How To Clean Your Multimeter And Keep It Looking Brand New

If you're like us and are using your multimter practiacally every day, then it's likely that it's gointg to experience some wear and tear. You may be thinking that it doesn't really matter if your multimeter gets a bit dusty or dirty, but we like to keep our tools looking near-new, because ultimately the more you take care of your tools, the longer they are going to last. When you're cleaning your multitmeter, you want to treat it as you would any small electronics item. This means no harsh chemicals or abrasive cleaning cloths or sponges. Follow these steps below, for a quick, easy clean - before you start the cleaning proccess, be sure to have your meter turned off and all leads unplugged (this is simply so we can clean out the jacks):

1. If you have it available, use a nozzle that is hooked up to a compressed air and blow all excess dust off of the meter, ensuring to get into all the small cracks and joins. Also give the jacks a good blow out.

2. Next, use a can of contact cleaner and give the meter a spray, again ensuring to get into al the cracks. We use contact cleaner because it is fantastic for disolving dirt, grime and grease and drys quite quickly, without leaving a residue.

3. If the contact cleaner didn't get rid of all the dirt, give it another spray and whilst it is still wet, use a soft cloth to gently rub away at the dirt or grease until it is removed. You may need to repeat this proccess a couple of times, depending on how dirty your meter is.

4. Finally, give the multimeter another good blow with the compressed air, this will help any excess contact cleaner to dry very quickly - especially if any has gone into the jacks.

We always keep out multimeters in their protective cases, if yours didn't come with one, you can purchase and aftermarket one online or your local tooling store. Hopefully this guide helps a bit and keeps your meters looking sharp for years to come.