 *Photo: Unsplash*
Montréal is one of North America's most important gaming cities. Ubisoft Montréal created the Assassin's Creed and Far Cry franchises from their Rosemont studio. Eidos-Montréal built Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy and the Deus Ex revival. WB Games Montréal, Behaviour Interactive, EA — there are more game developers per capita here than almost anywhere in Canada, and behind every one of them — plus hundreds of thousands of home gamers in Plateau triplexes, Griffintown condos, and Laval bungalows — is a controller that is almost certainly overdue for a proper clean.
This guide covers the three controllers Montréal gamers use most: the PS5 DualSense, the Xbox Series X/S controller, and the Nintendo Switch Joy-Con. It also covers the two Montréal-specific factors that accelerate controller deterioration faster than in most cities: summer heat and humidity in apartments without air conditioning, and winter dry-air static charge.
Why Controllers Get Dirty Faster Than You Think
A gaming session leaves a surprising amount of biological material on a controller. The average human hand sweats 20–50 mL of fluid per hour during moderate exertion — a competitive gaming match or an intense RPG dungeon qualifies. That sweat carries sodium, urea, and lactic acid, all of which accumulate in the textured grips, the crevices around analog sticks, and the gaps around triggers and face buttons.
Add snack residue — chip grease, energy drink sugar, popcorn starch — and skin oils from the palms, and within a week of daily play, a controller builds up a biofilm on the grip surface that is genuinely difficult to remove without the right technique.
Montréal summer factor: From June through September, many Montréal apartments — especially pre-war triplexes in Plateau-Mont-Royal, Rosemont, Côte-des-Neiges, and Verdun — lack central air conditioning. Gaming in a room that reaches 28–32°C with relative humidity above 65% produces noticeably more hand sweat than air-conditioned play. If your grip surfaces feel stickier in July than in December, this is exactly why.
Montréal winter factor: Forced-air heating from November through April drops indoor relative humidity to 20–35%. Dry air creates static electricity on plastic surfaces. That static charge acts as a dust magnet, drawing pet hair, textile lint, and airborne particulate into the gaps around stick bases and button housings more aggressively than in humid conditions. You may notice your controller looks dusty after just a day or two sitting on the coffee table during winter.
The Materials You Need (All Available Locally)
Before you start, gather these supplies:
- 70% isopropyl alcohol (IPA): Jean Coutu or Pharmaprix ($3–5 for 500 mL), Canadian Tire, Walmart. Do not use 90%+ IPA on controller shells — it evaporates too fast and can dry out rubberized grips over time.
- Microfibre cloths: IKEA (3-pack ~$4), Canadian Tire, Zone Maison, Walmart. Never use paper towels — they scratch glossy surfaces and leave micro-fibres in crevices.
- Cotton swabs / Q-tips: Jean Coutu, Pharmaprix, Dollarama (Montréal has 150+ Dollarama locations). One of the most useful tools for controller cleaning.
- Compressed air can (optional): Best Buy, Staples / Bureau en Gros, Canadian Tire (~$10). Use it carefully — see cautions below.
- Toothpick or plastic dental pick: For extracting packed debris from tight crevices. Never use a metal point — it scratches plastic.
PS5 DualSense Controller: Full Cleaning Protocol
The PS5 DualSense retails for $89–99 CAD at Best Buy (Sainte-Catherine Ouest, Marché Central, Carrefour Laval), EB Games/GameStop (various Montréal locations), Amazon.ca, and Walmart/Costco.
Step 1: Power off and disconnect
Hold the PS button until the power menu appears. Choose "Turn Off PS5" or simply disconnect the controller via USB-C and let it go to sleep. Never clean a powered controller.
Step 2: Clean the face buttons
Dampen a microfibre cloth with 70% IPA — damp, not dripping. Wipe the face of each button (Cross, Circle, Square, Triangle) and the surrounding bezel. For the gaps around each button, wrap a slightly damp cotton swab with IPA and rotate it around the button edge. The DualSense face buttons have a tighter fit than older DualShock 4 buttons, so debris does not fall inside as easily — but oil and grime accumulate on the white plastic surface visibly over time.
