Novis plastic polish

You can take a Williams reel and clean it with a toothbrush and soap and running water and it will be fine. Don't do that with a Gottlieb reel, though.

I've cleaned many Williams reels just like that and never had any issue. Novus 2 will clean them but it will also remove some of the ink, it is abrasive, and if you get too aggressive with it, you won't like the results.

Dawn dish soap, I would not use a toothbrush as it's abrasive, I would use a soft cloth.

Dish soap is correct, I mainly use the toothbrush on the inside of the reel to get the coil dust and grime out. You can gently use the brush on the numbers but generally it's not needed.

I know I always sound crazy when I post this, but I've found that the best thing to use on screen-printed plastics like score reels is toothpaste that has been thinned with warm (not hot) water. When cleaning the face of the reel, use a sponge or your fingers - no brushes, no abrasives. After cleaning, rinse off the residue with water, and dry with a soft cloth.

This method removes all the soot and grime and doesn't damage any of the printing, as long as the ink is in good shape. On plastics where the ink has become damaged either by previous improper cleaning or by heat or weather, I have not figured out any way to save the printed artwork. It will flake off no matter what cleaning method you use.

Also, if the plastic itself has become badly yellowed with age, I have not found any way to fix that, either.

- TimMe

White wonder bread actually does a fantastic job

what the what?

I second this. It works great!

yup, bread has just enuf moisture in it, "if its fresh". and enuf drag to collect dirt.
cool huh?

Soap + water, as others have said, will do the trick. Cleans very well. The trick with any score reel cleaning is to not be too aggressive no matter the cleaner used. I have had good results with Novus #2 as well, but it depends on the reel. Some Bally reels are particularly agitated by Novus.

Novus provides a nice sheen to the cleaned reel.

I use a microfiber cloth with soap + water. It's a little more invasive than a sponge, but it does work well, and allows for finer control (in my opinion).

never knew that. cheap way to clean a game and have a snack at the same time.

Don't use alcohol, it takes the black ink off the reels. Learned that the hard way.

Glass cleaner is bad too - the ammonia just seems to make the soot bond tighter to the plastic somehow.

- TimMe

Yes - and don't use lacquer thinner and a wire brush either. No matter how yellowed or dirty those score reels are!

Okay seriously, if you ask ten experienced EM pinheads, you'll likely get nine different responses to this question. Obviously, various solutions will work - you just have to try what you feel most comfortable with.

And then go with toothpaste, warm water and fingertips only on lettering (and toothbrush okay elsewhere) as that is guaranteed to work based on many, many years of professional experience by those who know.