Hello, I recently bought my first pinball, a Stern TWD Pro.

It needs a cleaning and I've read the long thread here and watched several YouTube videos and wanted to make sure the steps and supplies I have down are correct before I completely this thing and make a dirty problem a future repair job. Apologies in advance for being the noob. I'm still learning.

Supplies Needed:
Vacuum With Brush Attachment
Microfiber Towerls
NAPTHA
NOVUS 2

Step 1: Use a vacuum with a brush attachment to pickup any loose dirt or dust that's on the playfield.

Step 2: Put a very small amount of NAPTHA (not sure which to buy though?) on a microfiber towel and apply in circular motion to remove buildup on playfield.

Step 3: Put a very small amount of NOVUS 2 on a microfiber towel and apply in circular motion on playfield.

My Concerns:

NAPTHA - I'm not sure which to buy AND I have kids as young as 6. The pinball is in one end of our living area. I've read this stuff is pretty strong. Does it go away quickly? Say I apply it to the microfiber outside and then walk inside with it to keep the bottle outside (less fumes maybe?) Is there an alternative that would be safer by chance? I've read a lot of people use NOVUS 1 or even non ammonia glass cleaner for Step 1. Better/Worse than NAPTHA?

NOVUS 2 - I've read a lot of caution on using this since it's abrasive. If the NAPTHA is to clean the machine what purpose does this have? It's not a wax so what the heck is it actually doing?
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Asking this to you since you work for a pinball company. Wouldn’t NAPTHA be better since it’s not water based like others said above? I have no preference either way. Just curious to know you’re thinking on using NOVUS. Thanks!

Thanks to everyone for all of the replies and additional information and explanations. It definitely seems to be split down the middle on NAPTHA vs NOVUS 1/2 that’s for sure! Why’s it gotta be so complicated haha? I wish there was just one “everyone does this” method and it’s the only one you should use.

LTG Other than NAPTHA being flammable what other downsides are there for a beginner? The risk of fire here seems minimal unless I have an open flame nearby right or no?

Also, will NOVUS 1 be enough to get this machine clean based on the pictures if I go your suggested route of using that?

LTG Thanks. NAPTHA would likely be more effective and safer for the play field then I assume? Then use wax after that or do you still do a NOVUS 1 or 2 after that?

LTG Thanks! And Naptha is Naptha right so there isn’t a certain one I need to look for? Just whatever I can find at my hardware stores? Thanks for the wax recommendation above too!

TheLaw Thanks. Here's what the playfield looks like. There are some spots (one is marked) where the edges of the "decal" or whatever it's technically called are pealing I did notice on further inspection. It looks like this entire piece is separate from the main playfield but I'm no expert? One of my ramps is slighty raised too I just noticed. The more I inspect the more depressed I get lol. Lots to do it looks like.

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LTG - Ahhh so that's what Mylar is. Good to know! Glad to hear it's not the playfield itself. I may hire someone to replace that for me before it gets worse.

I'll definitely tackle the ramp now though. Sadly, I have to wait on the cleaning. The NOVUS won't come from Amazon until tomorrow and I'll need to pickup some naptha from the store tomorrow as well. The only thing I have is microfiber towels and regular household and automotive cleaners right now.

Ramp did have a little buildup of some sort under it which I vacuumed out. I didn't look closely enough to know what it was though.

As for the “round part by the pop bumper” do you mean the black area I circled in one of the pictures above? I thought it was just part of the graphic on the PF. That said, it doesn't flow with the rest of the graphic and without peeling it back more can't tell if anything is underneath causing that discoloration. I’ll need tweezers or something (tooth brush maybe?) to reach that area. It might be dirt for sure though. Good call. I’ll look up more images of the play field and see if that spot is on anyone else’s in the meantime.

Thanks @thelaw. I didn’t know you owned one. Very helpful. I appreciate it.

Update: NOVUS arrived today.

I just need to grab some new microfiber towels (I don't trust my used ones) and a thing of NAPTHA from Home Depot.

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TheLaw Is it the exact same thing though? I'd rather spend less too so I love this idea if the product/result is the same.

How come everyone says Naptha instead of Lighter Fluid if it's the same thing? To your point lighter fluid comes in much smaller bottles.

Here's my post NOVUS 1/2 update. Definitely removed the dirt in the pop bumper area and some other areas. Before/After Pictures Below.

How do I remove these stubborn ball trails that are hazy though? Both NOVUS 1/2 didn't seem to do much at all on them. Assuming NAPTHA and/or NOVUS 2 wouldn't do much for them either correct? I see this on all of the ramps as well but I think the fix there is a flame polish from what I've read?

Before:
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After:
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Before:
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After:
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Before:
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After:
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