How to quickly and easily clean a power filter from dirt and grease

Most of us use surge protectors and extension cords for many months without thinking about cleaning them. Meanwhile, the devices become dirty, becoming covered with a dense, sticky coating. Cleaning the extension cord from grease is not difficult if you use a little trick.

The main thing is safety!

Extension cords and surge protectors are electrical appliances. Moisture can cause a short circuit, or even worse, a person can get an electric shock.

Rule #1. You can only remove grease from the device when it is disconnected from the power supply.

It doesn’t matter whether you use water or a regular alcohol wipe. The extension cord is always unplugged first. This is not a case where you need to be brave and take risks.

Rule #1. Before plugging in the extension cord, make sure it is completely dry.

My extension cord for one, two

So, the device is disconnected from the power, and lies in front of us, sticky and dirty. We do the following:

We take a screwdriver.
We find screws at the back or front of the extension cord box (usually there are 4 of them).
Unscrew it.
Open the box.
We remove the electronic stuffing on the wire to the side, and wash the dirty plastic in a basin or under the tap.
Wipe the box with a dry napkin or cloth.
After complete drying, insert the electronics inside. We tighten the screws.

The method only works with a regular extension cord without a button!

Cleaning the surge protector

Modern surge protectors and extension cords with buttons are not so easy to disassemble.Unscrew them and you will see a lot of chips and parts screwed to the box from the inside.

Therefore, it will not be possible to wash them of fat in a basin. And it's not necessary! There are other options:

Cleaning with alcohol wipes. These can be napkins for cleaning the house or ordinary hygiene ones. We wipe easily accessible places first. To remove dirt and grease in the recesses, wrap a napkin around the ear stick. 10-15 minutes, and the surge protector is clean.
Cleaning with a damp cloth. If you don’t have napkins on hand, any thin rag (cotton or microfiber) will do. We wet it and squeeze it well so that no water drips at all. We use soap or a specially prepared solution for cleaning.

Effective solutions for fat removal

It happens that plaque on the surge protector literally eats into the plastic. Appliances located in the kitchen get especially dirty. Fat, soot mixed with dust form a hard “chewing gum” on the surface. This will help you remove it easily:

Ammonia (pharmaceutical). It is used undiluted. Soak a swab or cotton pad with ammonia and wipe oily surfaces.
Baking soda and ammonia. A thick layer of plaque is rubbed with slightly damp soda. After 2-3 minutes, wipe the surfaces with a swab dipped in ammonia.
Brown laundry soap. It contains the most alkali, which is effective against fat. Generously rub a cloth soaked in hot water with soap. With its help, dirt is washed off in a matter of seconds.
Glass cleaner. Any such product contains ammonia, and therefore it does an excellent job of removing greasy film. The composition is applied for 2-5 minutes, after which the surface is wiped with a clean damp cloth.

Use a stiff brush (an old toothbrush). The stubborn plaque will be washed off much faster.

Questions and answers

Question: How to clean the cable?

Answer: Same as a plastic box. You can use regular rags soaked in soapy water. But greasy deposits are removed better and faster with ammonia, cleaning powder, and soda. Don't forget about safety rules.

Question: How long after cleaning can an extension cord (surge protector) be plugged into the network?

Answer: After washing with water, it is enough to dry the device for 2 hours in a warm and dry place. Visible droplets of moisture must first be wiped off with a dry cloth or towel. To speed up the process, use a hairdryer. Blow the electrical appliance with a stream of cold air (5-10 minutes), and feel free to plug it in.

As you can see, cleaning the surge protector or extension cord is not difficult. The main thing is to disconnect the electrical device from the power supply, and then dry it properly. If the box is simple, without buttons, then it is better to disassemble it. Then you won't have to worry about the electronics getting wet. In addition, it is easier to wash dirt in hard-to-reach places in a basin.