Cleaning Cards

Cleaning cards were invented by Stan Eyler (now at CleanTech Cleaning Cards) and is a disposable product designed to clean the interior contact points of a device that facilitates an electronic information transaction (point of sale terminal, automated teller machine, remote deposit check scanners, micr readers, magnetic stripe reader, bill acceptor, bill validator, access control locks, etc.). In order for the cleaning card to work properly in the device, the card resembles or mimics the material of the transaction media – such as a credit card, check, or currency. As the cleaning card is inserted and passed through the device, it will clean components that would normally come in contact with the transaction media such as readers, lenses, read/write chip and pins, belts, rollers, and paths. Cleaning card products are widely accepted and endorsed by device manufacturers and industry professionals. Many have developed their own cleaning cards to better clean their particular devices.

A typical cleaning card is much like a wiper or sponge that can get into areas that are not readily accessible. Typically, the cleaning card has a solid core covered by a soft wipe-like material. The product is then saturated with a cleaning solution recommended by the device manufacturer and then placed in a sealed pouch to maintain the saturation level and cleanliness of the card.