Cleaning the pads?

[Shaiky]

After playing long hours with the controller I found my thumbs sweating like any normal thumb would. Problem is that the pads feel a little more slippery than before and I'm pretty sure its because of months of usage. Any ideas on what to clean these with or some help aside from rubbing my shirt on them? Thanks

[Mumblez]

You don't clean pads you dispose of them.

Period jokes aside, try a damp (READ : RING IT OUT, JUST BARELY WET, NOT DRIPPING AT ALL) cloth with hot water and NO soap. Should clean ok with no damage.

[Vepar]

Get some soft cloth, pour a bit of alcohol over the cloth (not drench it in alcohol, just make it wet), then clean it with that before the alcohol evaporates...

If you get too much on the controller, don't worry, it'll evaporate fast and it'll dry up.

Also, by alcohol i mean, the medicinal kind, the one you get at a pharmacy.
Don't rub beer or wine all over your controller then come here to complain how it doesn't work anymore. :P

[SavageBeastZero]

Vepar is absolutely correct. The Steam Controller should only be cleaned with Isopropyl Alcohol (91% or greater). Slightly dampen a dye free soft cotton cloth (or comparable) with the Isopropyl Alcohol and wipe the Steam controllers pads, as well as the shell until clean.

Don't use high concentrated water based solutions or chemicals whatsoever. Any high concentrated water based solutions can potentially damage the unit and any chemical based solutions could cause irrepairable damage to the pads surface, as well as the shell.

[AndyCalling]

Rub it with a microfiber cloth, ideally one of the large fluffy ones rather than the little ones for cleaning glasses. No need for any chemicals, alcohol or even water.

[Guy_From_Hell]

Originally posted by Vepar:

Get some soft cloth, pour a bit of alcohol over the cloth (not drench it in alcohol, just make it wet), then clean it with that before the alcohol evaporates...

If you get too much on the controller, don't worry, it'll evaporate fast and it'll dry up.

Also, by alcohol i mean, the medicinal kind, the one you get at a pharmacy.
Don't rub beer or wine all over your controller then come here to complain how it doesn't work anymore. :P

Or you can use Vodka, since it's alcohol with water.

Originally posted by SavageBeastZero:

Vepar is absolutely correct. The Steam Controller should only be cleaned with Isopropyl Alcohol (91% or greater). Slightly dampen a dye free soft cotton cloth (or comparable) with the Isopropyl Alcohol and wipe the Steam controllers pads, as well as the shell until clean.

Don't use high concentrated water based solutions or chemicals whatsoever. Any high concentrated water based solutions can potentially damage the unit and any chemical based solutions could cause irrepairable damage to the pads surface, as well as the shell.

You can use ethanol and methanol as well

[Vepar]

Originally posted by Guy_From_Hell:

Or you can use Vodka, since it's alcohol with water.

Well true, vodka works too. But not many other alcoholic drinks do.

I just use Ethanol bought in a pharmacy. It's cheap, and works perfectly for most of my electronics.

[cammelspit]

I would recommend 90% and not 70% if you go to the drugstore to get it. Isopropyl 90% since it evaporates quickly and you won't have to dry it off manually. I use denatured alcohol myself but I have that stuff on hand by the gallon since I was a professional electronics repair tech for years. 90% isopropyl should be perfect, though. Just make sure that after you clean the controller, wash your hands. If your hands are dirty no amount of cleaning the pads will help you.

I cover it here too if you wanted more details and there are other things there you might be interested in.
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=595597298

[•]

Does anybody figured out what touchpad covers are made of? I mean, chem formula? That can help to find almost perfect solution. Wonder why Valve didn't provide a recommendation, or am I missing it?

[cammelspit]

It's plastic, isopropyl alcohol won't cause any damage at all. Acetone would eat right through them. Rubbing alcohol will be the best no matter what type of plastic is used.

[•]

Originally posted by cammelspit:

Rubbing alcohol will be the best no matter what type of plastic is used.

Are you sure? :somesuspicioussmile:

[cammelspit]

Originally posted by Consona:

Originally posted by cammelspit:

Rubbing alcohol will be the best no matter what type of plastic is used.

Are you sure? :somesuspicioussmile:

Yes, I am sure...

[AndyCalling]

The only problem with getting isopropyl alcohol is that the chemists (drug stores) in the UK no longer understand requests for things that don't come in blister packs straight from the factory. The only alternative is to go to a camera shop and buy it as 'lens cleaner' whereupon you get a tiny tiny bottle for about a 1000% price ramp up (no joke).

The impurity in the 70% stuff is water, which isn't really a problem on the surface of the SC. That said, best to get the 90% stuff as it is much better for using on internal components (such as chips and heat sinks) where water is bad juju.

If you can't find any for a proper price, get a fluffy microfiber cloth. Very cheap, and will make you wonder why you've not got a load of them. Best cleaning equipment I've ever bought.

[•]

Dank you, BongMong, Cammelspit.

[Slipshod]

Originally posted by cammelspit:

It's plastic, isopropyl alcohol won't cause any damage at all. Acetone would eat right through them. Rubbing alcohol will be the best no matter what type of plastic is used.

Not to mention that any excess that manages to secrete itself inside the controller will not cause any damage to the internals.

[cammelspit]

Originally posted by BongMong:

The only problem with getting isopropyl alcohol is that the chemists (drug stores) in the UK no longer understand requests for things that don't come in blister packs straight from the factory. The only alternative is to go to a camera shop and buy it as 'lens cleaner' whereupon you get a tiny tiny bottle for about a 1000% price ramp up (no joke).

The impurity in the 70% stuff is water, which isn't really a problem on the surface of the SC. That said, best to get the 90% stuff as it is much better for using on internal components (such as chips and heat sinks) where water is bad juju.

If you can't find any for a proper price, get a fluffy microfiber cloth. Very cheap, and will make you wonder why you've not got a load of them. Best cleaning equipment I've ever bought.

Very interesting. 70% should be fine if that is the easies to get. You just have to manually dry it off and then wait for a few minutes before playing to make doubly sure it is all dry or you could have increased friction problems like your thumb snagging against the pad surface. Oh, you do have to be careful and NEVER just pour anything over you controller or the water will get into the electrinics and as you say, BAD idea. Rubbing alcohol is so unbelievably common I find it hard to believe there isn't some other alternative for sourcing some. Maybe order it online?