How to Remove Permanent Marker and Clean NES Game Contacts
This build is from early 2015, when the channel was still MeanPC.com — same Lonnie, same garage, same workbench.
Used NES games come with history. Sometimes that history includes a phone number written on the label in Sharpie, a kid’s name in black marker on the cartridge shell, or contacts so oxidized the NES gives you the blinking red light three times before it’ll boot. None of these are reasons to pass on a game — they’re all fixable in about five minutes with supplies you probably already have.
The two-part problem
When you pick up old NES carts from thrift stores, garage sales, or eBay, you’re typically dealing with two separate issues that often come together: markings on the outside of the plastic, and dirty contacts on the edge connector inside. This post covers both.
Removing permanent marker: Magic Eraser
The key to getting Sharpie and permanent marker off NES cartridge shells is a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, slightly dampened. The eraser is made of melamine foam — basically micro-fine abrasive in sponge form. It’s the same reason it takes scuffs off painted walls: it’s gently sanding the surface.
Wet the eraser slightly and work the marked area with light pressure. The marker comes off fast — on most carts, a spot the size of a phone number is gone in thirty seconds. A stubborn area might need a couple more passes.
Two things to know before you start:
It works best on matte plastic. NES cartridges have a textured, slightly matte finish, and the Magic Eraser is right at home there. If you’re working on something with a high-gloss surface — a label, a shiny inlay, polished plastic — stop and use something else. The abrasive will dull a glossy finish noticeably.
It also works on sticker residue. That gummy adhesive left behind when a price tag is peeled off? Same treatment. Just a little damp melamine foam and it lifts right out.
Cleaning the contacts: isopropyl alcohol
Once the outside is clean, open the cart (if you want to go that route — though you can often get the swab in from the bottom opening) and look at the edge connector. After thirty-plus years, those contacts accumulate oxidation and grime that prevents a clean electrical connection. This is the cause of most “blinking light” NES issues.
Grab a cotton swab and some isopropyl alcohol — the higher the concentration the better. 91% or 99% is ideal; avoid the 70% that’s common in drugstores because the extra water content can leave behind residue and promotes oxidation. Saturate the swab and run it along the top and bottom of the contacts. You’ll see grime coming off immediately on most carts — brown-black crud on a previously white swab is a good sign.
For a heavily dirty cart, use one side of the swab for the first pass and flip to the clean side for a follow-up. Let it dry fully before testing.
This cleaning approach fixes roughly 90% of NES games that aren’t loading. The remaining 10% usually has a different problem — a damaged trace, a bad chip, or a connector issue in the console itself. But for standard “won’t boot” frustration, isopropyl alcohol on a cotton swab is the first thing to try.
The actual gotcha: the 72-pin connector in the console
If you’ve cleaned the contacts on multiple carts and the NES still gives you the blinking red light, the problem is probably the 72-pin connector inside the console, not the games. That connector gets loose and corroded over time. Cleaning or replacing it is a separate fix — but it’s worth knowing that a console with a worn connector will frustrate every game you put in it, even freshly cleaned ones.
What you’ll need
- Mr. Clean Magic Eraser (or generic melamine sponge)
- Isopropyl alcohol, 91% or higher
- Cotton swabs
- A small bowl of water (for dampening the eraser)