HG101 forum-goer Ike has shared his secrets on how to clean your NES hardware and software to keep them running for longer. I’ll let him do the teaching, but I found it fascinating how blowing into the cartridge is actually detrimental to the game because it promotes all kinds of wonderful microbes to take root in your cartridge and NES! Or, as he put it:
There are a few things that contribute to a dirty console, the biggest one being people blowing in the cartridge. DON’T DO THAT. Your mouth is a disgusting, wet hole filled with bacteria and digestive enzymes that aren’t meant to be found culturing in a Nintendo.
The thing of it is, blowing does work. It works because you blow moisture onto the brass contacts of the cartridge, thus increasing the conductivity between the console and game. However, when you wet the cartridge and then shove it into a damp, dark environment to sit for possibly decades, corrosion will occur.
This is a well-written, clear and entertaining way to make your NES last. Definitely worth a lookover!
