have in the booth. In part 2 I will be sharing the cleaning products that I use to keep all the equipment running smoothly as well as some other equipment in the booth that I like to use. If you have any questions or you disagree with the equipment that I use, I would really appreciate having an open dialog in the comment section so other readers can see other viewpoints. Without further ado, let’s go!

When I maintenance equipment, I always make sure that I have a microfiber cloth on hand. They are very inexpensive and delicately clean any glass surface. I use them on all screens and lenses in the venue; Computers, consoles, projectors, lighting fixtures, and just about anything else I see that has a glass or clear plastic covering. You can purchase them at basically any major store like Home Depot, Lowes, and Wal Mart, but if you purchase it off Amazon through this link, you won’t spend a cent more and we will receive a percentage back. I won’t tell you which one you should use, but if you have two days to spare, I’d really appreciate you using Amazon.com!

Now there are times when you can’t get everything with a microfiber cloth. Whether the muck is stuck on there too much or it’s in a crevice that you just can’t quite reach, there are some other products that I use to complete the job.

A dry, two-inch paintbrush, partnered with a handheld air blower or a can of compressed air for is great to get loose particles out of crevices, electrical components, and lenses, but when it seems like the particles are just moving around and not getting picked up I like to use Galco cleaning swabs. They have a foam tip that particles stick to, and leave your lenses nice and clean. 

Using air is another great way to clean off loose dust and dirt particles from hard to reach places. Having a can of low pressure compressed air such as “Falcon Dust Off” is great to clean out the insides and lenses of projectors, lights, and all electronics. A can or two of air should always be on hand for quick “dust off” of equipment. You can also use a powered compressed air blower such as the “XPOWER A-2” to help clean off the exterior of projectors and filters, don’t use it directly on electronic components as it doesn’t guarantee cutting out all moisture. Mix using air with a paintbrush to get the most agitated particles loose. 

Pro Tip: After taking off the outer protective pieces of equipment, place a zip tie between the blades of the fan and blow outside in. Dust should exit the equipment and the zip tie will keep the fan from spinning and ruining the motor. I like to get the 11” zip ties from Home Depot. Any size would work for this application but the 11” are big enough to go around a 1.5” pipe with cables which is my go-to to keep cables nice and neat on the rigging.

The last item that I always make sure I have is plenty of 70% isopropyl alcohol wipes. You can get these from any drugstore by the hundred. You can use these to wipe off any oil on new incandescent lamps as well as lenses and microphones. 

These are just a few items that I use that will keep your equipment clean and running smoothly for a long period of time because preventative maintenance is often overlooked even though it is the first and easiest thing you can do to keep equipment working long past their warranty. If you have any comments, questions, or different preferences please write it in the comments. I’m happy to help and am very interested in finding out what other people are using and what works for them.