Step 3: Clean the analog sticks
The DualSense has larger, dome-shaped analog sticks with a concave grip point at the center. Wipe the rubber cap with an IPA-dampened cloth. For the crevice around the base of each stick — where the stick meets the plastic controller shell — use an IPA-dampened cotton swab and rotate it around the full perimeter of the stick base.
Never blow compressed air directly into the stick base at a 90-degree angle. The DualSense's haptic feedback mechanisms inside the controller housing are complex. Compressed air forced into the stick base cavity can push debris toward the internal potentiometer, accelerating the very stick drift you are trying to prevent. If you use compressed air at all, hold the can at a 45-degree angle to the stick base and use short bursts aimed across the gap, not into it.
Step 4: Clean the adaptive triggers (L2/R2)
The DualSense adaptive triggers have a rubberized inner channel that varies resistance depending on the game. Wipe the outer plastic face of L2 and R2 with an IPA cloth. For the inner channel of the trigger (visible when you partially depress L2 or R2), use an IPA-dampened cotton swab to wipe the visible inner surface. Do not insert the swab deeply.
Step 5: Clean the textured grip panels
The rear of the DualSense has a two-tone matte and gloss finish with subtle dot texturing on the grip area. This texture is excellent for grip but functions as a soil trap for skin oils and sweat. Wipe with an IPA cloth using circular motions. For the small raised dots, a barely damp cotton swab pressed gently over the texture lifts embedded oil out of the recessed areas between the dots.
Step 6: Clean the touchpad
The DualSense touchpad is prone to fingerprint smudging. Wipe with a clean, barely IPA-dampened microfibre cloth in one direction (not circular, which redistributes smudges). Avoid saturating the edges of the touchpad where it meets the controller body.
Step 7: Clean the USB-C port and headphone jack
Use a dry toothpick or plastic dental pick to carefully remove lint from the USB-C port. Cotton swabs can leave fibres inside ports — use a toothpick instead. For the 3.5mm headphone jack, a dry toothpick as well. Never insert anything metal into any port.
Xbox Series X/S Controller: Cleaning Protocol
Xbox Series X/S controllers retail for $69–79 CAD at Best Buy, Amazon.ca, and Walmart.
The Xbox controller shell uses a different plastic formulation from PlayStation. The matte black finish on the Xbox controller is more prone to showing skin oils in a "shiny patch" pattern on the grips. The rubberized bumpers (LB/RB) and triggers also collect more embedded grime than equivalent smooth-plastic PlayStation surfaces.
Textured rubberized grips
The Xbox Series X controller features a textured rubberized rear grip with a diamond-pattern that is harder to clean than smooth plastic. Use an IPA-dampened cotton swab pressed firmly along the texture to lift embedded oil from the raised ribs. Follow with an IPA-dampened microfibre cloth wipe across the whole grip surface.
AA battery compartment
Unlike the PS5's USB-C charging, Xbox Series controllers use two AA batteries. Before cleaning, remove the battery pack cover and the batteries. Wipe the inside of the battery compartment with a dry microfibre cloth. Do not apply IPA inside the battery compartment — the metal contact strips should stay completely dry.
Expansion slot and audio jack
The Xbox controller features an Expansion slot at the bottom for accessories. Clean around this port and the 3.5mm jack with a dry toothpick to remove accumulated lint.
Analog sticks
Same protocol as PS5: IPA cotton swab around the stick base perimeter. Never compressed air directly into the stick base. The Xbox controller's white analog stick caps are especially prone to showing grime — a weekly wipe keeps them looking new.
Nintendo Switch Joy-Con: Cleaning Protocol and Stick Drift
Nintendo Switch Joy-Con controllers ($79–99 CAD for a pair at Best Buy, EB Games, Amazon.ca, Walmart) present a unique cleaning challenge because of their small size and the ubiquitous phenomenon of Joy-Con stick drift.
What is Joy-Con stick drift — and why cleaning helps, but doesn't fix it
Joy-Con stick drift — where the character or camera moves on its own without stick input — is caused primarily by wear on the internal capacitive potentiometer, not by dirt. Cleaning the exterior of the stick base will not fix mechanical drift. Nintendo Canada extended its Joy-Con repair program specifically to address this hardware issue; contact Nintendo Canada customer support or Best Buy Geek Squad for a repair assessment.
