advice needed please

I am not sure if this has been covered before?

I have noticed on my camera lens mount, (the round bit with connection contacts etc) not sure of correct term!
Well, it gets a bit grubby, a build up of greasy black stuff over quite a time.
Up until now I have just wiped it off with a lint free cloth. Should I use spirit if so which one?
It builds up on the lens mount too.
Any advice would help.

Lilly

I've just given it a wipe with Selvyt cloth in the past. I suppose a little bit of electrical contact cleaner would do no harm.

Ken

A soft slightly damp cloth (not wet!) is usually recommended for this.

Just give it a wipe with a micofibre cloth.

thanks guys & nice to meet you Gartmore

Beware, some electrical contact cleaners are solvent based and will melt plastic. A drop (and I mean a drop) of WD40 will do no harm.

Streuth - I just wipe my thumb over it!

Mike

WD40 is a known rubber solvent, it's often used in certain circles (airsoft and paintball, for example) to swell the rubber in valves to help with airseals, but at the potential long term expense of the seal.

Also, Silcon lubricants and WD40 are designed to leave film behind to lubricate the surface, I'd rather not have that on my electrical contacts. As suggested earlier, Circuit cleaner, or a damp cleaning cloth would probably be the best bet.

I think the residue may be the result of Aluminium oxidisation. It should wipe off with a damp cloth. Don't do it too often as a layer of oxidisation actually protects the base metal.

This looks scary

I dry wipe my lenses and K10 with a soft cloth. If you are getting a build up which needs cleaning regularly is the lens a good fit to the body? Any movement at the joint could cause a problem. The electrical connections are low voltage/current and need maximum cleanliness and absolutely nothing must be used which will form a barrier between the ones on the lens and those on the camera. If you use WD 40 you will introduce an insulator even if only on a microscopic level. Think about it, if you wear spectacles would you clean the lenses with oil?

Cedric

A microfibre cloth should work fine. The act of mounting/removing a lens should also have a cleaning effect on the contacts.

Well for the past many years I have used a microbire/lint free cloth and it looks like I have been doing it the right way, which isreasuuring & which I shall continue to do, thank you. Lilly

Where might that come from?

As far as I can tell, the metal mount material on both camera and lens is chromium plate, probably on brass or steel.

I did emphasize only to use a single drop.

If any other liquid is to be used it ought to be something like Iso-propyl alcohol (IPA).

It's probably best just to stick with a dry or very slightly damp cloth.