Is lubricant like WD-40 a good contact cleaner?

Generally, contact cleaners contain 100% solvent, which dissolves grease, carbon deposits, and other contamination, and allows it to run off. The solvent then evaporates, leaving a clean, conductive surface behind. Aerosol lubricants, like WD-40, have some cleaning ability, since the oil in the can has to be dissolved in a solvent. In this case, the solvent dissolves the contamination and a light oil is left behind. This oil can provide lubrication, allowing a connector to be inserted easily. It can also provide some hydrophobicity, preventing moisture from collecting in the connector and either causing a short circuit or corrosion. Chemtronics offers CircuitWorks Gold Guard Pen for this type of application. One problem with adding oil to a connector is it can collect dust and other contamination from the air around it.