Latex gloves trick for thermal paste cleanup saved me 20 minutes today

I was swapping out a CPU on a customer's gaming rig this morning and the old thermal paste was that dried out crusty stuff (you know the kind). I usually use isopropyl alcohol and coffee filters but it takes forever to get it all off. Today I tried putting on a fresh pair of latex gloves and using my finger to rub the paste off first before wiping. It came off in 30 seconds flat and left almost nothing for the alcohol step. Has anyone else tried this or am I just late to the party on this one?

2 comments

2 Comments

linda_mason8220d ago

@claire992 mentioned that trick, and honestly there's a downside people aren't talking about. If you've got any cuts or hangnails on your fingers, that thermal paste can seep through a tiny tear in the glove and get right into your skin. Had a buddy who got a nasty rash from some old paste with nickel in it. Plus certain high-end pastes are conductive enough that rubbing with your finger can push it into socket pins if you're not careful.

claire99220d ago

Oh wait have you not seen this before? My buddy tried it on his old gaming PC and said it was a total game changer because he didn't have to scrub for ages. He just used his finger to rub the paste off then finished it with alcohol in like two seconds flat.