What is your recipe for cleaning vintage switches?

[OfTheWild]

Curious what others have found for solutions to cleaning out many decades of dirt, dust, grime, and any oils from switches and the oxidation on the contacts of the switches? 

Alps, Cherry specifically. Ultrasonic cleaner with some kinda hydrogen peroxide mix maybe? baking soda? tiny elves?

[iamtootallforthis]

How dirty?

I've cleaned some really dirty vintage blacks but deconstructing them completely, contacts and all. Plastic bits in ultrasonic cleaner with water and denture tabs. Any stubborn grime I scrubbed off after with a toothbrush. Contacts went in isopropyl alcohol and were agitated and really dirty ones were lightly scrubbed with a toothbrush if needed.

[Sifo]

for cherry i take em apart, put the tops back on the bottom housing (to protect the leaf), stems and springs separate, bathe in 99% alcohol and shake around a bit for like 5 mins

[OfTheWild]

How dirty?

I've cleaned some really dirty vintage blacks but deconstructing them completely, contacts and all. Plastic bits in ultrasonic cleaner with water and denture tabs. Any stubborn grime I scrubbed off after with a toothbrush. Contacts went in isopropyl alcohol and were agitated and really dirty ones were lightly scrubbed with a toothbrush if needed.

"vintage dark blues that no longer click" kinda dirty. I took one apart today and gave the top and stem a dish soap bath and then blasted it dry with the compressor but i'm concerned about the cruddy contact.

for cherry i take em apart, put the tops back on the bottom housing (to protect the leaf), stems and springs separate, bathe in 99% alcohol and shake around a bit for like 5 mins

Good call on the tops to protect the leaf. I have had good success with https://www.amazon.com/CAIG-D5S-6-Contact-Cleaner-Rejuvenator/dp/B00I3G272M on my vintage guitar pots so i was going to attempt it on a switch but i'm really guessing its just alcohol and some kind of detergent.