how to: clean electrical contacts

It's been suggested that I clean my electrical connections. Please let me know if my google-research has me thinking the right thoughts:

- Acquire:
Rubber gloves
Stiff brush or emery
Waterproof grease - ??? Is dielectric grease the right thing here???
Electrical contact cleaner
WD-40 ??? Can a baking-soda/water mixture be used as a substitute for this ???

- Disconnect battery

- Each "plug" male/female connection: ??? What is the appropriate term for this type of connection ???
Disconnect
Spray electrical contact cleaner and lightly scrub with brush/emery to clean oil/grease/dirt.
??? How should I clean the female connection? What should I be sticking in there???
Repeat with WD-40 (removes corrosion).
(Let dry before reconnecting.)
Apply a small amount of grease to keep out water and foreign objects.

- Each "wired" electrical connection ??? Correct term for this connection type ???
??? Should these be disconnected as part of the cleaning ???
Spray electrical contact cleaner and lightly scrub with brush/emery to clean oil/grease/dirt.
Repeat with WD-40 (removes corrosion).
Apply a small amount of grease to keep out water and foreign objects.

??? Are there other types of connections ???

 

You will find several types of male/female connections. There is no rote method you have to do the best you can. I use contact cleaner with qtips or whatever I can. Those I can reach I use sandpaper or emory I also use needle files but you have to be careful.

Cleaning with the contact cleaner and the act of replugging does wonders too.

Dielectric grease is perfect. Baking soda and water is not a WD40 sub. WD40 removes moisture.

 

Which is preferred? WD40? baking soda/water? Which does what?

 

Use WD-40 it won't leave moisture behind to wreck your wiring.

There are many kinds of electrical connections:

male/female connectors can be plug and socket or blade to terminal block

wired connections can be ring and spade, where a ring is crimped onto the wire end and a bolt/screw is passed through to complete the connection. Crimped connectors, or even soldered connections.

Most of the time a good cleaning with contact cleaner and a shot of WD-40 to remove any corrosion is all that is needed.

And what ever you do, speaking from experience here, don't disconnect everything at once, work on one connection at a time. Or mark your wires so you know where everything goes.

 

You don't need the baking soda - mostly used on corroded battery terminals to neutralize the acid. Personally I don't even use WD40 I clean with contact cleaner and sand/emory where possible, wipe dry, grease and replug. But wd 40 wouldn't hurt.