4 / USE BRUSHES AND AIR DUSTERS
The best tools to clear out any fine channels are plastic brushes and
air dusters. Start with the latter and move on to the former if there are
any stubborn particles trapped in the cooling fins.
7 / POLISH ACRYLIC
You can use a plastic polish to clean the acrylic. This will remove stains and
minor scratches, so it’s great for banishing coolant marks. Use a disposable
cloth and rub the acrylic firmly with a good amount of pressure.5 / USE POLISH
Exposed copper is durable enough to be cleaned with normal metal
polish such as Autosol, but if there’s a plating such as nickel, this is often
quite thin, so you’ll need a less abrasive cleaner. The same company
makes a chrome polish, which is perfect, as chrome is also delicate.
8 / REASSEMBLE WATERBLOCK
Give the areas you’ve polished a final wash with warm water and wipe
them dry. Then clean your hands, as it’s easy to leave fingerprints inside
the waterblock that can be visible through the acrylic. Now reassemble
the waterblock – you can consider using plastic gloves for this bit to
avoid leaving any fingerprints.6 / CLEAN BLOCK COOLANT CHANNELS
Use a plastic brush, along with some soap and warm water, to clean
the waterblock, using the air duster or brush to clear the fine coolant
channels over the core area.
9 / FLUSH WATERBLOCK
Finally, you’ll need to flush your waterblock in order to remove any
remaining residue inside it. You can use normal coolant or deionised
water, but avoid using tap water, as this can leave marks on your
freshly polished waterblock, even if it’s only left for a few minutes.