However, cleaning the Joy-Con does matter for performance:
Rail contact cleaning: The Joy-Con rail that attaches to the Switch console has gold-plated electrical contact pins. Skin oils and lint degrade the contact over time, causing connection dropouts and input lag. Use an IPA-dampened cotton swab along the rail contacts and allow to fully dry before reattaching the Joy-Con to the console.
Stick base cleaning: Oil and debris that accumulates around the stick base rim can affect the stick's ability to return cleanly to center. Use an IPA cotton swab around the full perimeter of the stick base — push the stick gently to one side to expose the crevice on the opposite side, work around the visible gap, then rotate.
Joy-Con grip (sold separately): The Joy-Con Grip that comes with the console, and aftermarket grips from Best Buy or Amazon.ca, collect hand sweat and oil in the same way as a DualSense or Xbox controller. Wipe with IPA cloth and cotton swab around the stick cutouts and button areas.
Joy-Con discoloration (UV yellowing)
Gray Joy-Con controllers turn yellow over time due to UV exposure from windows and artificial lighting. This is UV degradation of the ABS plastic — it cannot be cleaned away. Cleaning will not reverse yellowing. The Retrobright technique (hydrogen peroxide + UV light) used by retro console collectors can reduce yellowing on ABS plastic but requires careful execution and is not reversible if overdone. For most users, replacement Joy-Con shells from EB Games or Amazon.ca ($15–30 CAD) are the practical solution.
How Often Should You Clean Your Controller?
| Frequency | What to do | |---|---| | After every session | Wipe grip area and face buttons with dry microfibre cloth | | Weekly | Full IPA wipe of all surfaces, cotton swab around sticks and buttons | | Monthly | Deep clean: trigger channels, ports, rail contacts (Joy-Con) | | Immediately | IPA clean when sticky — sugar-containing residue hardens quickly |
Montréal tip for summer: If gaming in an uncooled room during July and August, wipe your controller after every session during heat waves. Sweat left on rubber grip surfaces for 48+ hours in warm humid conditions creates a residue that bonds to the grip material and is much harder to remove once set.
Montréal tip for winter: In December through March, give your controller a dry microfibre wipe every few days even if you haven't been gaming. Static charge during dry-air season pulls airborne dust into the button housings faster than you'd expect, and dust that settles inside button gaps can cause sticky or sluggish button response over time.
What to Absolutely Avoid
- Windex or any window cleaner: Contains ammonia. Ammonia degrades controller plastic over time, causing micro-crazing on gloss surfaces and attacking rubber grip coatings.
- Paper towels: Scratch glossy plastic and leave micro-fibres inside crevices and ports.
- Water applied directly to the controller: A barely damp cloth is fine. Running water, a wet cloth, or spraying any liquid directly on the controller is not safe.
- Acetone or nail polish remover: Dissolves controller plastic immediately. Never.
- 90%+ isopropyl alcohol on rubberized surfaces: Too aggressive; can dry out and crack rubber grip coatings with repeated use.
- Compressed air pointed directly into the stick base: Pushes debris toward the internal potentiometer, contributing to stick drift rather than preventing it.
- Disinfecting wipes (Lysol, Clorox) as a routine cleaner: These contain quaternary ammonium compounds that leave residue on plastic, causing textured grips to feel tacky with repeated use. Reserve them for illness situations (flu, cold season) where actual disinfection matters more than texture maintenance.
Related guides for your Montréal home setup
Your gaming display deserves the same care as your controller. See [how to clean a TV screen in Montréal](/en/blog/how-to-clean-a-tv-screen-montreal) — the same IPA-and-microfibre discipline applies, with specific rules for OLED panels where Windex/ammonia permanently damages the anti-glare coating.
For the WFH desk that doubles as a gaming setup, see [how to clean a laptop keyboard and screen in Montréal](/en/blog/how-to-clean-a-laptop-keyboard-montreal) — including the MacBook oleophobic screen coating rules and spill recovery protocol.
For robot vacuum owners who keep their gaming space floor clean, see [how to clean a robot vacuum in Montréal](/en/blog/how-to-clean-a-robot-vacuum-montreal) — brush roll, side brush, dustbin, and filter maintenance.
For a complete apartment deep clean before a major gaming event or LAN session, [Sparkling Stays deep cleaning services](/en/services/deep-cleaning) covers Montréal, Laval, Longueuil, and the surrounding area. And for regular upkeep, [Sparkling Stays home cleaning services](/en/services/home-cleaning) keeps your space gaming-session ready year-round.
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Q: Can I use disinfecting wipes (Lysol, Clorox) on my PS5 DualSense?
A: On the hard plastic shell surfaces only, and only occasionally. Disinfecting wipes contain quaternary ammonium compounds ("quats") that leave a residue on plastic which accumulates over time and makes textured grip surfaces feel progressively tackier. For routine cleaning, a microfibre cloth dampened with 70% IPA is better: it disinfects effectively and leaves no tacky residue. Reserve the disinfecting wipes for situations where actual pathogen elimination matters — illness in the household, sharing a controller with someone who is sick — rather than for everyday grime removal.
Q: My controller grips are sticky even after cleaning. Why?
A: Sticky grips after cleaning are usually caused by one of three things: (1) grip material degradation — the rubberized coating on older Xbox and PlayStation controllers breaks down over time with UV exposure and repeated use, becoming permanently sticky regardless of cleaning; (2) residue from inappropriate cleaners (Windex, acetone) that attacked the rubber coating; or (3) IPA residue — if you clean with IPA and don't follow with a dry microfibre wipe, the residue left as the alcohol evaporates can feel slightly tacky. For case (1), replacement grip tape from Amazon.ca or Best Buy ($8–20 CAD) is the practical solution — it adheres directly over the existing grip surface and gives a clean, non-sticky texture.
Q: Does cleaning help with Joy-Con stick drift?
A: Rarely, and only if the drift is brand new. Joy-Con stick drift is almost always a mechanical wear issue inside the controller — the capacitive contact disc in the analog stick potentiometer wears down with normal use, regardless of how clean the exterior is. Cleaning the exterior of the stick base removes oil and debris from the rim area, which can help if physical debris is impeding the stick's return to center, but it does not address internal mechanical wear. Nintendo Canada's Joy-Con repair program replaces the internal stick mechanism at no cost during the eligible period. Contact Nintendo Canada support or Best Buy Geek Squad for a free assessment.
Q: How do I clean inside the crevice around the analog stick without pushing debris deeper?
A: Use a cotton swab dampened (not soaked) with 70% IPA. Push the analog stick to one side to expose more of the crevice gap on the opposite side. Rotate the swab gently around the perimeter of the exposed gap. Do not probe deeply — the goal is to remove the ring of accumulated grime from the visible base of the stick, not to access the interior mechanism. Avoid compressed air pointed directly into the gap: it forces fine debris toward the potentiometer rather than out of the crevice. Short bursts at a 45-degree angle, directed across the gap rather than into it, are the safer technique if you want to use compressed air at all.
Q: Can I clean a controller while it is still in use / connected?
A: No. Always power off the controller completely before cleaning. For a wired controller, disconnect it first. The combination of even a small amount of conductive liquid (IPA is partially conductive before it fully evaporates) and active electrical current creates a short-circuit risk. Turn the controller off, clean it, and allow at least 5 minutes for any IPA to fully evaporate before powering it back on. This is especially important for the Joy-Con, where the rail contacts are exposed and in close proximity to the cleaning area.
Q: My controller has a persistent sour smell even after cleaning. What is it?
A: A persistent sour or musty smell after cleaning indicates biofilm embedded in the grip material. Sweat carries proteins and organic compounds that accumulate in the microscopic pores of rubberized surfaces and cannot be fully reached by a surface wipe. Wipe with 70% IPA, allow to fully dry, and if the smell persists, place the controller near an open window in a well-ventilated space for 24 hours — natural airflow and indirect sunlight are mild sanitizing forces for surface biofilm. If the smell remains after two cleaning-and-airing cycles, the grip material itself has absorbed the compounds beyond surface reach. Replacement grip tape ($8–20 CAD from Amazon.ca or Best Buy) is the practical solution: it covers the affected surface entirely and gives a fresh, odour-free grip.
